Summary: The sound system that goes into a hand-assembled Aston-Martin sports car must be special indeed. In this program, designers at Linn, a precision-engineering company specializing in state-of-the-art sound reproduction, draft and build a compact stereo for this elite automobile. Project leaders demonstrate the use of 3-D CAD in the drafting process. The outsourcing of a component provides a good...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
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Summary: What makes a good design? What must a designer do to develop a fresh, original approach to a product? This program explores those questions as it investigates one of the main factors that influence design: innovation. Identifying the basic concepts of innovation with help from an engaging host, the video visits design studios and workshops to see innovative practices at work. Viewers meet the...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
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Summary: This program looks at the creation of two products as it explores the visual, tactile, and aesthetic factors that inform the design process. The 321 Water filter is an attractive personal water purifier aimed at health-conscious women. Tear Lab is a non-invasive medical tool for measuring salt levels in tears. Sharing prototypes and drawings with the camera, the designers of these products talk...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
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Summary: Working on schedule and within a budget is crucial in the fast-paced world of design, where success often depends on timing and products must be priced affordably. This program shows how the factors of time and money affect the design process. Case studies for the Apple iPad wall-mount and a go-kart sticker manufacturer highlight cost issues in the design process, including productivity,...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
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Summary: Decades ago, Volvo's famous safety features were the least appealing part of their cars, at least from an aesthetic standpoint. Now designers work with engineers from the beginning of the development process to make sure that Volvo remains competitive on all fronts. In this program Volvo representatives address the issue of combining safety features with good design while maintaining brand...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
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Summary: Using recycled materials makes sense, but also presents designers with a unique set of challenges, because they must work within the parameters of the materials' properties. This program profiles two companies who have successfully created products from recycled goods. London-based Pli Design produced a stackable chair made from recycled Sony PlayStations, after feeding shredded game consoles...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
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Summary: By working closely with potential customers as well as suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors, designers can optimize the products they create while keeping tooling and assembly costs down. In this program designers from Britain's Kinneir Dufort employ market research and model-making technology to redesign a peak flow meter, used by people with asthma to measure lung function. To keep up...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
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Summary: Volvo's ReCharge hybrid car has an electric motor in each of its wheels, helping to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide created when being driven. But a car's performance on the road is only one part of its overall green rating. With the ReCharge serving as an example, this program shows how Life Cycle Assessment is employed to evaluate the environmental impact of manufactured goods-from their...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
View online at AVOD
Summary: This program profiles CO2 Zero, an eco-friendly housing development in the UK, focusing on its use of recycled plastics and FSC-certified wood. The architect built with renewable and reclaimed resources, and took into account how all parts of the houses would be disposed of at end-of-life, thus minimizing the carbon footprint of this unique living space. Although the countertops are made from...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011
View online at AVOD
Summary: Trunki is a popular children's ride-on suitcase-its brightly colored, rounded surfaces appeal to toddlers and parents alike. But when its designer appeared on a British TV show featuring the product, its towing strap broke, sending Trunki into another round of modification. This program explains how a product became a worldwide success through following three important principles of good...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2011