KEF product design powerpoint

Product Design
Context
I like the KEF brand due
to its innovation, modern
styling and background
however in my opinion
this is where it sacrifices
its appeal to the mass
market and almost being
too innovative and only
available to a select few
people. Brand decoding
has enabled me to get
an initial picture of what
the brand of KEF is all
about.
Brand Decoding
K E F Muon
The KEF brandis a
high end audio systems company founded by
Raymond Cooke in 1961. Raymond Cooke was
very keen to experiment with innovative ideas
an materials to produce the most natural and
original sound possible. This was enabled by his
premises being located on the Kent
Engineering and Foundry. This is where the
company derives its brand name from. The KEF
brand aims for a young and wealthy
individual. This is reflected in the costing of
their products and the style in which they are
presented. This high cost price gives KEF
products an exclusivity meaning they are
only batch produced. The technological
innovation in the products of KEF has
resulted in numerous awards such as ‘Best of
the best 2012: audio’. KEF have developed a
series of technological advances that have
been patented. This is one of the reasons
why the brand of KEF has managed to be
able to gets its initially smaller business
noticed amongst large audio technology
corporations such as Bose that compete
against each other on an international scale.
The function of KEF products is always
appears to be the key focus when they
design their various speakers. However, in their
flagship speaker, the ‘Muon’ KEF have
managed to develop an outer shell that is
rather sculpture like as well as offering
exceedingly high levels of functionality. This is
managed by the internal structure of the
product being analysed and developed in
such a way that the shell creates minimal
interference with the final sound being
produced by the actual speakers. The speakers
are typically dense with leading innovation, for
example the patented ‘UNI-Q’ system Kef has
produced.

Product Design
Context
Audio Product Decoding
This page has enabled
me to have a greater
understanding of the
different parts of, and
how a basic speaker
system works. This means I
will have a better
platform to explain KEF’s
technological
developments
A speaker is a device that takes an electrical signal and converts them into vibrations.
These vibrations then are heard as a sound to the user. A driver produces sound by
vibrating the diaphragm. The diaphragm is attached to the basket by the suspension.
The suspension is a rim of flexible material that is attached to the basket and the
diaphragm. The basket is typically made of metal and it acts as the chassis for the
speaker. The coil is a basic electromagnet. An electromagnet is a coil of wire, usually
wrapped around a piece of magnetic metal, such as iron. Running electrical current
through the wire creates a magnetic field around the coil. There is a magnet. This as
well as the electrical current allows the voice coil to move, The part producing the
vibration and therefore sound. The voice coil moves many times in the space of a
second. To correctly reproduce the sound the composer of the audio file intended
small, medium and large sized cones are used to reproduce high, medium and low
frequency sections of audio files.

Product Design
Context
Task Analysis
The task analysis has
allowed me to
effectively make a
brainstorm of all of
the possible options
when designing a
speaker system. This
has opened up a
series of new ideas
for me to consider.

Product Design
Context
I have learnt a basic
outline of the various
different aspects I
would like my design/
product to comply with.
This will enable me to
further develop a
possible design idea
to focus future drawings
upon.
Brief
‘I am going to research, design and manufacture an audio device for the
loudspeaker company, KEF. An audio device is anything that can project the sound
of an audio file through a space. The speaker can be incorporated into any object,
for example a table. The design/product will be ergonomic, aesthetically pleasing
and above all else safe for the user. The speaker will provide the user an audible
source of entertainment for the customer. The design should focus on how sound
can become a visual experience. This could be achieved by a source of visual
stimulation for the user. Various functions being included will minimise clutter
created from wires powering and connecting existing speaker systems. This
concept will allow me to build upon the existing high level of functionality that is
included in products produced by KEF.’

Product Design
Context
Define Target Market
Person number one:
Age 32, Work’s in banking. Enjoy’ s going to the cinema
to see the latest films. listens to his iPod while commuting
to his office in Canary Wharf. £300,000 per year salary.
Lives in Chelsea.
Why would they buy KEF ?
This person would be likely to buy a KEF product as his
interest’s have firm ties to audio devices. In addition to
this having such a high salary would allow him to afford a
KEF speaker. This person would most likely purchase one
of KEF’s surround sound systems as he has a keen interest
in movies. As well as this he lives in Chelsea which means
he is likely to also own a high end modern home, this
would suit the KEF speakers image.
Person number two:
Female. Age 24. Part time employed with a retail
business. Has a Husband and child. Lives in
Birmingham. Earns £15,000 per year. Only listens to
music in the car. Enjoy’ s time with her family.
Why would they buy KEF ?
This person could not own a KEF branded product
mainly due to their lack of income. In addition to this
they do not have sufficient interest into the type of
products that KEF provides. Due to the fact this
woman has a child this would put the product up
against possible damage it was not originally
designed to withstand.
This page has taught
me the type of person
KEF would typically be
targeting their
loudspeaker devices
towards. Its not just
salary that determines a
consumer but more
their interests and
preferences on types of
style. This is because KEF
tends to go for an
extremely modern style
it would not usually suit
an old person for
example.

