Property Explanation

Tough Can be dropped, hit, knocked, bumped and won’t shatter because it absorbs the impact

Hard The surface won’t scratch or dent easily or b worn down through friction

Durable Can withstand repetitive use over a prolonged period of time

Translucent Can partially allow light to pass through

Opaque Does not allow light to pass through

Transparent Allow light to pass through- completely see through

Low melting point Can be made molten easily and pored into a mould (casting)

Thermoplastic Can be heated and shaped easily

Elastic Can change shape by applying force but springs back to original shape when force is removed

Good strength to weight ratio Can withstand force but is lightweight

Non toxic Will not cause contamination/poisoning when in contact with food or the body

Chemical resistant Will not react when in contact with chemicals

Weather resistant Will not degrade when in contact with UV light, rain, extreme temperatures etc.

Non corrosive Will not react (rust) when in contact with air or water

Lustrous Shiny attractive finish

Easy to cut, shape, drill… Applies to man made boards and softwoods

Comes in a range of colours Applies to plastics

Can have a range of finishes applied

Applies to woods and metals. Can have protective and aesthetic finishes applied to enhance the material

Biodegradable Will breakdown naturally when in contact with microorganisms in the ground

Renewable A material which will never run out (paper/wood/bioplastics)

Recyclable Material can be reprocessed to make another product

Common properties of materials

Commenting on target audience. Answer these questions:

• What gender is the product aimed at? How do you know?

• What age group is the product aimed at? How do you know?

• Would this product appeal more to a person with a certain job/hobby/interest? Why?

• Would this product appeal more to people of a certain ethnicity or religion? Why?

• Would this product appeal more to people of a certain social status (employed, single parents, unemployed, high earners etc.) Why?

• How could the product be modified to make it appeal to more people?

Target Audience- Who the product is aimed at

Example comment on target audienceThe gender that this product is aimed at is both males and females. I think this because the toy has a farm animal theme and this is non gender specific. I think that this is a good theme because it will engage boys and girls equally making the toy suitable for use by multiple children of different genders in a family or a nursery. I think that the toy is aimed at children aged from 3 upwards. My reason for thinking this is that it is a simple product with a moving head and legs which would not stimulate or engage an older child for very long. I think that this product is appropriate for this age because it provides the right level of challenge for them. Muslims consider pigs to be unclean and it is a sin for them to consume pork so they may not feel this is an appropriate toy for their children. To appeal to a wider audience another animal that is not offensive to any cultures could be used. This toy costs 4.99 which makes it affordable to parents who may be on a low income or unemployed.

Commenting on materials. Answer these questions:

• What materials are used in the product? (be specific, for example, name the materials such as saying teak, plywood, acrylic, high impact polystyrene rather than saying ‘wood’ or ‘plastic’. Also give the material group, such as saying ‘thermoplastic’ or ‘hardwood’)

• What properties do these materials have that make them suitable for use in the product? (Such as hardness, toughness, electrical insulator, transparent, comes in a range of colours etc.)

• What components are used in the product (parts which would be made separately to the main product and are often standardized (come in set shapes/sizes) such as screws, rivets, zips, hinges, LEDs, buzzers, nuts and bolts etc)

• What finishes are used on the materials? (For example, wax, varnish, acrylic paint etc) what qualities do these finishes bring to the product?

• Could the product be improved by using alternative materials? Why/why not?

Materials- What the product is made from

Example comment on materialsThe toy is made from plywood which is a man made board. I think plywood was chosen because it is tough so if the toy is dropped it will not shatter. It will also withstand sudden blows from the mallet which comes with the toy. also has compressive strength due to it being made from layers of timber glued together. Plywood is also non toxic so if the child is teething and puts the product in their mouth it will not poison them. Plywood is also easy to cut, shape and drill into which makes it easy to manufacture the shape of the toy and join it together. Plywood is also renewable because the raw material comes from trees so this makes the product more environmentally friendly. The finish that has been added to the pine is polyurethane varnish and paint. These finishes will protect the toy from the rain if left outside or from a drink which could be spilled over the toy. Without this finish the wood could rot. Both finishes are tough so will not scratch or chip off over time. The paint provides bright vibrant colour to the cylinders helping them to stand out and making it easier for the child to hit them with the mallet.

Commenting on environmental impact. Answer these questions:

• Are the materials easy to recycle? (For example, thermoplastics can be reheated and remoulded, thermosetting plastics cannot. Different materials joined together with permanent joining methods are hard to separate and therefore recycle).

