Design Activity 2: Product Study

Hiteshi Meisheri | Roll No. 23110135 | B. Tech. Class of 2023 | 13th January, 2024.

PART A: MATERIALS FOR THE GIVEN CONTEXT

The activity was held during our lab session on Thursday, 11th January 2024. We were
displayed a series of objects, those in everyday use as well as those which we rarely interact
with. The objective of the exercise was to identify not the materials used, but their
properties and then justify their selection through the purpose of the product.
The first part of the exercise revolved around seating at beaches.
The concerns to address revolved around sandy environments,
harsh sunlight, repeated usage, humidity, and exposure to saline
water. We thus eliminated materials which were prone to
corrosion or suggested treating them to tackle that problem.
Other properties like quick drying, durability and cool temperature
retention were suggested.
Next, packaging materials for transportation of food in floods and
organs between hospitals were discussed. Here, the inertness, pH
balance, and chemical properties were marked as important. The
overall box should also have shock absorption abilities to prevent
physical damage to the organs. The food packets and cans will
additionally require waterproofing and fluorescent highlighting so that
they can survive the harsh conditions of a flood.
Lastly, the tiara meant for Miss Universe Vietnam was displayed. Here
our materials focused on aesthetics, anti-theft properties and scratch-
resistant nature. We were also asked to think about the satin and
velvet cloth used to hold the said tiara.
My favourite part of the exercise was when we compared the copper, glass and plastic
bottles. While it was a little obvious to see why the copper bottle had a rubber gasket and
the plastic bottle did not, ma’am highlighted a fantastic reason for the difference in the
designs of their bodies. The glass bottle had a narrow, slender neck while the copper bottle
did not perhaps owing to the slippery nature of glass when it is wet thus allowing safer
handling.
We also discussed innovative materials for existing products the simplest of which ranged
from paper packaging in water bottles to replace the single-use plastic water bottles used at
conferences.
PART B: MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Product Name: Diary Cover

Image: Outside of a diary cover Image: Inside of a diary cover

Current Material Synthetic Leather (a fabric base of

Suitability
Other Materials Presently In Use
Innovative Replacement Material
Concerns w.r.t Paper Mache
polyester finished with a print and wax)
It has a smooth finish, feels rich and is
capable of displaying vibrant colours. It is
also durable as it has lasted for more than
one year without any shedding.
Paper, flexible plastic (LDPE), and natural
textile covers are commonly found on
diary covers.
Paper Mache: It can provide an organic
feel to a diary and gives it a hard-cover
support.
It will be difficult to print pictures directly
on paper-mache. They must be hand-
painted instead.

GENERAL LEARNINGS:
1. Analysis of materials as per their properties and not mere applications that we are
used to seeing.
2. Receipt for all classes across courses. Making a mental note of what we took away
from any lecture we invested our time in.

MEDIA SOURCES:
1. Beach seat: URL
2. Organ box: URL
3. Tiara: URL
4. Diary photos: Shot at sight.