2. KEF Brand Decoding
Who are KEF? KEF are one of the most prestigious audio companies in the UK and have produced a range of
innovative designs, ideas and features that have set KEF’s speakers above the rest for the past 50 years.
So that I had a good At the task bar
idea of the company at the top of www.KEF.co.uk
that I was designing a the page I was
product for I had to first able to view
KEF’s latest
look into the companies
products that
history, product and were available
customer base as well to buy.
as their price range. To
locate this information I
first went onto the KEF
website at
www.KEF.co.uk. I found
there website very easy
to use and was able to
view may of their
products and innovative The pop out titled ‘KEF innovation’ was also featured on
the task bar. Here I was able to see some of KEF’s latest
ideas that the company
features to their speakers that set them apart from other
promises to deliver in companies in the market today.
their products.
“Innovators in sound” – www.KEF.co.uk (Brand promise)
The price range of KEF’s products was another
important piece of knowledge I thought would
valuable during the designing and development
process of my project. This is because it would give
me a good idea of what materials I could use as
well as the customers I would ideally be aiming my
product at.
After looking at a number of KEF’s products that were
available to the general public I found that a rough
price range for their products was £225 to £14,000 (the
range between their cheapest and most expensive
product.) This would suggest that the quality of the
products that KEF manufacture is very high and have
customers who have a reasonable amount of wealth.
3. KEF Brand Decoding Model 105/3 was Following on from the success of
The K1 slimline series the first reference the KHT2005 system, the new KEF
was the first loud series loudspeaker 75mm (3”) Uni-Q array was used
speaker designed to incorporate Uni- as the basis for a smaller and
and produced by Q technology. It more affordable system, the
KEF. It was unvalued was a four-way KHT1005. It was based on the
in 1961 and featured system, employing same tried and tested formula:
a midrange speaker six drive units, with Uni-Q technology for even sound
and, with the very high distribution in the listening room
addition of it’s slim sensitivity, high
shape, allowing easy output capability
use for customers for and outstanding
who space was a power handling
premium. capacity
The Celeste III and Concord
III were distinctive for their K-Series featured a three entry- The Blade is one of
industrial design. Concord level conventional loudspeaker KEF’s latest
III was one of the first ‘two as well as the Q-Series, a more successes being the
and a half way’ designs upmarket range of three Uni-Q world’s first single
which incorporated two 8” based models. The K-Series apparent loud
bass drivers being operated represented KEF’s continuing speaker. As well as
vertically in line at low commitment to provide quality winning product of
frequencies which loudspeakers at the lower price the year 2012 in a
improves power handling points number of counties,
and reduces distortion at Japan and America
low frequencies. Celeste III being just two. The
was an 8” two way closed Blade is a true
box design with newly reflection of KEF’s 50
developed drivers and a years of innovative
sophisticated crossover thinking.
network.
4. KEF Brand Decoding
After looking at KEF as a professional company, including their website and other websites that sold their
products, I have come to conclusions about aspects of their company, including good and bad points. The
good aspects that I liked will be ones that I will remember and continue throughout the designing process of
my product.
Positives-
• The first thing that I found attractive about KEF as a company was its
sleek, modern appearance to it’s produces as well as it’s website. I
hope to continue this aspect of their company as a base for the
design of my products as I think a modern and current market would
find this outlook very appealing.
• After doing some researching into the company I found their brand
promise ‘innovators in sound’. I found this very interesting, possibly
not so much as a customer, but more so as a fellow designer. This
would because I came to the conclusion that the innovative
features that KEF produces display are why they are so popular and Uni-Q technology- one of the many
well respected. I hope to come up with an original, innovative innovative ideas that KEF has
feature for my products as I believe it will make my product unique pioneered. This new technology in
to others available on the market. speakers allowed sound to be heard
at the same level wherever someone
Negatives- is stood in a room.
• What I found with some of the newest designs by KEF was
that they weren‟t readily available to the public to buy. In
my opinion, this would be very damaging to a company.
Although I can understand that due to the high price of
some of the newest produces they may not want to display
the prices on their website, however there was no contact
information about buying speakers such as the Blade, one
of their newest products that had won a number of awards.
For my speaker I would make the design or at least the
innovative idea I intend my product having to be
incorporated into a speaker that is readily available to the
public.
• Although they modernist style to KEFs latest products was
LS50- one of the latest speaker sets very appealing, I found it slightly repetitive and even boring.
by KEF. Although I like the orange For my product I hope to create a design and shape to my
speakers with the black casing, the product that is different to the products KEF design, as the
shape is no different to many majority of their speaker are in a solid block form.
speakers on the market.
5. Brief
To ensure that my product would be designed for a purpose and that I will stick to the aims for my product, I
have written a brief. This explains what I hope to achieve with my product and features that are important to
remember during the research and designing processes of my project.
I will design and manufacture a audio system that is
innovative in the design rather than the technology
function that KEF focus on, although the sound quality of
my product will be of a high standard. The system will The Muon is
the latest
either be a loud speaker, docking station or a pair of
speaker from
headphones. The product I design will be created for the
KEF and has a
audio company KEF as a potential addition to their
subtle organic
product base. This will involve me using materials that are shape to it.
commonly found in KEF products as well as inventing a Like the Muon I
product with an „innovative feature‟, a concept that KEF would like my
pride their products having. This will ensure that my product to be
Whereas these product is unique in the large market of audio systems similar, but
Swedish speakers available to the general public. As I have previously have a
have taken explained in the decoding section, I was hoping for my different shape
inspiration from product to have a look that was typical of products that to the
Japanese represent the design branch of modernism, like many of conventional
sculpture work and KEF’s newer products. However, I was less impressed with a block shape
possibly other majority of KEF products that feature the typical cubed like the
cultural aspects of overwhelming
shape of many speakers that are currently on the market. I
Japanese history, I majority of
want my product to have a unique and original shape
will be using nature speakers on
to create an
and design to it, which will set my product apart from
the market.
original speaker other available audio systems. These unique qualities will
design. be embodied in the aesthetics, size and function of my
product. I will take inspiration from the natural world to
achieve an organic and original design to my product.
The R-Series is one of KEF’s
most hi-tech audio systems
and features their original Uni-
Q technology. Despite this, I
found no originality to the
design of the speakers and at
first glance wouldn’t have
Organic designs have allowed looked twice at this speaker
designers to create original and new series in a sample of other
designs and products, such as this speakers on the market.
staircase that can be closely related
to a snails shell.