Product Design
Context Logical:A logical use is something that the product is supposed to be used for. An example of
this in the context of a speaker system would be to play music through out a space such as the home
environment. Logical uses of the speaker depends on the speaker that is being scrutinised. This is because
some speakers may include additional functionality such as a clock.
Illogical:An illogical use of a product is a use that the product was not originally designed to
provide. In the context of a speaker system this would be a speaker being used as a bookstand. People
may use products illogically as the designer may have overlooked a flaw in the design of the product.
Need:All products share the common need to be as safe as possible for the user. A need is an
aspect of a product that is effectively vital for its success. For a speaker possibly features such as good
ergonomics are key.
Keep:When designing a speaker it is important not to get rid of things that enhance the final
product. Things such as good ergonomics and safety features are examples of something’s that would be
kept.
Scrap:Things that would be are not favourable to the overall design of the product. This is why
the designer decides to get rid of them. Something that could be scrapped could be wires. However the
designer should be careful when deciding what to scrap as if he scraps important parts of the design it
can have a detrimental affect rather than a positive effect.
Form vs function: Form versus function is a debate between which aspect a
design should have a preference upon. This is because added function usually sacrifices aesthetic quality
of a product. My design will largely be based upon function as in my opinion this is what KEF does.
Xfactor: This is the part of the design that sets it apart from the competition. An example of
this would be wireless functionality which is what I am looking to include into my final design.
LINKS FX
‘LINKS FX’ is a method
of analysis that has
allowed me to consider
the various ways a
speaker can be used
and all of the different
aspects of a speaker
and whether they
should possibly be
included within my
initial ideas.

Product Design
Context
Initial specification
Aesthetics: The aesthetics of the speaker I am going to produce should comply with existing KEF design’s .
These are sleek and modern. The colour and materials all tie into the final aesthetics of the design and
therefore product. Additionally the function can also have an impact on the quality of the aesthetics. This
brings up the debate of form versus function. I do not think that the aesthetics should be impacted on by
the function. Instead I believe that the aesthetics play an equal part in the quality of the product.
Cost: KEF’s products aim for the higher target market due to the technological advances that are
incorporated into them as well as various high end materials and production processes. In my opinion my
product would be suitable to be targeted into KEF’s price bracket as I am aiming for a similar style and
customer. The high end cost will inevitably mean that the product would only be batch produced
however this does not matter due to the limited number of people able to purchase such a high end
audio device.
Customer: The customer for my product will be a middle or possibly upper class individual that likes the
style of modernism, this is similar to or the same as the customer that KEF products are targeted at. Due to
me having a product that complies with KEF’s typical brand style and quality this means that few can
consider the purchase of a KEF product.
Environment: The environment of my speaker will be on a surface such as a desk or a shelf indoors. This will
be indoors because the materials used and the finishes applied to the product may not ensure the
product is entirely watertight or weather resistant. A flat surface such as a desk will require the underside
of my speaker to either have feet or to be flat as well.
Size: My speaker will be of a small to medium size. This is due to the product being situated on an
elevated surface. If it was a large speaker it would not be able to fit on a surface such as a desk and
would have to be free standing. The size of a product can have an adverse effect on the safety of the
product however due to the smaller size of mine I do not think this would be an issue.
Safety: A possibility is that if my product were to fall from a height this could cause injury to a person. In
addition to this the use of electrical circuits can provide a risk of electrocution to the user and the wires
causing a possible trip hazard. Measures to improve the safety of the product will be considered however
this cannot affect the aesthetics or function of my final product dramatically.
Function: KEF speakers usually have large technological advances incorporated into them however this
does not necessarily mean that they include a great amount of function. My speaker will be similar as
often a large amount of function can detract from the final aesthetic quality of the product.
Materials: Due to KEF using high quality materials and targeting their product at the higher end of the
market I am going to do the same. This means that materials such as Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic will
be used to give my product enhanced aesthetics quality as well as enhanced properties.
The initial specification
has allowed me to
make suggestions
before the research
that things that could
possibly be included in
my design. This has also
helped me to identify a
problem/problems to
identify and try to solve
within my product

Product Design
Context
Data visualization
This slide has allowed
me to explain and
obtain further
knowledge of effective
methods of data
representation. This has
allowed me to
understand how to
present data in a way
that can reveal hidden
patterns and be
visually attractive.
What makes good design?
Above I have created a data visualization called ‘what makes good design?’. This has
allowed me to investigate not only the importance of certain aspects that are included in
a design but also research the reasons that data visualization is so effective. It is due to the
fact it provides a landscape for the data to be set out upon in a certain way that reveals
patterns in data the we would not normally see. Failing that, it is an attractive way to
represent things to the observer.

Product Design
Context
Gannt Chart
This has effectively
allowed me to plan out
my research so that I
finish my project on
time. I have learnt that
it is important to plan
out your time so that
tasks are completed
quickly, however to a
high standard.
Weeks
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Section
Research plan
P&P interaction
Customer profiling
Market Research
Product profiling
Product disassembly
Environmental
Snapshot
Questionnaire
Mood Board
Research Summary

Product Design
Research
The Research Plan
page has allowed to
plan out how I am
going to conduct my
research and the order I
am going to be doing it
in. This will give my
research a clear flow
and show the different
steps of understanding.
It will also make my
research more
organised so that there
are no questions left
unanswered.
Research Plan

Product Design
Research
Research Plan cont.