• Are the materials renewable or non renewable?

• Could the product be easily repaired rather than being thrown away?

• Is the product well made and designed to last or is it likely to last only a short time? Why/why not?

• Can the product be modified/updated over time or will it get outdated quickly? How? Why?

• Can the product be used with different genders and passed down through generations?

• Is the product packaged? Is the packaging environmentally friendly? Why/why not?

• How could the product be modified to reduce its environmental impact?

Example comment on environmental impactThis toy is largely made from wood which can be recycled by shredding it into fibres that can be used to make paper or can bemixed with glue to make man made boards such as MDF which can be used in products such as furniture. This is good for the environment because it means new trees won’t need to be cut down to use as a raw material and the toy won’t end up being send to landfill sites. This product uses lots of wood which is a renewablematerial. It is renewable because more trees can be replanted so it is a material that will not run out. The toy could be repaired as it is made from one material and has three main components, the main body, the cylinder shaped pegs and the mallet. If either of these were to break they could be replaced. The main body is made from three parts which are screwed together. This makes them easy to separate to in order to repair. I think this product would last along time because it is well made from a durable material that can take a lot of knocks and bumps during everyday use. It is non gender specific which means it could be used by male and female siblings and passed down to younger children. It cannot be updated over time however, so children may become disengaged with the toy and stop playing with it at which point it could be thrown away. The product came in a cardboard box which has low environmental impact as cardboard is a renewable material and it can also be recycled.

Environmental Impact- The extent to which the product impacts upon the environment in a negative way

Commenting on environmental impact. Answer these questions:

• What colours are used in the product? Why were they chosen? What effect do they give? (Name individual colours as well as describing them as a group e.g. vibrant, primary, neutral, monochrome etc)

• What shape is the product? Why was it chosen? (e.g. geometric, irregular, rounded, curvy, angular)

• What surface design is used on the product? (patterns, images, text, textures etc.) Why were they chosen? What effect do they give?

• What style is the product? How do you know? (e.g. traditional, simplistic, retro, feminine)

• What look do the materials give the product (e.g. sophisticated, luxurious, natural)

• What texture does the surface of the product have and why? (e.g. smooth, ridged, rippled, fluffy, furry, dimpled)

• What modifications could be made to improve the look of the product and why?

Example comment on aestheticsThe product uses bright, vibrant primary and secondary colours such as red, yellow, blue, green and orange. Uses these colours makes the product eye catching so it will attract the attention of children and stimulate them visually. It could also be used to help a child learn their colour groups. The shapes included are hexagons to make up a bee hive out of individual cells. There are also small rounded bees. Both of these shapes are safe for children and couldn’t cause injury. The toy has a smooth texture as the wood has been sanded to prevent splinters or injury to skin. The style of the product is quite minimalistic-the bees are simplified with just two parts, a main body and wings. The use of a two stripe pattern on their backs make them easier to identify as bees rather than another insect. The product also has a natural, clean look due to the tweezers not having a finish on the wood other than a clear varnish. .

Aesthetics- How the product looks

Commenting on environmental impact. Answer these questions:

• What is the purpose/job of this product? How do you know?

• Does the product have a secondary function? How do you know?

• Where would the product be used? (indoors/outdoors, room? what type of surface?)

• How long would the product be used for? (minutes/hours, once a day, once a week etc.)

• How could the product be stored when not in use?

• What modifications could be made to make the product function better?

Example comment on FunctionThe function of this toy is to help develop a child’s literacy and numeracy skills. I know this because the product has moveable beads that follow metal rods on the top which can used by a child to learn to count. There are also wooden doors that open to reveal animals and the name of the animal is written inside the door. There are also cubes that can be rotated on horizontal bars with letters and images and letters on. The letters relate to the image, for example ‘F’ for ‘Fox’. The toy has a secondary function in that is can be used to store small toys in as the lid comes off to reveal a hollow cavity. I think this toy would be used in any room where there is a flat surface such as a table or floor. The reason I think this is because the toy has a flat base and is fairly heavy because it is made from wood. It would therefore not be suitable to be placed on someone’s lap due to the weight. As there are multiple interactive surfaces on the product it would keep a child occupied for up to an hour and they may play with it a number of times a day. When not in use, it could be placed on the floor or put up out of the way on a shelf. It doesn’t come apart except from the lid coming off so it takes up a fair amount of space.

