De-mystifying the role of the product designer

Industrial design has always spanned science and art in product development from a people perspective. Dr Robert Young Director of the Centre for Design Research at the University of Northumbria explains to Vincent Woods of Benchmark Communications organisers of Design North East.

"All of us within the Centre realise the importance of communicating and explaining our thought processes when undertaking a project, whether it is asking ‘what if’ questions about the development of existing products, or for a new design based on innovative ideas."

Dr Young explains. The Centre was originally established in 1989 as the Centre for Industrial Design, a research led consultancy functioning as an independent commercial enterprise within the university. Its aim was to provide excellence in design, creativity, innovation, knowledge and technology. Since then the Centre for Design Research has grown into an academic and professional partnership.

I asked Dr Young why this ‘need to understand’ became so important to everyone?

"We are the link between products and people, we see things from different points of view, notably the user and manufacturer. There are so many factors involved in the process of industrial design today. Modern industrial designers combine technology, economics, ergonomics, environmental and social concerns, as well as cultural and emotional perspectives."

So how do you balance all these elements?

"It goes back to communication and understanding. The manufacturer understands there is a need from the consumer to have some emotional attachment or experience with the product whether it’s a car or a kettle. It could mean repeat business for the manufacturer through loyalty to its brand."

Yes, but the product has to work doesn’t it?

"Of course, but the products produced today are generally well made and functional, if one doesn’t work you can take it back, manufacturers cannot afford to make products that don’t do their job".

He adds, "The consumer understands that any product made has to balance function with cost, quality of manufacture, aesthetics, but also they increasingly expect a high quality of emotional experience when using it after it is purchased. The designer performs a key role in balancing these factors, realising them in products and facilitating their communication."

"In addition to the pressing task of framing the appropriate cultural and emotional context for a product," he concluded, "designers are also concerned with sustainability to ensure that longer-term social, environmental and economic factors are addressed.

We looked at three on-going projects in which the centre is involved that highlight these issues. Firstly an innovative design for a cycle shelter to promote sustainable commuting in and around our cities.

Dr Young explains

"The modular design is a striking visual statement which reinforces the benefits of cycling. Its footprint (base area) is based on a standard car parking space, but can securely store ten cycles."

The design is currently being developed through a special industrial collaboration funded by the Teaching Company Directorate with and a local company.

In contrast to this, we then looked at a new medical product based on the old idea of a Laryngoscope for inserting a tracheal tube into unconscious patient’s airway. The innovation reduces the number of parts needed for different sizes of patient. It also improves the clinician’s vision of the patient’s larynx, offers brighter illumination, and reduces the risk of contamination. This product has just received a special award to assist its development from the Audi Foundation and has received ethical approval for a clinical user trial from the Newcastle Hospital Trust.

Looking further into the science side a series of products are being developed for bacteriological air purification in association with Atmos Infection Controls Ltd in Birtley. These products use a special wavelength of ultra-violet light to sterilise air in critical environments such as operating theatres and GPs waiting rooms. The technology has been shown in clinical trials to kill 99.9% of the new superbugs that regularly hit the news. This project is assisted by European Regional Development Funds.

Our local Industrial designers are not just looking after our health through exercise they also offer ingenious ideas to kill some of these man made bacteria that haunt our hospitals. So if you do break a leg cycling the visit to the hospital should be a lot safer. As the saying goes, "They think of everything nowadays don’t they." Lets hope someone will commission them to design a new transport system! ……actually we are looking at that next month.

www.unn.ac.uk

Education spotlight

If you want to design a new rocket ship or a new rocking chair then some of the UK’s best courses are right here in the North East. Placements with companies is part of University of Northumbria’s courses and many former students have reached the top like Jonathan Ive now Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple and Peter Horbury –Vice President of Design at Volvo in Sweden.

• BA (Hons) Design for Industry/ Product Design (4 years Full Time)
  
• BA (Hons) Transportation Design (3 years Full Time)
  University of Northumbria at Newcastle
  Tel: 0191 227 4913
• BA (Hons) Industrial Design (3 years Full Time)
  University of Teesside
  Tel: 01642 342 277

Historical note

First Design School student from 1950s.

John Rowley became the first student of the College of Art and Industrial Design back in 1954 at the age of 21. The School of Design was born out of Kings College which goes back to the 1850s, as part of Durham University. The site was then at Clayton Road and Bath Lane, in Newcastle’s city centre. At the end of the 1960s it became part of the new Newcastle Polytechnic at its present site on Sandyford Road. John Rowley then became one of the external examiner at the School and later a visiting tutor for the Industrial Design Course. John is still a key member of the team as a Consultant Research Fellow continuing his influence within the school, now part of the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, nearly half a century on and shows no signs of slowing.

Region’s talent exported to USA

According to Jonathan Ive, Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple, USA, who graduated from the Design School in 1989 with First Class Honours in Design for Industry,

"Appearance is not just styling, it is what actually gives meaning".

In 1996, after promotion to Director of Design at Apple at the age of twenty-nine, he was also quoted as saying,

"I operate on the basis that everyone is technophobic".

Jonathan returned to the school this week to receive a special award from the school.

‘In the future, creativity in industry, founded on the interaction between design and technology, will be the driver of national and international growth.’ Lord Stone of Blackheath, quoted in the DfEE document, ‘All our futures’ 1999.

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This document is reproduced with he kind permission of The Journal and Benchmark Communications.