Product Design
Research
The Person And Product Interaction is a method of research to help me further understand
the way in which individuals make use of certain products. The speaker the person in the
image is clutching has an iPod Shuffle attached via the auxiliary input function of the
speaker. The key aspects of the image are that the individual is clutching both the iPod
and the portable speaker system. This possible issue may not have been considered during
the problem analysis stages of the portable speaker systems development. The fact that
both hands are taken up to provide a loudspeaker source of music is an inconvenience to
the individual. A positive aspect is the safety of the speaker design. A positive aspect of its
safety is the wrist strap included with the product. This prevents the user from accidentally
dropping the product during use. The fact that the product does not have a remote
control function means that the user has little choice but hold the speaker. This is
inconvenient as it may mean that conducting other tasks could be hazardous and even
challenging. The fact that the product is a loudspeaker suggests they want the sharing of
their music not to be a personal experience but possibly a social one. This will have a large
impact on the environment the product will be situated in. The way an individual interacts
with a product can drastically affect the environment it is situated in. This is because
different groups of people interact with products in a variety of different ways. KEF’s target
market is the same as mine and would typically have a wealthy environment.
Person And
Product
Interaction
From person and
product interaction I
have learnt the way in
which an individual
would interact with a
specific product. This
has given me
knowledge to enhance
the ergonomic and
anthropometric
properties of my design.

Product Design
Research
The Environmental Snapshot method of research leads onto the customer profiling method of research well. This is
because the environments your customer would typically be located within are shown during the environmental
snapshot, this can be closely linked to the products and areas that they may interact with on a daily basis (the images
shown during the Customer Profiling method of research). Here I have selected a variety of images of both areas and
material products that I feel represent the target customer I am aiming for. The target customer I am aiming for is the
same as KEF’s, a wealthy individual with a taste for modernism. This method of research can enable me with the tool of
knowing products my customer likes and is used to. This can enable me to have close links to these images and the
shapes, colours, textures and influences the provide when considering my initial designs for my final product. I feel that
this method of research leads into the Market Research well. This is because now that I have constructed an
understanding on the type of customer that will be purchasing my final product I can now gain an understanding of
other brands they will have considered during the selection process for the speaker they wish to purchase.
Customer profiling has
allowed me to gain a
further understanding
of my customer and
the products or places
they come into contact
with on a regular basis. I
have learnt the sorts of
materials and shapes
they are used to being
around however I do
not yet know the sorts
of audio products they
would typically
purchase yet.
Customer Profiling

Product Design
Research
Here I have utilised an innovate method of data representation. This is a graph that I have called
‘The Balloon Race’. Each ‘Balloon’ represents a brand. The larger the ‘Balloon’ is the more
expensive their products are and the higher up their ‘Balloon’ the more modern their products have
a tendency to be. This is an effective and visually attractive way of presenting a large quantity of
data in a small space. The data that is being displayed shows that ‘KEF’ has the largest ‘Balloon’
and is therefore most expensive, KEF’s ‘Balloon’ is also the highest up and therefore the most
modern. In addition to this it is also notable that ‘Technika’ is the cheapest brand and is the least
modern. This could possibly show a link in the data that suggests the more modern a product the
more expensive it will be. This is almost relieving as something being modern is often linked with the
idea of it being high a quality product, this means that with speakers, typically you are getting what
you pay for your money. This is not the same in some areas, where you might be paying an excess
for poorer quality parts, simply due to a false understanding of a brand being luxurious of or a high
Market Research
Gaining further
knowledge of the
pricing and how
modern a brands
products are has
been a key method
of research for me. It
has enabled me to
confirm the need for
me to be doing a
product based on
the style of
Modernism.
Balloon Race
The larger the
more expensive
The higher, the
more modern

Product Design
Research
Product Profiling
Product profiling has
allowed me to learn
a trend that is clearly
shown between
products being more
modern being of a
higher price. This has
also allowed me t
understand the types
of products I would
be competing with in
the price bracket my
final product will be
targeted towards. Here I have used a method of data representation, a series of blocks have been used to represent the cost
and how modern a specific speaker is. This is achieved by the higher up the more modern a speaker is and
the larger the block the speaker has the more expensive the speaker is. This allows me to gain an
understanding of the products my product will be comparable to in the price bracket and style I am
targeting it towards. On the graph a clear trend is shown between how modern and product is and how high
the price of it is. Not only has this method of research allowed me to plot other products on a graph but has
also enhanced my decision to follow KEF’s footsteps in both the style of product that it uses as well as the
price bracket the brand of KEF targets their products at.
Brick Wall
Bower And Wilkins Nautilus KEF Muon
Gear 4 Street Party
Philips Fidelio Soundsphere Bose IPod Dock
Technika iPod dock
Dr. Dre Beat Box
Sony iPod Dock JBL iPod Dock

Product Design
Research
The images above show the speaker I have used to disassemble in the various different stages of the
assembly. Unfortunately the assembly was very tricky. This was due to a lack of accessible screws, This meant
the seams had to be pried open using screwdrivers and various other tools. Due to the fact screwdrivers had
to be used various internal bits of connecting plastic had to snap. The speaker I disassembled is clearly of a
very basic layout as it runs from battery power and only has an auxiliary input. The disassembly of this product
has enabled to gain a greater understanding of the various components to a basic speaker system. The fact
that the speaker was challenging to disassemble and that parts of the product has to be damaged to
complete the disassembly could be perceived as a positive or a negative. It could be compared to an iPod
in the way that it was a somewhat sealed environment, making itself more reliable. However it could be
viewed upon negatively as the speaker would be almost impossible to upgrade.
Product Disassembly
The product disassembly
is a method of research
that has enabled me to
enhance my
understanding of the
components and inner
workings of a more
basic speaker system.
This will allow me to
more effectively input
function into my designs
due to my now greater
knowledge.

