IB Design Technology 5.5 Product Life Cycle Questionbank

The Volkswagen (VW) Beetle is considered a design classic. In the 1999 car of the century competition it came fourth (after the Ford Model T, Mini and Citroen DS).

Since the production of the first car in 1941 the car has changed very little in appearance, see Figure 10. Initially the bodywork was made of steel, but more recently this has changed to a range of materials such as alloys, composites and plastics.

Other materials that make up the VW Beetle have also changed. For example, the windscreen (windshield) is made of laminated glass whereas it was originally made of toughened glass.

One way that a product may be considered as a design classic is by the length of the maturity phase in the product life cycle.

Based on the characteristics provided in the table, which stage of the product life cycle is the product currently experiencing?

A company is planning to develop a new line of sustainable home appliances. These appliances must be energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and designed for long-term use.

The design team must consider various aspects such as material selection, energy consumption, and life cycle impacts. The following questions will explore different aspects of sustainable design in the context of home appliances.

Innovation and markets refer to the process of developing new products, services, or processes and introducing them to the market.

This involves understanding market needs, creating value, and strategically positioning the innovation to achieve competitive advantage. Key concepts include market pull, technology push, and the product life cycle.

Professional landscape gardeners often use cordless electric hedge trimmers for extended periods. These tools must be designed to accommodate the physiological limits of the human body to ensure both efficiency and user well-being.

Figure 1: A professional cordless hedge trimmer