Custom classroom furniture
Starters questions for use with senior students
Page 1 – Identifying a need
Brief development exercise:
- Identify the issue.
- Identify the need.
- Explain how the issue was identified?
- Why is research important in the process of identifying issues?
- What key factors (desirable attributes) should be considered for classroom furniture?
- What key factors/attributes were given a lower priority to ensure cost was prioritised?
- What did the initial research using focus groups find out?
- What research did Furnware undertake to support their designs?
- What does the term "ergonomics" mean in relation to the research undertaken?
- What conceptual statement do you think Furnware would have started with?
Extension activity
- Develop a brief to include the identified issue and need, with a conceptual statement, and desirable attributes that you think Furnware could have used to develop the desk with a side storage unit.
Page 2 – Concept Development
- Identify the methods of functional modelling used at this stage.
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these methods of modelling?
- Identify the stakeholders involved with this stage of practice.
- Explain how each stakeholder group were important to the practice?
- Why was it necessary for development for Furnware to go into the classroom and trial concepts with students?
Extension activity
- Sketch your own conceptual model of the side storage unit with annotations to describe materials, components and functions to show its intended fitness for the purpose.
Page 3 – Design
- Once the concept had been developed through consumer testing and feedback, what input did the design team have to the project?
- What is a rapid prototype?
- Why were students still part of feedback at this stage of practice?
- What people had to be involved with the design process to finalise a production process? Why?
Extension activity
- Make up a diagram to the steps in the practice and the people involved during this design stage.
Page 4 – Production Planning
- What is the difference between a prototype and a finished manufactured product?
- Why was outsourcing essential in relation to the plastic components?
- How was the outsourcing company involved with production planning?
- Why was a company in China used to make the injection moulding tool?
- What trialling was done to prepare for production?
- What issues came up in relation to material selection?
Extension activity
- What does castellated mean?
- Describe and/or draw what you think this component may look like.
Page 5 – Manufacturing
- What is the "kanban system"?
- Why is Furnware using this system?
- Why was a trial production run not necessary for this new product?
- Why would a trial production run normally be carried out?
- Why is planning such an important part of the manufacture process?
Extension activity
- Identify the main steps in the factory's 10-day production turnaround?
- What project management tools/systems do Furnware use for planning?
Page 6 & 7 – Manufacturing: Factory Tour 2
- Use the information and photographs of production, factory machinery, and materials:
- Develop a flow diagram to show the main steps of production for a desk with a side storage unit.
- Include inputs and outputs at each stage.
Extension activity
- Indicate on your flow diagram what and where the quality control checks would be carried out?
Page 8 – Marketing and sales
- What do Furnware consider is key to their marketing strategy?
- How did they do this?
- What can cause issues? Explain why.
Page 9 – Environmental and sustainability issues
- What process did Furnware go through to ensure better environmental responsibility and sustainability?
- How do Furnware's EC process expectations have a knock-on effect with suppliers?
- How does this effect help Furnware?
- How does environmental awareness related to classroom furniture effect Furnware design?
- What is the purpose of having a well thought-out mission statement for the company?
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