Product Design
Research
The images that I have selected for the environmental snapshot of my product are strongly directed towards the style of
modernism. This style has been selected as this is the style KEF and I both aim to achieve. The style that is modernism is
largely focused on sleek clean lines with little cluttering, this is shown in the environments I have chosen. We can learn from
these environments and the styles that they portray and the different shapes, colours, materials and textures they use. I
have given a range of different environments both inside and outside. This is because there is the possibility of my design
being portable due to the reconsidering of electrical cables I aimed towards targeting during my brief. In addition to this
possibility, my person and product interaction method of research revealed to me that the user carried the speaker system
as well as their music player device around with them in their hand. This suggests to me that they would like to share their
music with other people in any location they happen to be. My person and product interaction method of research also
revealed to me that functionality must suit the environment or task the product is supposed to perform. An example of this is
large and spacious environments such as the ones displayed in these images must have the functionality to match. Suitable
functionality for large open rooms such as these may include a remote controlling device.
Environmental Snapshot
This method of research
has provided me with a
further insight into the
environments my
customer would be
coming into contact
with on a regular basis.
This has allowed me to
get further knowledge
on how I am going to
integrate my product
into their environments

This graph represents the volumes at
which people prefer to listen to their
music. There are four sound waves,
from first to last they represent, quiet,
average, loud and very loud. The
amount of people that have a
preference for each category is
represented by the size of the sound
wave. Four people voted for quiet,
fifteen for average, ten for loud and
one for very loud. This shows that the
type of person I am targeting my
product towards does not like their
music to loud. This is good because I
will not have to include a large speaker
to make my product louder and
therefore larger.
Product Design
Research
Questionnaire
The questionnaire is a
method of research that
allows the designer to
unveil the answers to any
previously unanswered
questions. I have learnt
the answers to all of these
unanswered questions I
had which has allowed
me to get a further idea
of the specifications of
my initial ideas.
The equalizers shown on the
screen of the iPod represent
the results for the style s that
people prefer. Green
represents Art Deco, Yellow
Modernism, Orange Pop Art,
and red is Bauhaus. The more
bars each colour has the more
people voted for the style. This
shows that there is a large
number of people that prefer
modernism. This is good as this
is the style of KEF, the style I am
almost mimicking.
The colour tinted iPod
scroll wheel represents a
pie chart displaying the
results of ‘what is the
most frustrating issue with
speakers?’. Orange
represents wires
cluttering, green poor
aesthetics, red lack of
durability and blue poor
sound quality. This proves
that I have a valid issue
to target my design at.

Questionnaire
The questionnaire is a
method of research that
allows the designer to
unveil the answers to any
previously unanswered
questions. I have learnt
the answers to all of these
unanswered questions I
had which has allowed
me to get a further idea
of the specifications of
my initial ideas.
Product Design
Research
The earphones to the right is a representation of a line graph, each line has been labelled with a
specific issue related to speakers. The further out each earphone is the more people voted for that
as the most frustrating issue with speakers. As we can see by the data wires cluttering a room was
voted as the most frustrating issue with a speaker. This gives my brief evidence of
an issue with integrity.
Above are four stacks of one penny
coins. This is a data representation of
a bar graph. Each bar has been
labelled with a category. These bars
are to answer the question, ‘how
much are you willing to spend on a
speaker?’. As we can see the
majority of people voted for
between £101 and £500. This roughly
fits my product and will allow me to
include a possible variety of high
end materials throughout my
designs.

Product Design
Research
Mood Board
The Mood Board allows
the designer to gather
together a collection of
possible materials,
shapes, products, etc,
that their final product will
fit in with. This has allowed
me to learn the styles,
materials and shapes that
I would like to incorporate
into my initial ideas.
The collection of pictures above have each been selected for my mood board for their own individual
reasons. An example of this is the image of a leopard. This image represents the idea of organic design and
how often taking ideas from nature and integrating it into a design will allow the design to triumph amongst
its competitors. Other images such as the one in the top left (two high end cars) represent the idea of the use
of high end materials such as Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic being used within my design. This is not the
typical mood board because most use colours or images of a material. However I feel that the use of
complete products of almost ideas would prove much more effective to me when it comes to me integrating
the ideas into my initial ideas.

Product Design
Research
Research Summary
Here I have utilised the
idea of representing
how helpful certain
research methods
were using the
concept of a pyramid
of biomass. This has
proved to be an
effective analysis
method and has
improved the way in
which I can analyse
my own methods and
how I can improve
upon them.
The Hierarchy
Mood Board
Questionnaire
Person And Product Interaction
Market Research
Environmental Snapshot
Product Profiling
Customer Profiling
Product Disassembly
Here I have utilised a graph often used in biology known as a biomass graph. The graph when used in
biology is used to represent how large an animal is and how many of them there are, in addition to how
far up the food chain the animal might be. I have integrated this concept into my research summary to
determine the research methods that I found most helpful in the gathering of data and knowledge to
aid me in the design stage of my speaker. If a method of research was more helpful it has a wider bar,
the have also been arranged from first to last, the bottom being the first method of research and the
top bar being the last method of research.