6. Task Analysis
From looking at the kind of products that KEF sell as well as its history as a company I am now able to form a
realistic judgment of KEF’s main customer base including who their customers are and what kind of lifestyle they
live. This can also help provide me with an estimate for the price range and quality of products KEF sell. I thought
it would be important to state my aims for my project to ensure that focus isn‟t lost during the design,
development and manufacturing processes.
Aesthetics
User
For the aesthetics of my product I will
An initial question to ask would be ‘what has the
have to consider a number of
customer gained from my product?‟ Although an age
factors including colour, shape, the
range hasn’t been given to my target audience at this
layout of components and possibly
point, I can’t give exact figure on ergonomic and
any logos or images I will be
anthropometric considerations, but I will be including
including on my product. These
them in my design.
aspects may all be considered
through the design of my speakers if I
decided to use a design theme.
Task Analysis
Environment
As I can assume Customer
my product would
be used in a home Although the customer base for my
I can’t predict Cost Safety product is still open, it can be narrowed
certain features down to people who would have a
about the The durability of My product must reasonable amount of wealth. This
environment such my product will be durable. This could include business men and
as colour of ensure few will ensure my women, bankers, company owners,
surroundings, mat refunds or returns product is safe investors etc. Other customers could
erials in area and will occur if my and unlikely to include music or even audio product
other objects. product was to be break. No sharp fans.
However, I will sold on a mass edges will be
have to consider scale. The cost to included on my
spacing as this manufacture the product as well. I Function
could be product will affect will also consider
limited, which the total cost and the materials I The ultimate objective of my product
would affect the includes cost of will use to make is to play music. However, I hope to
size of my labour and cost of my product and include an idea that would make my
product. materials and ensure non toxic product unique, such as a unusual
processes paints are used. shape, speakers placed at 360
involved. degrees so sound can be heard at
different positions to the speaker
etc.
7. Initial Specifications
Aesthetics- from looking at speakers and audio systems that KEF have designed I have found that they
produce a range of different looking speakers. However, the most recent, including the muon and the
blade, feature very plain designs. They display colours such as black, grey and white and have a
smooth, curved shape to them. These are common features of the design theme known as modernism.
Because of this I will use this design theme to base the design and look of my product on. However, I didn’t like
the blocked shapes of their products as they were very similar to other audio products on the market. The
design for my product will be organic, as I will take inspiration from nature to create a unique and different
design to my product.
Cost- after finding out a rough estimate for KEF’s price range on their products that are available to the
general public I concluded that my product should be of a high quality. This will involve using expensive
materials that would increase the cost of the product overall. An estimate for the price of my product would
be in the region of £3000-£5000. My products would be sold over the internet or at a high end store, unlike
some of KEF’s most recent products that aren’t readily available to the general public.
Customer- because of the high value that I intend on my speakers to cost the target audience can been
narrowed down to people with a reasonable amount of wealth. Although it could also been aimed at music
fans and even musicians as I intend the quality of sound that my speakers to produce to be of a high quality.
However, I would assume that due to the intended modernist design I have in mind for my product wealthy
members of the public would be a larger market.
Environment- like many of KEF’s products I will be designing my product for an indoor environment. As my
ideal customer would be using the speakers for domestic, personal use I can narrow the environment down to
predominately a house/flat/apartment etc. Because of this I will have to think about the aesthetics of my
product as they would possibly have to suit the design theme and colours used in the house for my product to
be more attractive for the customer. This may involve my product being available in a number of colours.
Safety- as my product will have a modernist design theme to it, curved edge and corners will be used, which
would reduce the risk of possible injury caused by my speaker to the user. Another risk could be the sound
level that my speakers produce, as at a high volume the sound could be damaging to the users hearing.
Although I would be less inclined to reduce to volume of the speaker, warning information could be included
in the packaging of the speaker or possibility on the speaker itself.
Size- due to the high pricing estimate I have put on my product I would assume that the speaker I will be
producing would be a main feature in the environment it would be placed. Because of this the possibility of
the size of the speaker being to big is minimal. Like many of KEF’s speaker I hope to design a speaker that
would be placed on the floor, suggesting that it would have to be of a reasonably large size for the sound to
be projected appropriately.
Function- the quality of sound that my speakers produces must be of a high quality, as the customer would
be expecting it to be with the price range I have estimated for my product. Like many of KEF’s more recent
products I hope to come up with an idea that is innovative and original, which could be reflected in the
function of the speaker.
Material- as my product will be for indoor uses the range of materials that I can use for my product become
greater. I will definitely be using materials of a high quality due to the pricing, which would include hardwoods
such as oak and pine, some metals and possibly ceramics.
8. Audio Product Decoding
So that I would gain a better understanding of how sound works I visited the website
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/GCSE to gain a basic understanding of the topic. I feel that this is important to the
designing and developing aspect of my project so it will help me to come up with an innovative idea for my
product that so many of KEF’s products feature.
Sound waves are waves that must pass through a medium. Echoes are reflections of sounds. Because of
this sound can’t travel through a vacuum as it needs a medium, this can include particles in the air. Sound
waves can only travel through a solid, liquid or gas. Vibrations that produce sound occur in the same
direction as the direction of travel. When an object or substance vibrates, it produces sound:
1. the greater the amplitude, the louder the sound
2. the greater the frequency, the higher the pitch.
These diagrams show snapshots from oscilloscope traces of three sounds
For sounds 1 and 2:
the sound waves have the same frequency, so the sounds have the
same pitch
sound 2 has a greater amplitude than sound 1, so sound 2 is louder.
For sounds 2 and 3:
the sound waves have the same amplitude, so the sounds have the
same loudness
sound 3 has a greater frequency than sound 2, so sound 3 is higher
pitched.
The range of human
hearing is between
about 20 Hz and 20 kHz,
but the range becomes
less as we get older.
Sounds with frequencies
above about 20 kHz are
called ultrasound.
9. Audio Product Decoding
As I will either be designing a pair of headphones or loud speakers I thought it would be a good idea to looking
into the construction and components that go into making each one. First I have looked at loud speakers. So
that I gained first hand experience of the layout of a loud speaker I found a small bass amp in my room that I
took the back. Inside the speaker I was able to see all of the components and wiring. As I was unable to take
the actual speaker apart I found an image on www.google.co.uk/images that has given me a clear
understanding of how a speaker is put together.
This component can be
The speaker is the first component known as the cross over
in the make up of an amplifier. For box. Here sound is
my product I will uses an existing converted into electrical
speaker as this will save time energy, making it very
during manufacture and allow me important in the make up
to ensure the overall appearance of a speaker.
of the product is to a high
standard.
