Lesson video

Hello there.

My name's Mrs. Taylor and thank you for joining me for our lesson today.

Our lesson today is Product analysis and quality standards, and this is part of the Developments in new materials: Supporting new parents unit.

The outcome for today's lesson, I can identify key criteria and quality standards to consider when analysing a product.

There are three keywords in today's lesson: product analysis, which is examining a product's design, function and performance, quality standards, which is established guidelines that ensure products or services meet consistent and accepted levels of excellence and safety, the condition of being protected from harm, danger, or injury.

There are two parts to the lesson today: Product analysis and Quality standards.

Let's get started with Product analysis.

The context of this unit is developments in new materials: supporting new parents.

Exploring a context equips designers with knowledge and understanding to help support successful designing, which provides solutions to problems. One strategy to aid designers in exploration is to analyse existing products.

This is called product analysis.

Product analysis is a type of primary research as the researcher collects the data or information.

Secondary research, of course, is that where someone else has already gathered the information and we can access it, read it, and use it.

Analysis of existing products helps designers identify which features are successful and which could be improved on specific products.

Here we have a picture of a children's food bowl.

What do you think? Let's have a look.

A successful feature is that there are high sides to stop the food from falling out of the bowl.

And a feature that could be improved, it's a complex shape, which means it's not that easy to store.

Imagine trying to put this away in the cupboard with other types of plates and bowls.

It wouldn't stack or fit neatly.

Here we have a check for understanding.

Why do designers analyse existing products? Is it A: to copy ideas, B: to identify successful features, or C: to identify features which could be improved? Pause the video and have a go.

Fantastic.

Let's check.

That's right, it's both B and C, to identify successful features and identify features which could be improved.

Well done.

Product analysis can be conducted in different formats.

These formats could include: a visual analysis using images or videos; a product disassembly, this is where you are able to take apart a product; or a user-centered evaluation or observation; or a group discussion and peer reviews; a comparative analysis; or following a template or success criteria.

Sofia, Jacob and Jun are conducting a group discussion product analysis of a product for new parents.

It is a medicine dispenser.

Sofia says, "It measures the correct amount of medicine." Jacob says, "Is this small enough to fit into a baby's mouth? Or is it too small that it could cause harm?" And Jun says, "It doesn't look or feel like a durable product." Do you agree with what Sofia, Jacob and Jun have said? When analysing products, designers can use subheadings and questions to frame their thoughts.

It is important to select the subheadings which are suitable for the context that is being explored.

Here we have a check for understanding.

Read the sentence and complete it with the missing word.

Pause the video and have a go.

Fabulous.

Let's check.

It is important to select the subheadings which are suitable for the context that is being explored.

Well done.

The subheadings which can be used to frame product analysis include: environment, cost and aesthetics, manufacture, ergonomics and lifecycle, safety, user and materials, and function, form and size.

Which ones do you think are suitable for product analysis of a product for new parents? Here we have a check for understanding.

Identify the missing subheading which can be used to frame product analysis.

Pause the video and have a go.

Great.

Let's check.

That's right, the missing subheading was safety.

Well done.

As Sofia, Jacob and Jun are analysing a product for new parents, they decide to focus on the subheadings of safety, and they ask the question: What features of the design ensure the product is safe to use? They also chose function and asked the question: What is the purpose of the product? They also chose user, and the question: Does the product meet the user's needs and wants? Another subheading that they chose was materials, and the question: Are the materials used suitable for the product? And they also chose size: What is the size of this product and why? Sofia, Jacob and Jun decide to record some thoughts on sticky notes about their product analysis group discussion.

For the safety subheading, they say: it can measure the correct amount of medicine, it is a hard polymer material which could hurt the baby, and the force required to push it could cause harm.

For function, they said: push to dispense the medicine.

There is a small hole to allow medicine through.

The pullback motion similar to a syringe mechanism.

After the initial product analysis, Sofia, Jacob and Jun start to summarise the successful features and the features that could be improved.

They have recorded this in a table.

The successful features include: it can measure the correct amount of medicine.

The hard polymer material can be washed easily.

They are low-cost materials.

There is a small hole to control the amount of medicine given.

And features to improve include: The push function requires force.

The hard polymer material could be uncomfortable in a baby's mouth.

This is a low quality product and it's not easy to use.

Here we have Task A: Conduct a product analysis for the context "developments in new materials: supporting new parents." Part one: Select an existing product that is suitable for a product analysis.

You can select your own or one from these below: teethers, a changing mat, a bib, a drinks cup or a spoon.

And part two: Complete your product analysis for your chosen product using the subheadings below: Safety, Function, User, Materials, and Size.

And there are also some questions to prompt you with your ideas.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's have a look at some of the answers you may have come up with.

Here are some water teethers.