Product Design
Research
Further Specifications
I have been able to
learn the direction my
design is heading
towards and to be able
to define some of the
features it will have in
greater detail from this. It
has effectively gathered
all of my findings from
the research stage and
suggested at how some
of the things can be
integrated into my
designs.
Aesthetics: ‘The aesthetics of the speaker I am going to produce should comply with existing KEF
design’s’. Existing KEF designs are based on the style of modernism. It has been revealed during my research that this is an
appropriate style to be using as most people find it attractive and this blends in with the environments my customer is
associated with.
Cost: ‘In my opinion my product would be suitable to be targeted into KEF’s price bracket as I am aiming for a
similar style and customer.’ My research has revealed to me that I am going to comply with my initial specifications and
have the same cost of my product as KEF or possibly lower.
Customer: ‘The customer for my product will be a middle or possibly upper class individual that likes
the style of modernism’. I have decided that the customer I initially specified will remian the same, this is because my
research has revealed to me that the middle and upper class typically gravitate towards the style of modernism.
Environment::‘The environment of my speaker will be on a surface such as a desk or a shelf
indoors.’ This no longer seems to be a suitable restriction, this is due to the fact floor standing speakers can conceal or
eliminate wires just as effectively or better than other types of speakers. The only specification I will now include is that I
would like the speaker to be indoors.
Size:‘My speaker will be of a small to medium size.’ I no longer think that this is a suitable specification now that I
have decided the speaker I am going to design an make could be of the floor standing variety or other and these can
typically be exceedingly large.
Safety:‘Measures to improve the safety of the product will be considered however this cannot affect the
aesthetics or function of my final product dramatically.’ I will stick with this specification as the market I am targeting
requires a very high quality aesthictic qualities within the product.
Function:‘A large amount of function can detract from the final aesthetic quality of the product.’ I am
going to retain this specification as it doesn’t necessarily mean that I am not going to attempt to include the highest
quality functionality within my product that I can.
Materials: ‘Due to KEF using high quality materials and targeting their product at the higher end of the
market I am going to do the same.’ I am going to stick to this specification due to the materials having a direct impact
upon the aesthetics, and a large focus is being made on the aesthetics of my designs.

Product Design
Initial Ideas
Initial ideas cont.
The drawings of designs I
have done onto post it
notes, have allowed me
to begin thinking about
the various shapes and
styles that my initial idea
could be.
This is the first stage to my initial ideas. The yellow post-it
notes represent possible ways to match my brief, for
example, producing a speaker that plugs directly into
the wall. The pink post-it notes represent a series of
initial designs the do and do not match my brief. This
has enabled me to guide myself to create a more
effective set of initial ideas/concepts.

Product Design
Initial ideas cont.
This page has allowed
me to portray the
method of thinking to a
concept. This particular
design begins in the top
right of the page with
the light bulb indicating
an idea, then rough
sketches are produced,
then the product is
explained and then the
final drawing is
produced.
Initial Ideas

Product Design
Initial ideas cont.
Initial Ideas

Product Design
Development
The development has
allowed me to
understand and get to
know the design of my
product in greater detail,
in addition to making
any alterations to the
design. This has allowed
me to understand how
my design is going to be
constructed.

Further specification Met? Description
‘The aesthetics of the speaker I am going to produce
should comply with existing KEF design’s’.
Yes So far I think I have managed to meet the further
specification of the aesthetics of the product. This is
due to the materials and shapes I have developed in
my design during the development stage so far.
‘In my opinion my product would be suitable to be
targeted into KEF’s price bracket as I am aiming for a
similar style and customer.
Yes In my opinion I am going to meet this specification as
my product is very high end and unique. The evidence
of this specification being met are the materials and
general aesthetics of my product.
‘The customer for my product will be a middle or
possibly upper class individual that likes the style of
modernism’
Yes Upper class people like high cost products, this is what
my speaker will be targeted towards and I feel that my
product is suited to the style of modernism.
‘The only specification I will now include is that I would
like the speaker to be indoors.’
Yes This is a simple specification that has allowed me to
design a wide variety of different types of speakers. I
have stuck to this specification as I have said that my
product will be wall mounted indoors.
‘I am going to design an make could be of the floor
standing variety or other and these can typically be
exceedingly large.’
Yes The initial idea I selected for development was a large
wall mounted design. This means I have met this
specification as it has allowed me to freely develop my
speaker.
‘Measures to improve the safety of the product will be
considered however this cannot affect the aesthetics
or function of my final product dramatically.’
Yes This specification has been met as during the
development of my design I have no let the safety of
the product compromise its aesthetics.
‘A large amount of function can detract from the
final aesthetic quality of the product.’
Yes With the product I have been developing it has a large
amount of function, however I don’t not feel that this
level of function has detracted from the aesthetics of
the product. This is due to the fact that the function of
my product is what makes its aesthetics.
‘Due to KEF using high quality materials and targeting
their product at the higher end of the market I am
going to do the same.’
Yes The materials I have discussed about including within
my design during the development stage have been of
a high quality, for example oak. This complies with my
further specification as I aimed to use materials of a
similar quality to the materials KEF would use.
Product Design
Specification checkpoint
The specification
checkpoint is a tool to
ensure that my
development is staying
on the right lines and
meeting my further
specifications. This allows
me to stick to my breif
and therefore meeting
all or most of the targets I
have set myself.
Development

Product Design
Development
This is another model I have produced
that is a development of the previous
movement mechanism. This takes up less
space enabling my design to be slimmer
and more space effective. I got the
inspiration for this model from the internal
combustion engine. The piston in a
cylinder arrangement was an ideal real
world example for me to utilise within my
design.