The working system
contains a circuit
Cross over box The final board where the
component is the plug socket, wires for the
which allows the speaker to be speaker are
powered. As I found this cable soldered on. This
quite substantial I will think about component allows
using a more subtle one for my the power to be
After looking at the make product. distributed
up of a speaker from the appropriately. As I
image on the right I think am unfamiliar with
that if I was to use an this kind of
innovative idea that electrical work I will
involved the actual sound need to do some
I would have to use a KEF research into it
speaker that already and possibly get
incorporates the some professional
technology, as the layout help.
of speaker components
seems to complex to
learn and manufacture.
10. Audio Product Decoding
So that I had a good idea of how I would actually manufacture my product I looked at how headphones are
designed. This would give me a better understanding of how long the manufacturing process would take as
well as how realistic some ideas would be when I get to the designing process of my project. To find this
information I used the website www.youtube.com where I found a video explaining the process that is involved.
Copper wire is then rapped
hundreds of times around a
metal tube using CNC
(Computer Numerical
Control), until it forms a soil coil.
These coils are then magnetised
which allows the headphones to
First plastic covers that formed the
produces sound.
main part of the casing for the
headphone are injection mould
A plastic housing
is then produced The coil is glued to
with the injection the rubber
moulder which is diaphragm that will
joined to a help to produce the
magnet. sound
The second component to To secure the
the headphones, the head speaker
band, is then assembled by mechanism into
joining the two wires that run plastic housing
through the head band with screws are
a copper plate. This allows an added
audio signal to pass from the manually.
left to the right headphone.
Final Finally the wires from speaker
Product mechanism to wires from head band
are soldered together so that the
sound is produced at the same
quality in both headphone.
11. Define Target Audience
The defined target audience section of my project will help me to focus on my specific target audience who
are most likely to buy my product. I have used previous sections of my product such as brand decoding and
initial specifications to come to a conclusion on who my target audience is. In this section I will take a look into
the target audience I have narrowed now previously and look deeper into their life so that I can design my
product to best suit them later on in my project.
After concluding that the defining factor of the target audience was a
considerable amount of wealth due to the high pricing of my product, I
started my research into my customer base by looking into the best
paid jobs in the UK, which I found a list for from ‘The Guardian’. I found
that the highest paid job was head of a company, with workers from the
financial sector and medical practitioners also in the top ten. After
further research I found that typically these people would be male in
their 40‟s and 50‟s. This was interesting as I would have assumed that my
product could be aimed at a younger audience, however I now realise
the price would be too expensive for a teenager or young adult.
However, looking at the KEF website I found that none of their
products would appeal to just one age range. After considering this
I concluded that by doing that it would but of other ages that could
be an acceptation to the stereotypes that producers most consider
in order for their product to appeal to a general audience. Because
The KHT 3000 series uses a black and silver of this I will not be focusing on a specific age range, but instead a
design theme, fitting with KEF usual modernist
design. These colours, although plain, don’t
number of groups of people.
suit a particular group of people unlike other
colours (e.g. Blue for boys and pink for girls.)
However, looking at KEF’s flagship hi-fi speakers I found the
LS50 speakers that were quite obviously aimed at a more
musical audience. We can see from this advertisement image
that this speaker was created and marketed to possibly
producers, musicians and artists. However, I found that these
speakers were available to the general public and prided
themselves on the quality of sound, which everyone can
benefit from, suggesting that although KEF have created a
specific audience, the way the product is marketed is to the
general public.
12. LINKFX
During this part of the initial stage of my product I will be thinking into how audio products are used. This will
involve me thinking about unconventional way speakers are used, which will allow me to state a number of
further feature I will and won’t include on my product. This will help me achieve an original and unique
product, which I believe is key to the success of any product.
•Logical:
The ultimate goal of audio products is for people to listen and share music. Because of this I am more
inclined to design a loud speaker to a pair of headphone/earphones or a docking station. I have
noticed, from personal experience and from friends and family, that many speakers, as well as docking
stations, are rarely used to play music, but are kept as objects to look at and fill space, like ornaments.
Because of this I will take time designing the products aesthetical features and form to create a speaker
that, although is primarily used for playing and sharing music it is also very attractive and will be a main
feature in the environment it is bought for.
•Illogical:
From personal experience I have found speaker that have a set number of volumes very illogical as I
find the first volume level is to loud for certain times of the day. My product will have a volume control
that will cover a range of different volumes to allow my product to be versatile in the amount of sound it
produces and allow the volume to be control at levels the user wishes. Another illogical use for loud
speaker that I have found is very common is a speaker being used to stand/sit on as well as being used
like a table/shelf where objects are placed on top of the speaker. As I hope to design an organic shape
for my speaker and move away from the convention cubed shape of the majority of speakers on the
market, I will be able to avoid my product being used as a table or seat.
•Needs:
Ultimately my product needs to be able to play music. As I am designing my speaker for KEF, a high end
manufacturing company, the sound produced needs to be of a high quality. Although it isn’t completely
necessary I think my product needs to be able to play music at a range of volumes to make the product
more versatile to the user. As my product will be aimed at a high end, wealthy audience the materials I
uses will need to be of a good quality with the manufacturing process to be efficient so my product will
be as durable as possibly. Lastly, the design needs to be original and innovative, so that it conforms to
the products range of KEF, but will stand out from other speakers on the market. I hope to achieve this
original design by taking inspiration from the natural world.
13. LINKFX
•Keep:
As I am designing a loud speaker it is important to consider the anthropometrics of the product as the
environment of the product could be varied. The size, height and width of the product is a concern as I
will design my product to be placed on the floor rather than a table or shelf. Because of this I need to
consider if the users will be seated or standing as well as where the speaker is placed as these factors
can all have an effect on the sound quality heard by the users. Another idea that I plan on using for my
product is for music to be played through a number of music devices, such as an IPod/IPhone as well as
a TV and MP3/4 player. Because of this I will include an auxiliary cable to my product that will allow a
number of device to use my speaker.
•Scrap:
Whereas I am keeping some anthropometric considerations I will not be focusing as much on the
ergonomics of my product. This is because the user is unlikely to be interacting as my with the speaker,
but more with the device the music is being played from. An additional reason for the lack of ergonomics
on my product is that I hope for it to have an ornamental look to it, which would involve a shape that
would be more aesthetically pleasing, but less user friendly. Additional features I plan on scraping include
the traditional cubed shape of most speakers and set volume control for reasons I have previously
mentioned.
