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VCE Product Design and Technologies (Year 11) · Unit 1 — Design Practices · 10m read

What Product Designers Do — Roles, Industry and Design Practice

Unit 1 looks at design practices: how real designers research, generate ideas, prototype and work with others to create products people need.

Learning objective: Describe how product designers work, who they work with, and how design practice moves from an idea to a manufactured product.

By the end of this lesson you can:

  • I can describe the role of a product designer.
  • I can name other people involved in bringing a product to market.
  • I can explain the difference between a designer and an end user.

Designers are problem-solvers, not decorators. A good product designer is like a doctor diagnosing a problem before prescribing a cure. Looks matter, but solving the right problem matters more.

Design practice

WHO IS INVOLVED
• Client — commissions or pays for the design.
• Designer — researches, generates and develops solutions.
• End user — the person who will actually use the product.
• Makers and manufacturers, engineers, marketers and suppliers.

WHAT DESIGNERS DO
• Identify needs and opportunities.
• Research users, existing products, materials and processes.
• Generate and test ideas through sketches, models and prototypes.
• Communicate with clients and makers using drawings and specifications.
• Evaluate products against criteria.

DESIGN SETTINGS: in-house design teams, design consultancies, independent makers, start-ups.

Worked example (Easy)

A school canteen wants a new reusable food container. Identify the client, designer and end users.

  1. Client. The canteen manager who commissions the design.
  2. Designer. The person or team developing the container.
  3. End users. Students and staff who eat from it, plus canteen workers who wash it.

Answer: Client = canteen manager; designer = design team; end users = students, staff and canteen workers.

Common mistakes

  • Treating the client and end user as the same person They often have different needs. Fix: Identify both and consider each.
  • Only thinking about appearance Function, safety and sustainability matter too. Fix: Consider all design factors.

Practice questions

  1. The person who will actually use the product is the:

    1. Client
    2. End user
    3. Manufacturer
    4. Supplier

    (1 marks)

  2. Explain why a designer should research end users before generating ideas.

    (2 marks)

Summary

  • Client, designer, end user and makers each have roles.
  • Designers research, generate, prototype, communicate and evaluate.
  • Design is problem-solving, not just decoration.
  • Consider the needs of everyone involved.

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