Product Design
Development
Speaker Modules:
In order to test the speaker modules, they were all vacuum formed and then
tested against wear and tear that could occur in a real world situation,
each thickness of high impact polystyrene (1.5mm, 3mm, and 5mm) was
tested three times to ensure no or minimal anomalies occurred. The test
involved the pinching of the sides of each speaker module. The distance the
sides of the speaker module were pushed together was measured using a
standard 30cm ruler. The average from each of the three tests was
calculated and inserted into a graph to display the data in a more user
friendly manor. In order to produce the speaker modules more effectively
thermoforming would be used in an industrial situation. Thermoforming and
vacuum forming are both very safe processes under both workshop and
industrial conditions.

Yes After doing 40 of the developments I feel that the
aesthetics are reasonably complying with existing
KEF designs.
Yes I am going to meet this specification as the
customer I am targeting is still the same as KEF’s.
modernism’
Yes My product is of a high price, this means that I am
currently complying with the specification that it
will suit upper class people.
Yes This basic specification I have met as the speaker
is still going to situated in an indoors location.
Yes The initial idea I selected for development was a
large wall mounted design. This means I have met
this specification as it has allowed me to freely
develop my speaker.
Yes I have considered safety in specific areas of my
design however do not feel that any I have
considered are neccesary.
Yes The function of my product still thoroughly remains
the key feature of the speaker so doesn’t detract
from the aesthetic qualities.
Yes The materials I have decided to use are not as
high quality as KEF would use. This is because I do
not think they are appropriate in certain areas of
my design.
Product Design
Development

Product Design
Development
Movement Mechanism:
The mechanism to make the movement
section of my design function was tested by
using two basic models. I chose to use model
two for my final design after thorough testing
and consideration, this is because that system
was a lot safer and had a higher quality feel to
method one, in addition to this allowing the
speaker to become 39% smaller (in terms of
depth). Model One Model Two

Product Design
Development
Wood Joint:
I tried to make the joint of the frame of my design
a finger joint however I cut out the joints on the
hegner saw. Through a hard and often thick
material such as oak this had a negative impact
on my accuracy. Although the hegner saw was
safe it was not suitable for this task. Instead the
band saw was used and I felt that a mitre joint
was more appropriate due to time pressures.

Yes After doing all of my developments I think that the
aesthetics of my design are similar to that of KEF’s an
am pleased with the result.
Yes I am going to meet this specification as the customer I
am targeting is still the same as KEF’s which means the
price will still be the same.
modernism’
Yes My product remains targeted towards a middle or
upper class individual due to its high end price.
Yes The completed design will be indoors, this specification
has been met.
Yes This is a fairly vague specification allowing me to define
the size of my final speaker. It will be of a medium to
large size.
Yes I feel the safety of my design is sufficient. This is because
users cannot interfere with any moving parts of the
design.
Yes The function of my product still thoroughly remains the
key feature of the speaker so doesn’t detract from the
aesthetic qualities.
No The materials I have decided to use are not as high
quality as KEF would use. This is because I do not think
they are appropriate in certain areas of my design.
Product Design
Development

Product Design
Final Design
Product Placement
This page allowed me to
understand what my
design would look like in
a real life situation.

Product Design
Final Design
Advertising
me to consider ways in
which the product would
be advertised in order to
gain maximum sales
when the product is
released to the mass
market.

Product Design
Final Design
Making sound visual
The all new KEF wave.
Advertising cont.

ID number Name Height (mm) Width (mm) Depth (mm) Material Quantity
1 Front Panel 300 800 3 Acrylic 1
2 Power Rod - 800 6 Steel rod 1
3 Back Panel 300 800 10 Oak 1
4 Side Panel 300 100 10 Oak 2
5 Top/Bottom Panel 800 100 10 Oak 2
6 CAM 60 60 10 Oak 4
7 CAM Feet 40 40 10 Oak 4
8 Speaker Module
Mould
120 80 50 MDF 1
9 Speaker Rod
Support Plate
50 760 10 Oak 1
10 Speaker strips 150 40 5 Aluminium 4
Product Design
Final Design
Cuttings List
This has allowed me to
understand and produce
a list of the various
components needed to
construct my design (The
KEF Wave.)
1
5
4