•Form VS. Function:
Due to the decision to make my speaker like an ornament as much as a audio device my product will
heavily be focused on form. Although KEF as a company is very much about the function of their
products, from what I have concluded about their company is that their products are original and
innovative due to the revolutionary technology they develop for their speakers. However, what I want for
my product is for it to be innovative and original because of the design rather than the technology. This
will allow my product to stand out within the general market for speakers at this time. However, as my
product is still very much a high end speaker with a wealthy audience the sound quality will have to be
very high.
•XFactor:
The unique selling point for my product, which I have made clear thought out this initial stage of my
project, is the design and aesthetics my product will feature. As I plan for my product to conform to the
design theme of modernism, but also be one of an organic design, I hope for my product to achieve an
individual look that will stand out in the presents of other audio products, but also suit the product range
of KEF.
15. Research Plan
Primary Research-
First-hand existing design-
To gain a better understanding of existing products and to understand why they are or aren‟t
successful products, I will go to shops like John Lewis, HMV and Amazon to get pictures of audio
products. This will also give me an idea about an average price range and common materials
that are used for speakers. I will then annotate each picture of seating with ACCESSFM. This will
included discussing topics like aesthetics, customer and function.
Person and Product Interaction-
So that I am aware of an faults with how speakers are used that I may have missed on my initial
brainstorm I noted down during the LINKFX section of my project I will carry out a ten minute
observation. To carry out this piece of research I will observe a friend interacting with audio
products that they own. So that this research won‟t be staged or biased I will be taking notes of
the persons interactions rather than a video so that my observations can be recorded in a more
subtle way.
Product Disassembly-
So that I will have a clear idea of how my product will be put together I will disassembly existing
products. I will be using old speakers and headphones that myself and friends no longer use.
This piece of research will give me a better knowledge of how seating is put together and
made, which will help me when I get to the manufacturing process of my product. However,
the products may use joining, forming and moulding processes that aren’t accessible to me, for
example injection moulding, which is very common for speaker casing, but as mine will be
made as a one-off or batch product these processes will be extremely expensive.
Questionnaire-
So that I get a more rounded and in-depth view of my customers I will carry out a questionnaire
to members of the public the fit the initial profile I have created. During this questionnaire I will
ask questions involving aesthetics, behaviours of the customers and features that they would
find useful and make my speakers more attractive to the public. As I will try to make my
questionnaire unbiased I will ask all members of the general public to fill in my questionnaire,
which will allow me to recognise that the target audience I have selected is most likely to buy
my product.
16. Research Plan
Environmental Snap Shot-
As my product has no specific environment I will take a number of shots from different rooms
that my product would most commonly be used in. This section of my research will allow me to
analyse features in each environment that might have an affect on the design of my seat. I will
also be able to analysis problems with the environment and also look at the behaviours of the
users that would use my product. However, the picture will only highlight behaviours of the
customer at that second and may leave out issues that are very important and would affect the
design of product.
Secondary Research-
Mood Board-
For my mood board I will find pictures of a range of topics and objects that will relate to my
product, such as colours, materials, textures and existing designs. I will also find pictures that
relate to the environment where I will design my speaker for. I will gather these pictures together
from the internet. The mood board will give me a clearer idea of what I want my product to
feature.
Product Profiling-
To gain a better understanding of where my product would fit into the mass market I will product
profile my product with existing designs. This will involve me comparing and analysing current
products with my speaker. During this I will be comparing my product to high and low priced
seating and mass, batch and one-off speakers. This will give me a clearer view of how well my
product fits into the general market.
Brand Profiling-
This section of my research will be similar to my product profiling in the layout of the page. I will
be looking at high and low end brands will be one axis with the other being the success of the
company on the other, which will be determined by the annual profit. This will help me to
understand if designing my product for a high end brand will increase the money made from my
product or if I would be better off designing a cheaper speaker system of less quality. I will also
include KEF into the brand profiling to gain an understanding of where KEF sit in the field of audio
companies.
17. Questionnaire
To start of my research I thought it would be important to gain an understanding of what the public
want from a speaker. As I will be basing the questions I ask on ACCESSFM I believe that I will be able to
develop points formed from this questionnaire further through my research.
For my questionnaire I have planned out two pages of 10 questions to ask to members of the public. I
will be asking people at Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush, London, as this area is popular
with wealthy, trendy members of the public that would possibly be customers of my product. I will be
asking 30 members of the public to fill in my questionnaire. I will then display the results on pie charts
and analysis and evaluate the results and consider what changes I should consider during the
designing part of my product.
Here is the set of questions that I will be handing out to members of the public. I hope that these
questions will give me an initial idea of what my customers will want in an audio product.
18. Questionnaire Do you own more than one audio Would you be more willing to buy a
device? If so please list below the speaker system with a unique feature
These are the results of my type and function of each device. to it (e.g. an original shape, a 360
questionnaire. I have displayed degree speaker)? Yes
each question as a pie chart so
that I can easily and clearly see Yes No (no reason given)
which of the options were the most
and least popular. Although I No No (couldn't space
out as much with
included areas of my
someelse sitting
there)
No (other reason
questionnaire where written given)
answers were needed I haven’t
included them into the results. This Do you tend to buy products on Do you normally listen to music on
is because it would make the the aesthetics rather than the your own or in a group?
results harder the read, so I will function?
included some of the answers in
my evaluation of the results if I feel Yes On your
that they are of relevance or No
own
In a group
importance to the design of my
product.
What material would best suit the
design theme of a room in your Which of these tendencies do What type of audio product do you
house? you use a speaker for? use most often?
Headphones
Wood Docking
Station
Concrete
Amplifier
Plastic
Other Loud speaker
Out of the four speaker systems From the option you have chosen
What design theme do you find the below, which would you most above, what device do you use to play
most attractive? likely to buy? In the text box below music through this audio product?
Pop Art
describe what you find most
attractive about the product you Ipod
Modernism
have chosen. TV
Option 1
Bauhaus
Option 2 Radio
Art Deco Option 3
Other
Option 4
19. Questionnaire
1. What material would best suit the design theme of a room in your house?
I found out from my first question that wood was the most common material found in peoples homes. This is very important as
wood doesn‟t always fit into the design theme modernism. However, it is important to include this material into my product so
that it would appeal to a wider audience. I believe that including wood into a modernist design will be possibly, but I will have
to consider the other material and colours I use which could include using a limited number of materials.
