What considerations determine the design of products?

In order to understand the decisioning behind the design of a product you must look at three factors - The CUT Principle:


- COSTS - How can we minimise costs?

- USAGE - What are we trying to achieve with it? How can we optomise usage?

- TRADITIONS - How can we minimise the disruption of the innovation?

Often its a combination of these factors.

Usage Example:
- Cups developed handles based on usage. Initially they were simply mini tin canisters. Over-time based on feedback from usage the design changed.

- Tennis rackets were originally wooden because that was the most abundant cost effective resource at the time. Over time the heavy weighted racket was replaced with lighter metals. The strings were tightened to give extra force and the handles were modified to optomise grip.

Cost Example:
- Coins that contain potraits always display only a side profile. This is because less complexity and time is required to generate a side profile versus a full-face profile. This thus reduces the cost. On paper notes we can achieve this more easily plus it also acts as a detterant for counter-fitters.

Tradition Example:
- Women's clothes button from the left unlike mens because during the middle-ages women who wore blouses tended to have servants who dressed them. From the servants position it was easier for the servant to dress them when the clothes were buttoned from the left.

Possible Exceptions:
Despite the fact that cost would be greatly reduced if beverage cans were rectangular as opposed to cylindrical - more containers could fit on the shelf, be transported, be more easily produced - the usage factor overrides the cost factor. It is a lot easier and more comfortable to hold and drink from a cylindrical container than from a rectangular cannister.