Further specification My Evaluation KEF Evaluation User Evaluation
‘The aesthetics of the speaker I
am going to produce should
comply with existing KEF
design’s’.
The aesthetics of my design do
not entirely comply with KEF’s
existing designs however aren't
dissimilar. This is because of the
oak and glossy plastics used in
the design.
The aesthetics are not
completely similar to that of the
brand however bear some
similarities.
In my opinion the product
differs slightly from KEF’s designs
however goes with the general
modern trend that KEF utilise.
‘In my opinion my product
would be suitable to be
targeted into KEF’s price
bracket as I am aiming for a
This target has been met as the
overall quality of my product is
high and it has a high cost
aesthetic type.
Due to the complexity of the
manufacture that the product
has had incorporated the price
bracket would be similar to that
of one of our low – mid range
speakers.
The product that has been
produced would be at the
lower end of KEF’s price
bracket due to the lack of high
end materials.
‘The customer for my product
will be a middle or possibly
upper class individual that likes
the style of modernism’
Only middle or upper class
people would be able to afford
my product. In addition to this
the use of glossy plastics is
typical of the modernist style.
The complexity of the product
means that the price of the
product will be relitavley high,
therefore meaning the typical
customer will be a middle to
upper class.
A middle to upper class
individual would be ideal for
this speaker due to this price
bracket it is targeted at and the
modernist style they would
typically be demanding.
‘The only specification I will now
include is that I would like the
speaker to be indoors.’
The speaker that has been
produced is only suitable for an
indoors environment.
This speaker is designed to be
indoors so this specification has
been met.
This speaker would not be
suitable anywhere except
indoors.
‘I am going to design an make
could be of the floor standing
variety or other and these can
typically be exceedingly large.’
The I have produced a speaker
of a medium to large design.
This complies with my further
specification.
This speaker is suitable to be
placed on a stable surface
such as a table due to its large
size.
This speaker is of a large
construction so matches the
specification targeted by the
designer.
‘Measures to improve the safety
of the product will be
considered however this cannot
affect the aesthetics or function
of my final product
dramatically.’
The aesthetics of the product
have not been impacted by
the safety considerations of my
design.
Safety measures included are
minimal however have
probably been considered by
the designer. Due to the
minimal safety there has been
no impact on the final look.
It appears very few safety
options have been considered
with this design however I
wouldn’t say it is unsafe. Any
modifications would ruin the
appearance.
‘A large amount of function can
detract from the final aesthetic
quality of the product.’
The function has not detracted
from the aesthetic of my
product yet its function has
sculpted its shape.
In this design the movement
function is what forms the
aesthetic, this function has
good aesthetics so meets the
specification.
This specification has been met
as the function is the aesthetic
and exceedingly adds to the
overall design.
‘Due to KEF using high quality
materials and targeting their
product at the higher end of the
market I am going to do the
same.’
Oak and aluminium are used
within my design which are
expensive materials however
no specifically high end
materials have been used.
Due to the price bracket and
customer this product has been
constructed for the materials
will naturally be of a high
standard.
High quality materials such as
Oak have been used within the
product however no
specifically high end materials
such as Carbon Fibre
Reinforced Plastic are used.
Product Design
Evaluation
Evaluation against
specification
The evaluation stage of
the project has allowed
me to analyse the
various aspect of my
design and decide
whether they have a
positive or negative
impact. It has also
allowed me to consider
how my design would be
mass produced.

Further specification
‘The aesthetics of the speaker I
am going to produce should
comply with existing KEF
design’s’.
‘In my opinion my product
would be suitable to be
targeted into KEF’s price
bracket as I am aiming for a
‘The customer for my product
will be a middle or possibly
upper class individual that likes
the style of modernism’
‘The only specification I will
now include is that I would like
the speaker to be indoors.’
‘I am going to design an make
could be of the floor standing
variety or other and these can
typically be exceedingly large.’
‘Measures to improve the
safety of the product will be
considered however this
cannot affect the aesthetics or
function of my final product
dramatically.’
‘A large amount of function
can detract from the final
aesthetic quality of the
product.’
‘Due to KEF using high quality
materials and targeting their
product at the higher end of
the market I am going to do
the same.’
Product Design
Evaluation
Evaluation against
specification images
The images of the speaker I have produced show some of the
materials the product has been made out of in addition to the
style it has been produced under. In my opinion I have met
my specification for the aesthetics of my design because it
has an appearance of modernism, is of a large construction,
its function and safety aspects don’t detract from the final
design and high quality materials such as oak and aluminium
have been included.
me to compare images
of my final design to my
further specification. I
have learnt that I have
met the specifications
that relate to the
aesthetically focused
specifications.

Product Design
Evaluation
User Feedback
‘The corners of the
product could be
rounded to improve the
safety of the design’
‘There are no fixings
included to attach
the speaker to a
surface or wall. This
would improve safety
as it could prevent
the speaker landing
on small children or
pets’
‘Due to the large
size and heavy
weight of the
item the delivery
costs will be
substantial.’
‘Without caution the
speaker modules could
be pulled off of the
design.’
‘The speaker modules
on the front of the
design mean it is an
awkward shape to
package so that they
don’t get damaged’
‘There is only one
input to the speakers
so once that has
broken the whole
speaker system has
to be thrown away
rather than using
another ‘put.
‘The movement mechanism would
be difficult to install under batch
production conditions and would
have to be done by a skilled worker
which can often be costly.’
Development Feedback
‘The small indent
into the right side
of the design isn’t
worth how
complicated
manufacturing will
be because of it.’
This page shows some of
the user feedback I
received during the
development stage.
There are a variety of
modifications that I need
to consider such as the
safety of my design and
the delivery costs/issues
with the design.