2. What design theme do you find the most attractive?
From this question I have concluded my original thoughts that modernism was the most popular design theme for members of
the general public at this moment in time. Because of this I will be sticking to this design theme for my product to ensure it
appeals to the largest audience possibly. I will processed to do further research into the design theme modernism and
customers opinions on it to improve the aesthetics and shape of my product.
3. Do you own more than one audio device? If so please list below the type and function of each device.
As I assumed a large majority of people own more than one audio product. A possible unique feature would be a speaker or
speaker set that allows a number of devices to play music through less speakers. Although this idea wouldn‟t fit into my brief it
would be something to consider during the development process of my project. What I found from the written boxes was that
4. Do you tend to buy products from the aesthetics rather than the function?
I have concluded from this result that the aesthetics are vital to my products commercial success. I will be focusing on
aesthetics throughout the development and manufacturing process of my speaker. I think that this question has shown that
there is a possibility for a speaker that focuses on the appearance rather than the function.
5. Which of these tendencies do you use a speaker for?
These results were not what I originally expected. What I was hoping for was that a speaker being used for an ornament
would be most popular. However, I believe that these results were due to the way headphones are used these days at high
volumes. As I have already decided to design a loud speaker these results will not affect decisions I make further on in my
project.
6. Out of the four speaker systems below, which would you most likely to buy? In the text box below describe what you find most
attractive about the product you have chosen.
Despite the first option being a reasonably priced product in comparison to the general market it was the most popular. In my
opinion, this is because of the unique and interesting shape, whilst maintaining its simplicity. I hope my product to have similar
properties to this design.
7. Would you be more willing to buy a speaker system with a unique feature to it (e.g. an original shape, a 360 degree speaker)?
As I original thought a unique feature would be desirable. As I already intended to include a unique design to my product, I
must now consider the fact I may need an innovative function to my product. However, as I have already concluded in
question four, may people will buy a product on the aesthetics along, so maybe the function is less important.
8. Do you normally listen to music on your own or in a group?
This question was important to me in understanding one of the initial decisions of what audio product to manufacture i.e. is a
majority of people listen to music on their own then I would design a pair of head/earphones. However, I found that a clear
majority were more likely to listen to music in a group, suggesting there is a larger market for speakers/docking
stations/amplifiers etc.
9. What type of audio product do you use most often?
Despite my findings in the previous question I found that headphones are the most used audio product. This may be down to
the fact that many of the people that filled in my questionnaire were commuters who were using headphones at the time of
filling in this questionnaire. Another factor to consider is the way in which headphones and speakers are manufactured i.e.
headphones are produced in mass quantities whereas speakers are more likely to be batch produced, suggesting the cost is
more. This would convey that a larger profit would still be gained from selling one speaker to a greater number of
headphones.
10. From the option you have chosen above, what device do you use to play music through this audio product?
It is clear from the results of this question that Apple products (e.g. IPod, IPhone, IPad etc.) were the most popular music
source. Because of this I believe I may have to make it possible for music from an IPod to be played through my
speaker, which may involve me including an auxiliary cable for Apple products to be connected to my speaker.
20. Product Profiling
To expand on ideas that
developed during the
questionnaire I have looked at Expensive
current products. I have
placed a text box where I
think my product would sit to
gain an understanding of what
current speakers my product
would be similar to. I have
found out that my product will
be a modern and reasonably
expensive design. What has
given me comfort is finding
that many of the products that
are expensive are either
contemporary or modernist in My Product
their design, which is what I
had hoped my product would
be based on my findings in the
questionnaire.
Traditional Modern
Cheap
21. Brand Profiling
Similar to the product profiling
in the layout, I have decided High End
to look into the brand of these
products to find if the products
are reflective to the brand in
the profit and aesthetics. My
main finding from this piece of
research was that Apple
products were very similar to
how the brand is
portrayed, i.e. the modernist
design is reflected in Apples
logo and products. This would
suggest that as well as
keeping in mine the needs of
the customers, my product
must represent the way KEF is
portrayed as a brand.
Low Profit High Profit
Low End
22. Mood Board
Now that I have an idea of the company and
products that are existing, as well as having an
idea of the customer base I think it would be
important to bring all of my ideas together into a
mood board. This piece of research would also
help me develop my understanding of the
customer. I have included images of potential
environments, similar products to mine and brand
that the customer would be interested in. From this
piece of research I now have an idea of my
customers lifestyle. I hope to develop this
information into more specific research that would
allow me to adjust my product to suit the users
lifestyle.
23. Environmental Snapshot
As further research into the customer I will be conducting an evaluation of potential environments my product
would be found in, based on my findings summarised in my mood board. This will also allow me to assess any
faults in the way speakers are being used that would allow me to consider ideas that would avoid any misuses.
As I would imagine most
bedrooms would feature a
laptop or computer. Although I
have said how I hope to
include a jack that would allow
an IPod to play music through
my speaker, I must also
consider this being possible for
a computer. This is because
many IPod users won‟t be able
to sync all of their music onto
an IPod. Whereas a computer
will hold all of their music on
ITunes.
This product is being used
illogically as a CD stand
that stops them from
falling over. It also seems
like this product is being
used more as a charger
for IPod's rather than a
speaker. To ensure my Although having a radio be played through my
product is used for its speakers. I think a more logical solution would
prime function, as a be for a music device such as an IPhone have to
speaker, I won‟t be software for radio to be used. However, this
including a charger. This audio device seems to be used more as an
will also allow my ornament due to the attractive and sleek design
speaker to be more as well as the fact that there are numerous other
versatile as this speaker audio devices available in this environment. I
will only work for Apple hope to overcome both these issues by
products. addressing them in the design and function of
my product.
24. Environmental Snapshot
For a product like this TV
where the speakers are
built into the
back, arguably my
speaker wouldn‟t be
needed. However, if the
customer wanted a better
sound quality my speakers
could be used instead of
the TV speakers.
Fortunately, most TV‟s will
have a 3.5mm jack that will
allow an auxiliary cable to
be plugged in. allowing my
speakers to be used.
An additional product that
would get in the way of my
speaker if it were to be
placed on the floor is
gaming consoles like an
Xbox. However , I must
consider that my customer
base is for reasonably
wealth members of the
public who would have
large houses with more
space. A possibly option is
to design a floor As you can see from this
speaker, but design a picture, there is little space in an
speaker series that would environment such as this from the
consist of a number of sofas and TV. This could effect the
speakers of different sizes. size of my product considerably. I
may have to consider changing
the size and shape of my product
to fit onto a shelf or table.