Function- What the product does and how it works

Ergonomics- How easy is the product to interact with?Commenting on Ergonomics. Answer these questions:

• What parts of the product does the user have to physically interact with? (Touch, hold, press, twist, pull, push, lift, move etc.). How easy is it for the user to preform these interactions? How does the design of the product make these interactions harder/easier?

• Can the product be easily moved and transported should the user need to do this? Why/Why not?

• Is there text/instructions/images/symbols/numbers on the product that need to be read by the eyes? How isy is it to do this? Are they a clear size, colour, font, style?

• How easy is it to operate the product? Is it complex or simple? Does it come with instructions? Could a wide range of users work out how to use it?

• Does the product require power to work? How easy is this to provide? Does it have to be plugged in at the mains? Does this restrict the mobility of the product? Does it require batteries? How easy are these to change? Does it need to be switched onand off? Where is the switch? Is it easy to access and operate?

• Is the product easy to clean? Does it come apart?

• What modifications could be made to make the product easier to use?

Example comment on ergonomicsThis toy has fairly good ergonomics. It not that easy to carry as it is made from wood which is heavy but it has wheels which turn easily and make the toy very easy to pull along. This is one od the functions of the toy- to be pulled along by the child to help develop their hand eye coordination. The mobility of the product could be increased by using less material to reduce the weight or by replacing some of the wood with plastic which would also have this effect. The part of the toy that the child interacts with is the rope which is attached securely to the front of the product. This is easy to grip and hold because it is long so the child can wrap it around their hand. The product is easy to use because a simple pull on the rope makes the wheels move so it is easy for the child to interact with. The letters and numbers on the blocks inside the toy are written in a large, colourful, chunky font which is clear even when read from a distance. The blocks are a good size to fit in a child’s hand. They stack neatly inside the pull along frame making it easy for the child to tidy them away when they are finished playing.

Cost- How much the product costsCommenting on Ergonomics. Answer these questions:

• What is the cost of the product?

• Compared to other similar products, is this cost in in line with their costs, significantly higher or significantly lower?

• What do you think has contributed to the cost of the product?- Is this because of the brand name, materials used, processes of manufacture used, scale of production?

• Due to the cost, is the product affordable to all or would certain social groups be unlikely to buy the product?

• What modifications could be made to make the product more affordable?

Example comment on costThis toy has fairly good ergonomics. It not that easy to carry as it is made from wood which is heavy but it has wheels which turn easily and make the toy very easy to pull along. This is one od the functions of the toy- to be pulled along by the child to help develop their hand eye coordination. The mobility of the product could be increased by using less material to reduce the weight or by replacing some of the wood with plastic which would also have this effect. The part of the toy that the child interacts with is the rope which is attached securely to the front of the product. This is easy to grip and hold because it is long so the child can wrap it around their hand. The product is easy to use because a simple pull on the rope makes the wheels move so it is easy for the child to interact with. The letters and numbers on the blocks inside the toy are written in a large, colourful, chunky font which is clear even when read from a distance. The blocks are a good size to fit in a child’s hand. They stack neatly inside the pull along frame making it easy for the child to tidy them away when they are finished playing.

Manufacture- How the product has been made

Social/Moral/Cultural- The impact the product has on society

Health and safety- How safe is the product?

SocialMoralCultural

C/D grade(describe)

B grade (describe and justify)

A grade (describe, justify and evaluate)

Main function The main purpose /job of this product is…

I can tell this because… I think this product is fit for purpose because…OrI think this product would function better if…

Secondary functions The product also has a secondary function because it can also/is also…

I know this because… I think the product performs its secondary function well because…OrI feel the product would perform its secondary function more successfully if…

Environment The type of environment/room/location that this product is designed to be used in is…

The reason I think this is… I feel this product is suitable for its environment because…OrI feel the product would better suit its environment if…

How to comment on social/moral/cultural

Children’s toy- This comment is about functionThe function of this toy is to help develop a child’s literacy and numeracy skills. I know this because the product has an abacus as well as a magnetic board onto which the child can attach letters to make words. I think this product is fit for purpose because the abacus will successfully help the child with counting and the magnetic board is a great way for children to practise their spelling using simple three and four letter words. The toy has a secondary function in that is can be used to store the small magnetic letters and other toys. I know this because the centre of the product is a hollow box with lots of space. I feel the product performs its secondary function well because it would be very easy to place a range of items into the box and there is plenty of open space for them to fit. I think this toy would be used in any room where there is a flat surface such as a table of floor. The reason I think this is because the toy has a flat base and is fairly heavy because it is made from wood. It would therefore not be suitable to be placed on someone’s lap due to the weight.