2012/13
2012: What is a predominant feature of entrepreneurial activity?
(A)Studying emerging technologies
(B)Identifying opportunities and risk taking
(C)Designing the manufacturing system of the product
(D)Conducting a suitable marketing campaign and a life-cycle assessment
(B)Identifying opportunities and risk taking
A new mobile phone cover is to be designed. To meet the functional requirements of the product, which of the following lists of criteria should be considered?
(A)Colour, weight and size
(B)Weight, size and ease of use
(C)Material, attractiveness and cost
(D)Cost, ease of use and being fashionable
(B)Weight, size and ease of use
An architect has been contracted to design a beach resort. Which of the following would be the most appropriate method for the architect to communicate their initial design ideas to the client?
(A) A prototype
(B) A written report
(C) A rendered sketch
(D) A technical diagram
(C) A rendered sketch
Within the design process, social media can best be used as:
A. a form of communication.
B. an innovative design practice.
C. a current digital design technique.
D. an acceptable industrial procedure
A. a form of communication.
There has been a growing trend towards a cashless and paperless society due to technological advances which support, for example, the use of transport cards, digital subscriptions and contactless payments.
Which of the following is a direct benefit of this trend to the consumer?
A. Increased sales
B. Greater privacy
C. Greater convenience
D. A greener environment
C. Greater convenience
What effect does obsolescence have on the development of products?
(A)It encourages the use of new technologies.
(B)It ensures the production of sustainable products.
(C)It limits the number of products and spare parts sold.
(D)It creates a market for the sale of second-hand products and parts.
(A)It encourages the use of new technologies.
Using a variety of research methods in the process of design is important because it:
(A)helps develop marketing strategies.
(B)improves understanding of customer needs.
(C)promotes the use of emerging technologies.
(D)protects the intellectual property of the designer.
(B)improves understanding of customer needs.
A manufacturer wishes to decrease the long-term environmental impact of the washing machine it produces. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective?
(A) Replace plastic parts with metal where possible
(B) Reduce the power and water usage requirements
(C) Reduce the size of the washing bowl and detergent container
(D) Manufacture the washing machine using only new technologies
(B) Reduce the power and water usage requirements
Struggling businesses are often forced to diversify to remain viable. This has resulted in businesses needing to design and develop
A. infrastructure to improve production output.
B. systems to manage activities in order to meet consumer demands.
C. a detailed life-cycle analysis of all operations to address consumer interests. D. innovative management practices that improve output to reduce environmental impact.
B. systems to manage activities in order to meet consumer demands.
What is most likely to occur if emerging technologies and sustainable practices fail to align?
A. Growth in environmental concern will be limited.
B. Global economies will stagnate as innovation ceases to occur.
C. Political intervention will limit the research and development of design ideas.
D. An imbalance between innovative human endeavours and maintaining the natural environment will result.
D. An imbalance between innovative human endeavours and maintaining the natural environment will result.
Describe how the changing nature of communication technologies has affected teamwork and collaborative design processes.
Provides characteristics and features of the changing nature of communication technologies and the effects this has had on teamwork and collaborative design processes
A life cycle analysis of a product is conducted to determine:
(A)how materials will be manufactured.
(B)the cost of distribution and transport.
(C)the impact of the product on society and the environment.
(D)how materials will be disposed of or recycled.
(C)the impact of the product on society and the environment.
As new technologies are developed and released, existing products may rapidly become obsolete. What can designers do to address the waste caused by this cycle of obsolescence?
A. Use cheaper materials to reduce the price
B. Limit the functions of the existing products
C. Design products with components that are easily replaced
D. Restyle existing products to help maintain their market share
C. Design products with components that are easily replaced
Why do information and communication technology (ICT) companies take risks with their products by supplying their software at discounted prices or free of charge to students?
A. To test the software product prior to its release to industry
B. To establish product familiarity in order to capture future market share
C. To stop illegal software piracy by students copying and sharing computer programs
D. To obtain personal data when the product is downloaded, and selling it to cover costs
B. To establish product familiarity in order to capture future market share
Which of the following contributes to the development of an efficient and sustainable product?
A. Timing the release of a product to market
B. Ensuring that the loss of natural resources is considered
C. Producing quality products that reflect and align with society’s needs
D. Effective time management, planning and evaluation throughout product development
C. Producing quality products that reflect and align with society’s needs
Describe how action plans and ongoing evaluation processes work together to contribute to the development of a successful design.
As part of the design process, the designer will develop an action plan for the purpose of organising an appropriate and efficient operation. The action planning will help to organise a correct sequence of operations in order to allow an efficient design process. This, in conjunction with an ongoing evaluation structure, will help to ensure a successful design. If ongoing evaluation is not carried out then design development may not address issues of concern with regard to the intended product. These issues could relate to important design factors which may include function, cost or safety in relation to the product. Together they ensure that the end product will best meet the needs of the client and the consumer.