25. Person and Product Interaction
To justify any potential illogical uses of speakers that I suggested in my environmental snapshot I have
conducted a person and product interaction. This consisted of a 10 minute observation of a potential customer
of my product using a number of speakers in his room. A next step would be to looking further into the speakers
to find a way to comeback this misuses.
The IPhone was then placed onto an
Immediately this user was listening to Apple product specific docking station.
music on his IPhone when entering the This would be fine, however I hope for my
room. This was fine for listening with the product to be more versatile in the range
phone in hand, however, the sound was of audio products that can play music
too quite to be listened to at a great through my speakers.
distance. This would be an illogical fault
in the function of the product.
These are the initial notes I made on my
phone that allowed me to be subtle in
my observations and not influence the
movements of the user.
After finishing on the computer the user With music still playing from the docking
switched on the TV with the music from the station, the user then played a game on the
docking station still playing. This illogical use computer with the sound on from a separate set of
seemed to be a repetitive occurrence that my speakers. This is also an illogical use of speakers as
product could overcome by allowing numerous the user then had to switch the computer speakers
audio products to use my single speaker. off to listen to the music from the docking station.
26. First Hand Existing Design Analysis
After finding numerous way in which people use speakers illogically, I thought it would be important to develop
my understanding of speakers to see how they could possibly accommodate these tendencies users have
developed.
Aesthetics- The design of this docking station is very simple, but modern. It has a very smooth look to it. The
black and grey colour scheme works well with the IPod being used as a music source. The shape of the
product is very modernist with the sharp lines and smooth curves. Although I like the modernist design I
don‟t think there is anything that would make this product stand out when surrounded by other audio
products.
Customer- In my opinion, the simplicity of this product allow a more general audience to be attracted to
it. However, you could assume that a younger audience would want a product with more colour and a
different shape to make it more interactive and fun.
Cost- I would estimate the cost of this docking station at around £80. Although it is a very simple
design, the well known brand would be enough for many customers to buy the product as they would
expect the speakers to be of a high quality. As my product won‟t have a specific brand I will have to rely
on innovative features and an eye catching design for members of the public to buy my product.
Environment- This product would probably be used domestically in a bedroom or even a living or dinning
room. In my opinion, most of the aesthetic considerations have been based on the audio source rather
than the environment. For the research I conducted in my questionnaire I hope for my product to be
better suited to the environment than this product.
Safety- In my opinion, this product is very safe as there are no visible sharp edges or corners. The only
problem seems to be the height at which
it could be placed at e.g. on a shelf as it
could fall off. My product being floor
standing would avoid this problem.
Size- The size has clearly been designed so
that the product is reasonably easy to move
and can be placed on a shelf or table. As
it is a loud speaker the size of the speakers
would have had to been considered.
Function- I believe that this product has
been designed primarily to for fill it’s
function as the aesthetics are very
simplistic. As I am designing my product
for a company that prides itself on being
individual and at the cutting edge of speaker
technology I will have to design an original and unique
product that will for fill its function and more.
Material- This is product has been made from materials such as plastic primarily, which as
a self-colouring material allows the product to come in many colours. However, for a fairly expensive
product better materials would be expected to have been used. I will be using good quality materials as
my product will be for a high end market.
27. First Hand Existing Design Analysis
Aesthetics- The design of this product is very industrial looking from the simple block shape of the
product. Although I want my product to move away from this shape I will have to consider where
the wires and speakers will go, as it seems the shape of this product is down to the size of the
speaker. The black and gold colour scheme does however give the product a high end quality to
it.
Customer- Although As a guitar amplifier it is clear that this product would be aimed at musicians in
particular guitarists. As Marshall is a well established brand little has to been done to aim their
products at customers now a days. However, the shapes and volumes of their products vary. I
hope to design a speaker series, although I will only manufacture one speaker, to demonstrate the
range that the products I will design would be available to come in.
Cost- I This particular product is averaged to cost between £500-£600. This is due to the volume of
sound that the speaker can produce as well as the numerous adjustments that can be made to
the sound quality. Although my speaker won’t need to produce as high volumes of sound, the
possibility of changing the tone of the sound could be a feature I include.
Environment- This amplifier would be unlikely to be used in someone's house due to the size. A more
likely environment would be a studio or bar/restaurant. Although my product won’t be used in an
environment were a large number of people are listening to the sound being produces, I will
ensure that the volume can be adjusted appropriately to suit a range
of environments.
Safety- In my opinion, this product is very safe as all corners and
edges have been covered with a plastic. Aesthetic would be
more crucial for my speaker as it needs to stand out due to
the fact it would be branded with a popular and well known
company, which could suggest safety features might have to
be overlooked.
Size- I The block shape of this amplifier would mean a large
amount of room would have to be taken up by it. However, I
would imagine objects would be placed on top of the amp
and be used like a table to save room.
Function- In my opinion this product has been design to for fill
it’s function rather than have an attractive exterior. Although the
colour scheme used is fairly successful it seems to have all been
designed around the function, as it is because of the sound
quality that customer are willing to pay more.
Material- To reduce the cost of the product a cheap wood
(sterling board) has been used as the main body of the product,
but to achieve a more attractive finish it has been covered in a
polymer veneer. To finish of the attractive finish a chrome plate
has been added at the top were the volume controls are sitting.
28. Product Disassembly
My last piece of research will see me look into the structure and makeup of speakers themselves, so that I am able to
gain a full understanding of how they work. It is important for me to have this understanding if I am planning on
developing an innovator shape and design as well as possibly accommodate any habits users have
developed, which will ensure that any new ideas I may have during the initial designs and development process will
be possible.
To protect the two
speakers a cover has
been included. As well
as stopping the
speakers from getting
dusty/dirty, the cover
muted the
sound, reducing the
risk of music being
played to loud through
the speakers. For the
cover material was
stretched over a plastic
frame that would have
been injection
moulded.
The plastic cover is partly
for aesthetic
purposes, however it also
houses the smaller of the
two speakers. This
component would have
been injection moulded
as the shape is to
complex for
vacuum/thermoforming.
Four holes in each corner
Like the plastic casing the main
allow the plastic case to
speaker was attached to the base with
be attached to the
self-tapping screws. The speaker was
wooden base with self-
mounted onto a wooden platform
tapping screws.
attached to the front adhesives.
