13Human Responsibility - Quality

Quality

• Qualitative and quantitative testing– Coming up in this unit– Qualities in designing– Quantities when

designing– Testing

Quality

• Qualitative and quantitative testing– What is the root of qualitative testing?

• What qualities do designers look for in products?

• If a product is of good build quality what does that mean?

Quality

• What is the root of qualitative testing?– Qualitative has a root of quality– Quality is defined as:

• Subjectively, something might be good because it is useful, because it is beautiful, or simply because it exists. Determining or finding Quality therefore involves an understanding of use, beauty and existence - what is useful, what is beautiful and what exists. The usefulness aspect is reflected in the common usage of quality. Wikipedia

Quality

• What is the root of qualitative testing?– In the vernacular, quality can mean a high

degree of excellence (“a quality product”), a degree of excellence or the lack of it (“work of average quality”)

• How can quality be measured?

• How can build quality be measured?

Quality

• How can quality be measured?– Since quality applies to the appreciation of the

look of a product, or the way it is built then “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

– Testing a product for quality will produce a subjective result.

– I may like something you may not.

• How do designers cope in this situation

Quality

• How do designers cope in this situation?– Dot sticking for ideas– Defining aspects of designs that people like

• E.g. do you like the colour?

– Turning subjectivity into data by counting responses

– Creating a average opinion– Reacting to consumer demands

Quality

• Qualitative Test– Like– Opinion– Subjective– Preferences

• Open ended responses

• Quantitative Tests– Measurable– Speed– Size– Weight– Voltage

• Parameters

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Quality CONTROL

• Manufacturing– All of the tests carried when making a product– Included calibrating the test equipment– Records kept of the tests carried out– Certification awarded for adhering to standard

methods of testing– Results in providing Quality Assurance

Quality ASSURANCE

• Manufacturing– Proof that the tests have

been carried out

– Proof that an acceptable number of products have passed the tests

– Proof that equipment has been regularly calibrated

– Certification gained to prove the QA processes are regularly checked.

– QA used as a marketing tool, and gives customer faith product is of good quality

ISO 9000

• Business implications– ISO 9000 is a family of standards for quality

management systems. ISO 9000 is maintained by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization and is administered by accreditation and certification bodies.

• The organisation of the workforce can be quality assured by adhering to ISO9000.

ISO 9000

• Some of the requirements in ISO 9001 (which is one of the standards in the ISO 9000 family) include– a set of procedures that cover all key processes in the business; – monitoring processes to ensure they are effective; – keeping adequate records; – checking output for defects, with appropriate and corrective

action where necessary; – regularly reviewing individual processes and the quality system

itself for effectiveness; and

– facilitating continual improvement