A designer has been asked to produce a working prototype of a desk lamp that uses a variety of materials. Outline safe work practices that should be implemented by the designer during the development of the prototype.
A risk assessment should be conducted before constructing the prototype. Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used to minimise risk of injury. For example, face mask and eye protection (eg goggles, safety glasses) should be worn to protect the designer against dust and flying particles (eg when cutting wood for the stand of the desk lamp). Hearing protection (eg ear plugs, ear muffs) should be worn to protect against hearing loss due to the noise generated from sawing. Electrical work of the desk lamp should be carried out by a licensed technician. Electrical parts should also be clearly tagged. Regular maintenance, service and safety inspections of machinery, tools and equipment must be carried out. Likewise suitable training in the safe use of equipment and machines needs to be undertaken.
Answers could include:
• Electrical tagging and testing is carried out according to legislation
• Research and testing of materials to ensure that no toxic fumes are emitted during the use of the prototype '
• Utilisation of appropriate SOP/SLMS and MSDS information sheets.
Describe the difference between designing a brand new product and redesigning a product that already exists.
After analysing the brief, the designer would be in a position to examine the product which already exists. One path could be to carry out a PMI analysis. Following this, the fact that the product currently exists may allow the designer to carry out market research. This may be via interview/panel or survey to gauge consumers’ response to its function, features and appearance. However, the design of a brand new product would rely more on the R&D of concepts and prototypes. This would be more costly, but allow the more conceptual aspects of the design to be understood by the consumer. This data may then enable the designer to experiment and/or trial different models with the view to producing a prototype of the new product. This may be a time-consuming process and delay the release of the new product into the market. However, being able to make reference to a product that already exists may give the designer some greater insight into the positive and/or negative features with the view to improving them in the new product.
Who would be the person most likely to influence the features of a new respiratory mask?
A. A product designer
B. A running enthusiast
C. A business entrepreneur
D. A biomechanical engineer
B. A biomedical engineer
Which of the following best describes an effective process for developing design solutions?
A. A method of analysing a product’s development
B. A series of steps to manage time, actions and finance
C. A method of manufacturing products, systems or environments
D. A series of steps to transform an idea into a working and viable product
D. A series of steps to transform an idea into a working and viable product
Discuss how the use of technology has changed designers’ work practices.
Currently designers have access to a range of technologies to assist with their day to day work. This technology can be seen to have an effect on their work practices both in a positive and negative sense. A positive example would be that of computer modelling technology, which has allowed the designer to electronically send their design ideas to almost anywhere in the world. This has had the effect of allowing other stakeholders in the design to collaborate in the design development process. The fact that designers may be situated in other parts of the world allows for a continuous (24 hour) input to the design via their collaboration. A negative aspect of this though may be the initial establishment costs involved in setting up the technology and ongoing upgrade and training costs to maintain or access the level of technology.
Why is it important for designers to protect their intellectual property?
(A)It allows competing designers to share ideas.
(B)It enables their ideas to be marketed locally and internationally.
(C)It ensures that all future designs are successfully patented.
(D)It ensures that designer’s ideas cannot be marketed and sold by other designers.
(D)It ensures that designer’s ideas cannot be marketed and sold by other designers.
Explain how the use of new and emerging technologies has had negative effects on the security for the individual in the workplace.
Fingerprint recognition relies on the user to register the print of the finger they wish to use into the database but eg grit, moisture, grease can make the scan unrecognisable. Therefore, the user will be locked out. Face recognition will be deemed unusable if the employee changes facial features in any way or has their appearance altered. This may be by growing a beard, wearing sunglasses or possibly receiving a facial injury. Identification cards for employees are widely used in the office these days. If an employee forgets their card or loses it they are denied access to the workplace. PINs are also widely used. They are generally used in conjunction with a swipe card in a two-tier system of security. As they are primarily four-digit codes, once another person has the swipe card the PIN can be systematically found and used. PINs and passwords are easily forgotten thus making their use quite limiting at times.
Built-in obsolescence creates opportunities for ongoing profits for companies by
A. constantly reviewing existing product lines.
B. incorporating technologies into the latest products.
C. encouraging people to change functioning products that they own.
D. generating a need for individuals to keep updating existing products.
D. generating a need for individuals to keep updating existing products.
What ethical action should be taken by designers when developing a product that uses synthetic materials rather than natural resources?
A. Develop a returns policy for consumers
B. Inform consumers of the materials used
C. Promote the lack of environmental damage that has occurred from using synthetic materials
D. Assure consumers that the chemical composition and appearance of natural and synthetic materials are the same
B. Inform consumers of the materials used