Elements of Design (Textbook Information)

I had a request to post the elements of design questions. 

This is the text from our textbook.


Elements of Good Design

All structures are designed and built for specific functions. How
do you know if your structure has a good design? To find out,
ask yourself these questions as you are designing and building.

Does my design link the structure to its function?

Sometimes this question is not as easy to answer as it might
seem. Designing a simple structure for a simple function is quite
easy. For example, a coffee table is a small structure designed to
support small loads and add to the décor of a home. Designing a
structure to fit a more complex function, such as a machine to
pick peaches without bruising them, is much more complicated.

Can my design withstand the forces that the
structure will encounter?

Good designers consider both the static and the dynamic loads
that might affect the structure. Structures with similar forms
may serve different functions. A coffee table made from
pressed wood might withstand the forces in a home with a
small child. A delicate glass coffee table may not.

Is my design easy to build with the materials 
I want to use?

If you were asked to build a coffee table out of wood, another
out of glass, and a third out of metal, would that affect your
designs? Of course it would. Some materials are easier to cut
and join together than others. Some materials can be bent
while others cannot.

Is my design ergonomic?

Ergonomics is the science of designing equipment that people
can use more efficiently and safely. An ergonomic structure
minimizes stress on the user’s body. The design and layout of
office furniture and supplies often involve ergonomics. People
who do repetitive jobs may suffer from repetitive strain injury
if they are not using proper equipment and techniques to
reduce the stress on their bodies (Figure 5.20).

Is my design aesthetically pleasing?

If you could choose any coffee table for your home, which
would you choose? You might like either of the two shown in
Figure 5.22, or you might hate both! All coffee tables have the
same function, so why are there so many different forms?
The main reason is that different people find different forms
and shapes more aesthetically appealing than others. Some
people find symmetry appealing. Symmetry is a balanced
arrangement on opposite sides of a structure. Others may enjoy
something a little more unusual. Some may find a particular
material more appealing because of its texture or colour. No
matter what the structure, it will not be equally appealing to all
people because aesthetic appeal is highly personal.

Do I want my design to be symmetrical? 

You may have noticed that many structures seem to have equal
halves. This means that they are designed symmetrically. There
are a number of reasons for this. Humans tend to like things to
look symmetrical. It is aesthetically pleasing. Symmetrical
things are usually also stable. Think about the wobbly chair.
The wobble is caused because one of the chair legs is not the
same length as the others. Symmetrical structures can spread
the load more evenly. Humans and many other animals are also
symmetrical in form (Figure 5.23).

Prototypes

When you are happy with the answers to all of these questions,
you may have a good design. However, this does not mean that
it is the best design possible. Something that looks fine on
paper may not be as practical when you are using it. You often
cannot know everything you need to know until you test your
design. This is why manufacturers often make prototypes of a
structure before they commit to a design.

A prototype is a model used to test and evaluate a design.
If you are designing something really big, test a smaller
prototype as much as possible before building the full-scale
version. You should also test prototypes if you are designing
something that you want to produce in large quantities. It
would be awful to manufacture a million new pens and then
find out that they are uncomfortable to hold!