Product Design
Evaluation
User feedback -
modifications
Final Product Feedback
For my speaker I decided the aesthetics of
the product would be improved if I used
MDF as the front panel rather than the
black acrylic that was initially planned. I
think that in addition to enhancing the
aesthetics it also makes the batch
production of the final product easier.
I decided that due to
the user feedback
during the
development stage
of my project I would
not include the small
shelf on the right
hand side of the
design as it would
make manufacture in
both a workshop
environment and
batch production
environment more
challenging than
necessary.
I didn’t include more than one input in my final
design however to include a Bluetooth input is a
simple modification. If I was to batch produce this
product then I would include the Bluetooth input in
addition to the auxiliary input, this means that if
one of the inputs fails it does not mean that the
whole product has to be disposed of as one of the
inputs can still be used.
During user feedback
during the development
stage a user state ‘The
movement mechanism
would be difficult to install
under batch production
conditions’. This is not the
case as during the
manufacture in workshop
conditions I managed to
laser cut the majority of
the movement
mechanism. This would be
a suitable process to use
under batch production
as industrial size/power
laser cutters are
available. The user has
now said: ‘the movement
mechanism is easily visible
through the clear acryllic
back panel of the design
and it has been
produced in an effective
way suitable for the type
of production KEF would
undertake.’
I have been able to
consider the feedback
that was received from
the users during the
development stage and
reflect upon how I have
acted upon it. I have
considered the batch
production technique
that KEF uses and how it
would be implemented
into my design.

Product Design
Evaluation
Modifications for mass
market
Modification three: Electronics:
An increased number of inputs because if the auxiliary input fails there are still more which allows the
speaker to still be used. Installing a Bluetooth receiver into my design would increase the number of
inputs still allowing it to be used if the auxiliary input fails. In addition to this, this modification would
help my speaker to meet the technological push. No manufacturing processes are required for this
modification, this is because a splitter could plug directly into the circuit board of my design, this
splitter will allow both the Bluetooth receiver and auxiliary cable to plug directly into this. This
modification to my design can be quality controlled by testing whether music can be played through
the speaker using the Bluetooth feature using a variety of Bluetooth enabled devices. This
modification would be carried out by a human as it cannot be conducted by a machine.
The modifications for
mass market has allowed
me to consider various
weak points in my design
and discuss how they
would be produced for
the mass market that a
brand such as KEF would
encounter.

Product Design
Evaluation
Modification cont.
Movement mechanism:
Modification four: Manual operation is not a user friendly way to make use of the
movement/visual function within the design and using a motor would be more effective. This did
not get included within my speaker because there was not enough space within the speaker to
include this as well as, if I was working for KEF I would have enough money to be able to get a
suitable motor that could power the whole of the movement mechanism. Screws would be the
process used in order to secure the motor for the mechanism onto the oak frame of the speaker
for both workshop production and the batch type of production my speaker would be produced
for. This is because there isn’t a machine that can reasonably be programmed to perform this
task. To quality control this modification the tightness of the screws could be tested, and if they
are not tight enough then they can be adjusted using a screwdriver. In addition to this the
delivery of the product would be more effective as the handle at the back of the design would
no longer have to be accounted for.
Modification five: The speaker modules within the design were initially designed to meet the brief I
created of making sound a more visual experience, this brief would be met by making the
speaker modules move up and down slowly and smoothly. However this has been made
challenging by the elastic bands that link the ‘CAM’s’ together create too much friction meaning
that the speakers do not move up and down smoothly, this means that the brief I have made has
not been met. A way for this to be achieved would be to use some more effective bands to link
the ‘CAM’s’ together, some bands that would be more suitable would be ones with less elasticity.
If I was working for KEF I would be able to get access to more suitable bands due to more money
being available for the parts of the product. This modification does not require any safety
precautions when implemented into a batch production situation. However due to the nature of
the task that is fitting the bands the process would need to be carried out by a human.

Product Design
Evaluation
Technology Push And
Market Pull
Technology Push
Market Pull
Technology push is when products are altered due to changes in
materials or manufacturing methods being used. This could be
due to the fact that materials with improved properties for a
certain product are now available; or that the manufacturing
process has been improved meaning an increased level of
efficiency. This efficiency means the product can be produced
faster and cheaper. New developments in technology are
difficult to react to as once the product it built it is often hard to
modify. This means that with new developments constantly being
produced that cause electronic products such as mine to
become outdated. The technology used within my design could
be updated by me installing a Bluetooth receiver. This would
allow phones etc to connect wirelessly to my speaker and play
music. Bluetooth would be a worthwhile addition as it is already
widely used for headsets and other devices.
Market pull is when product ideas are produced in response to market forces. Examples
of market influences include:
•A demand from consumers for new or improved products.
•A competing product is launched by another manufacturer.
•A manufacturer wants to increase their share of the market.
Market pull is a difficult challenge to negotiate in terms of modifying your product to
extend the maturity stage of the product life cycle at which it is achieving the maximum
number of sales. Market pull is something that can dramatically affect the technology
market and cause the maturity stage of the product life cycle to suddenly become
decline. In order to avoid this various accessories could be sold alongside my product in
order to keep the product related to relevant trends. In addition to this social networking
is becoming more and more popular. In order to keep my speaker current a phone
application could be developed that controls the speaker.
On this page I have
learnt the definition of
market pull and
technology push and
considered the impact
they will have on my
design and thought of
ways my design can be
changed in order to
respond to a market pull
or technology push.

KEF product design powerpoint

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