Daniel Knox

Daniel Knox comes from a product design background. He studied a Ba Hons in product design at Nottingham Trent University and now works as a lecturer there. He also works as a senior design engineer for Unilever. Working in hair design, primarily packaging.

Before this he worked for Dyson for 3 years. Helping to design the cordless vacuum cyclone V10. He had his own small assembly working on the wand parts. He mentioned that dyson products are premium and tested well before going in to production.

He has extensive knowledge of the design process and shared with us his insights. He mentioned that product design has become more virtual in recent years. People can customise their own designs on websites with a 360 view. This has helped companies sales with the customisable option because it's exactly to the clients specifications and the automated reality improves the customer experience. It's used a way of marketing a product. Another way of marketing would be Dysons virtual shop, where the customer can have a sense of feel of the product and test it before making a purchase. This gives the client a sense of trust in the product in a way that it is fit for the purpose they require. He told us to look at these key factors to understand before you start to design... 1. Research- Consider who, why, what and when...what is the purpose and trigger of the product? 2. Competition- Look at who your competitors are and what they're currently doing and what they're missing. This helps form insights on how to make the product design better than the competition. 3. Research customer brands- What is the cost of competitors? Who is the end user/What do they need? 4. Try to predict future trends. 5. Risks- Weigh up the potential risks. Consider whether something may be detrimental to the brand. Look at how it will be manufactured, are the resources sustainable, is the product recyclable and disposable after end of life. 6. Commercial Considerations- Can supplier deliver materials. Draft angles. Make sure the product can be made and has a purpose. Consider usage transport costs, will it be detrimental to the environment? 7. Research patents. Is the concept already patented? Could alterations be considered. 8. Testing and Prototyping- The key is health and safety. What can be tested, what can be proved and disproved.

9. Ideation Phase- Always put yourself in the costumers shoes. Understand what they want and why. Could a problem be solved with a solution from the product. 10. Consider FMEA- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis when designing a product. Consider failures and eliminate them before production.

Overall I found this lecture very insightful and informative. I can look back at this when designing my own projects for future reference. It will help knowing where to start when considering the possible risks and overall costumer experience.