It goes into the baby's mouth and the baby chews on it to relieve pain from teething.

It is a soft polymer material to not cause harm.

It uses water, which is non-toxic.

There is a hole for the baby to hold it and it is small enough for a baby to hold, but not too small so that they can swallow it.

It can be frozen to help ease pain on the baby's gums and it can be washed easily.

Well done.

We now move to the second part of our lesson: Quality standards.

Quality standards are established guidelines that ensure products or services meet consistent and accepted levels of excellence.

Quality standards help ensure products are safe, reliable, and fit for purpose.

The benefits to consumers, designers, and manufacturers include: having trust, consistency, and safety with products and services.

The types of quality standards include: the British Standards Institution, abbreviated to BSI, European Standards, abbreviated to CE, International Organisation for Standardisation, abbreviated to ISO, quite often referred to as "Iso," and the Lion Mark.

Each one checks and tests products to ensure they meet minimum standards of safety and quality.

We now have a check for understanding.

Select the types of quality standards.

Is it A: International Space Organisation, B: European Standards, C: British Standards Institution, or D: the Tiger Mark? Pause the video and have a go.

Fabulous.

Let's check.

That's right, it's European Standards and British Standards Institution, so it's both B and C.

Well done.

Each institution or organisation has a symbol that can be seen on products, packaging, or instructions to indicate to consumers that the product has been successfully tested.

European Standards or CE: These are official guidelines developed to ensure that products are safe, reliable, and high quality across Europe.

Products that meet European Standards often display the CE mark.

The CE mark is seen as a minimum requirement for quality standards as it is legally required for most products across Europe and the UK.

CE stands for Conformite Europeenne, which translates to European conformity.

The British Standards Institution, or BSI, tests and certifies products to check if they meet British standards.

It issues the BSI Kitemark, which is a trusted symbol of quality, a mark or quality and trust, not a legal obligation.

The International Organisation for Standardisation, or ISO, is an international body that develops global standards to make sure products, services, and systems are safe, high quality and consistent across different countries.

The Lion Mark: The Lion Mark was developed by the British Toy and Hobby Association, or BTHA, in 1988, to act as a recognisable consumer symbol denoting safety and quality.

It indicates that the toy has been made by a member of the BTHA and therefore denotes the member's commitment to adhere to the BTHA Code of Practise, which includes rules covering ethical and safe manufacture of toys.

And we can see here a picture of the Lion Mark.

Here we have a check for understanding.

Read the sentences and fill in the missing words.

Pause the video and have a go.

Great.

Let's check.

The Lion Mark is a symbol used in the UK to indicate that a toy has been made to high safety and quality standards.

The symbol is a bright red and white lion face inside a triangle with a yellow background and green borders.

Well done.

When designers, manufacturers, or companies fail to follow quality standards, the consequences can be serious and wide reaching.

A baby inclined sleeper was sold widely.

It was marketed as a safe sleep solution for infants.

However, between 2009 and 2019, the product was linked to over 30 infant deaths.

The main reasons discovered for this malpractice included: the product not meeting safe sleep guidelines, lack of appropriate testing, and delay in action.

Designers must ensure their products, especially those for vulnerable users like babies, meet the correct and current safety and quality standards.

To keep users safe and build trust, designers need to research, test thoroughly, and always act with ethical responsibility in mind.

We now have Task B.

New parents need to be confident that the products they buy are safe and fit for purpose.

We can see here a picture of a baby sleep sack.

Part one: Identify two quality standard marks that new parents could look for on this baby sleep sack.

And part two: Explain how these marks can instil confidence and trust from the new parents in the product.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's have a look at some of the answers you may have come up with.

For part one, you may have said: New parents could look for the CE mark, which is European Standards and the British Standards Institution, BSI Kitemark.

They are most likely to be on the label inside the sleep sack.

And for part two, you may have said: These quality standard marks help instil confidence and trust in new parents by showing that the product has been independently tested and meets strict safety and quality standards.

The CE mark tells parents the sleep sack complies with legal safety requirements across Europe, reassuring them it's safe for their baby to use.

The BSI Kitemark adds an extra level of assurance as it means the product has gone through additional, voluntary testing beyond the legal minimum.

Well done.

We now have a summary of our learning today.

One strategy to aid designers in exploring context is to analyse existing products.

Product analysis helps designers identify which features are successful and which could be improved on specific products.

When analysing products for new parents, safety should be a primary focus.

Quality standards are established guidelines that ensure products or services meet consistent and accepted levels of excellence.

They help ensure products are safe, reliable, and fit for purpose.

They include the British Standards Institution, or BSI and European Standards, CE.

Designers must ensure their products meet the correct and current safety and quality standards.

I'm really pleased you were able to join me for our lesson today.

Well done.