29. Product Disassembly
To form the main body of
this product five separate
pieces of MDF have been
glued together with an
adhesive. To give the
wood a more attractive
finish an oak veneer has
been applied to the
outside of the wood. This
would have given the
product a more durable
and sustainable finish as
well. By allowing the
inside of the product to
be hollow cables and
wires have been hided
easily.
As the back of the speaker is less
notice and therefore less important
it has been made from sterling
board painted black. This would
suggest this product has been
manufactured in a batch or mass
production as this modification
would only save a considerable
amount of money if produced on So that this speaker is as versatile as
a large scale. Like the rest of the possible an auxiliary cable has been
wooden base it had been attach used as the connection to an audio
with adhesive glue. The hole in this source. This being the most available
section of the back would be used adaptor allows many MP3 players, CD
to allow sound the leak out. This players, IPods etc. to play music
would stop the sound from through the speakers.
cracking or being played to loud.
30. Research Summary
Questionnaire
I wanted to gain an understanding of what the public want Product Profiling
from a speaker. I hoped to gain an
An auxiliary cable can be used for my speaker which would understanding of what current
allow Apple products to use my product. This is important as speakers my product would be
IPod were the most popular music source. similar to.
Loud speakers are more likely to be produced in batch
After some research I found the
rather than mass production, which would be more suitable
method of production bearing in mind the price I have put products that are expensive
on my product. are either contemporary or
May people will buy a product on the aesthetics along as modernist in their
well as an product with an innovative function. Because of design, which is what I had
this I will consider both aspect during the development hoped my product would be
process. based on my findings in the
I will conduct further research into the design theme questionnaire.
modernism
I summarised that my product
I will be sticking to this design theme for my product
Despite wood not being a prominent material within the will be a modern and
design theme modernism, it was the most popular material. reasonably expensive design.
Research Summary
Mood Board Brand Profiling
To develop my understanding of This piece of research was carried out to
the customer I put together a find if the products are reflective to the
mood board. brand in the profit and aesthetics. A brand
I hoped to develop the information that I was very interested in was Apple, as
into more specific research that there products were very similar to how
would allow me to adjust my the brand is portrayed. They also keep in
product to suit the users lifestyle. mine the needs of the customers, my
product must represent the way KEF is
portrayed as a brand.
31. Research Summary
Environmental Snapshot Person and Product Interaction
For this piece of research I hoped to conduct further
By observing a person interacting with
research into the customer as well as assessing any faults in
an audio product I hoped to justify any
the way speakers were being used.
potential illogical uses of speakers.
Many of the ideas I needed to consider from this piece of
My findings included music being
research was about the availability of music sources that
played to high volumes, which caused
could play music through my speaker. For
the sound to crack.
example, including a 3.5 mm jack so that Apple products
The most prominent illogical use was
could play music through my speakers. This would also allow
many audio products being used at the
many computers and TVs to use my speakers.
same time. This illogical use seemed to
Some of the illogical uses I found speakers were being used
be a repetitive occurrence that my
for were as a CD stand as well as an ornament, as it one
product could overcome by allowing
docking stations wasn‟t being used but was more for the look.
numerous audio products to use my
single speaker.
Research Summary
Product Disassembly
Before I even thought about coming up with ideas for my
product I felt it was important to develop my understanding of First Hand Existing Design Analysis
how speakers work. This would stop me from wasting time with
For this piece of research I hoped to
potential ideas that wouldn‟t be possible to make.
develop my understanding of product
Features that I noted included,
currently on the market.
A cover has been included to reduce the risk of music being
I concluded that although I like the
played to loud.
modernist design of the first speaker I
The treble speaker was attached to the base with self-tapping
didn‟t think there was anything that would
screws.
make the product stand out when
To give the wood a more attractive finish an oak veneer has
surrounded by other audio products.
been applied to the outside of the wood
However, it seemed that well known brand
By allowing the inside of the product to be hollow cables and
would be enough for many customers to
wires
buy the product.
less important it has been made from sterling board painted
As my product won‟t have a specific
black.
brand I will have to rely on innovative
Holes in the section of the back would be used to allow sound
features and an eye catching design for
the leak out. This would stop the sound from cracking or being
members of the public to buy my product.
played to loud.
auxiliary cable has been used as the connection to an audio
source.
32. Further Specifications
Aesthetics- from looking at speakers and audio systems that KEF have designed I have found that they produce a range
of different looking speakers. However, the most recent, including the muon and the blade, feature very plain designs.
They display colours such as black, grey and white and have a smooth, curved shape to them. These are common
features of the design theme known as modernism. Because of this I will use this design theme to base the design and
look of my product on. However, I didn’t like the blocked shapes of their products as they were very similar to other audio
products on the market. The design for my product will be organic, as I will take inspiration from nature to create a unique
and different design to my product.
The aesthetics of my product is absolutely key, with the addition that many people will buy a product on the
aesthetics along, which I discovered during my questionnaire. I stated in my questionnaire I would do further
research into the design theme modernism, which I visually represented in my mood board. After comparing
aspects of this design theme I believe it fits into my brief as well as the KEF product base, therefore I will bear
in mind this design theme throughout the initial design process of my project. An additional piece of
research where I focused on the aesthetics was brand profiling. Here I researched whether products are
reflective to the brand in the profit and aesthetics; which I found the majority did. Because of this it is vital
that I feature KEF’s sleek and high quality appearance that all of their products portray in my product.
Cost- after finding out a rough estimate for KEF’s price range on their products that are available to the general public I
concluded that my product should be of a high quality. This will involve using expensive materials that would increase the
cost of the product overall. An estimate for the price of my product would be in the region of £3000-£5000. My products
would be sold over the internet or at a high end store, unlike some of KEF’s most recent products that aren’t readily
available to the general public.
During the part of my research called product profiling I discovered visually represented where I hoped my
product would fit in the speaker market. I located my product in the higher end of the table which
suggested my product would be modern and expensive. When looking at existing products that were also in
the category many of them promoted the design theme modernism, which I will be featuring in the design
of my product. This has convinced me that my product is at the correct pricing for the design and quality of
materials I will be using.
Customer- because of the high value that I intend on my speakers to cost the target audience can been narrowed down
to people with a reasonable amount of wealth. Although it could also been aimed at music fans and even musicians as I
intend the quality of sound that my speakers to produce to be of a high quality. However, I would assume that due to the
intended modernist design I have in mind for my product wealthy members of the public would be a larger market.
Although I have specified my target audience as a well off, middle age market, there were some points that
arose during the environmental snapshot part of my research that I need to address for a more general
audience. I will be including a 3.5mm jack or an Apple specific jack so that users are able to plug their audio
device into my speaker, such as an IPod or IPhone.
Environment- like many of KEF’s products I will be designing my product for an indoor environment. As my ideal customer
would be using the speakers for domestic, personal use I can narrow the environment down to predominately a
house/flat/apartment etc. Because of this I will have to think about the aesthetics of my product as they would possibly
have to suit the design theme and colours used in the house for my product to be more attractive for the customer. This
may involve my product being available in a number of colours.
33. Further Specifications
Despite my product having to be eye catching I also need the product to suit the environment that it will be
displayed within. In my first-hand existing design analysis I discovered that many products didn’t need to stand out
as the well known brand that had manufactured them would be enough for someone to buy the product. As mine
won’t have this luxury the design has to be eye catching, however I am determined to stick to the design theme
modernism and I also must bear in mine that the environment will most likely be a modern apparent, which when
look at in my mood board consists of very neutral colours. Because of this I will have to use colours such as
black, white and grey, however my product will be unique and eye catching through the shape and size of it
instead.
Safety- as my product will have a modernist design theme to it, curved edges and corners will be used, which would reduce the
risk of possible injury caused by my speaker to the user. Another risk could be the sound level that my speakers produce, as at a
high volume the sound could be damaging to the users hearing. Although I would be less inclined to reduce to volume of the
speaker, warning information could be included in the packaging of the speaker or possibility on the speaker itself.
Although safety features must be considered I am very unwilling to include any that may interfere with the
aesthetics of the product. Because the design theme modernism includes a lot of straight, sharp corners and edges
it seems unlikely that I will be rounding them off. However, as my target audience is of a mature age I would expect
them to be aware of potential dangers such as the weight of my product as well as any sharp edges and corners.
Size- due to the high pricing estimate I have put on my product I would assume that the speaker I will be producing would be a
main feature in the environment it would be placed. Because of this the possibility of the size of the speaker being to big is
minimal. Like many of KEF’s speaker I hope to design a speaker that would be placed on the floor, suggesting that it would have
to be of a reasonably large size for the sound to be projected appropriately.
As my product will be expensive in price the size will not be limited by prices of any potential materials. Additional I
found in my environmental snapshot that other audio products weren’t being used as speakers, but more
ornaments. Although the prime function of my product is to be able to play music, the look of my product must also
be of a unique and high quality bearing in mine this information. Because of this I will design my product as a stand
allow speaker so that it will be a more prominent feature within the environment it will be placed in.
Function- the quality of sound that my speakers produces must be of a high quality, as the customer would be expecting it to be
with the price range I have estimated for my product. Like many of KEF’s more recent products I hope to come up with an idea
that is innovative and original, which could be reflected in the function of the speaker.
I have specified throughout my research and within my brief that I would focus more on the aesthetics rather than
the function. However, when I looked at my brand profiling I found that all products from each brand represented
the brand and the values. Because of this I will include an innovative function, such as 360°
sound, to improve the sound quality, however the technology will be one that KEF will already have used.
Material- as my product will be for indoor uses the range of materials that I can use for my product become greater. I will
definitely be using materials of a high quality due to the pricing, which would include hardwoods such as oak and pine, some
metals and possibly ceramics.
Despite wood not being a prominent material within the design theme modernism, it was the most popular material
during my questionnaire. Although I will include it as a potential material in some initial designs it may have to
change during the development process as it doesn’t suit the design theme modernism.
34. Initial Designs
After conducting initial research into the brand I am designing my product for and researching into the market
and public opinion of loud speakers I felt ready to start putting ideas onto paper by starting my initial designs
process. On this page you can see my very first ideas which I put down spontaneously with a copy of my brief in
front of my so not to lose sight of what I wanted to achieve with this project. The following designs will develop
on from these very first sketches.
45. Development
This is the design that I have
chosen to develop and An additional
ultimately manufacture at benefit of using this
the end of my project. shape for the
During my initial design stand is that it will
process I developed this be more user
idea slightly with the stand friendly. This is
being curved. However, I because the
will now look into this design product could be
in adequate depth and moved easily and
look at the quickly. This is in
manufacture, usability, mat comparison to the
erials and components as curved
well as the aesthetics of this back, which would
design. be difficult to
move with just one
After reconsidering points raised person, therefore
within my research and further could have posed
specifications I have found that I a safety hazard.
have two clashing design You can see from
themes, modernism and organic the two images
design. Although I played with below that the
the idea in my initial design curved shape is
process of having a curved stand more difficult to
to make the product look more manage and hold.
organic, this shape would
coincide with the straight edges
and corners of modernism.
What I must now consider is which theme is more After this
important to my product, brief and brand I am development I
designing my product for. After reading through my experimented with
brief I have decided that modernism must take a shapes that I could
priority in the design, as KEF‟s product represent this use as the stand. In
movement and as I am designing my product for the end, I opted for
them, mine must fit into their product base. My brief the overly simplistic
also specifies that my product will be based on ‘C’ shape that I have
modernism, but take inspiration from nature and seen used in
organic shapes, which I have already done with the countless modernist
dome shaped cover for the speaker. products.
46. Development As aluminium is the choice for the
metal I will be using, I think it is an
appropriate to look into the
Continuing the idea of
manufacture of this material further
simplicity that has come so I can gain an understanding of
about from research into
how long manufacture will take and
modernism, I feel that I can
if I will have to alter the design of my
further limit the complexity product to make it possible to shape
of my design by reducing or join this metal.
the number of materials I
will use. The problem I have
is that during my
questionnaire I found that
wood was the most
popular material, however
metal would be more
preferable to keep in my
product as it is key to a
modernist design. From looking at the table I can see that although
some properties are similar between the two
metals the attractive finish and good strength to
weight ratio of aluminium would be more
desirable for my product.
Although I have decided
After researching existing audio products and
modernist products in their environments, I
Steel Aluminium what material to use I will
now further develop this
found that many of them did include metal in idea with deciding on what
there makeup, but still suited their Poor Good metal to use, as different
environment, which commonly featured uses of metals will have different
wood e.g. wooden floors. Because of this I will
resistance strength to
properties as well as
be removing wood as a material to use in the to weight ratio aesthetics.
manufacture of my product and instead have corrosion The two metals I thought
the whole stand made from metal. would be best suited for my
Malleable Light product would be
aluminium and steel
because of there
Good Attractive availability. I have created
tensile finish a table which features the
strength properties of each of the
metals so that I will be able
Ductile Ductile to decide on which material
would be best suited to its
purpose in this instance.
