Quality and Safety

High quality materials and components are important from the start to ensure durability and long-term performance.
Manufacturing processes must be monitored and controlled to maintain consistency and precision.
Ideally, products should be designed to require minimal maintenance, be reliable and perform their function diligently. This is referred to as design for reliability.
Quality control mechanisms like inspections, testing, tolerances, and quality circles aim to maintain quality throughout production.
There is a distinction between ‘quality of design’ and ‘quality of conformance’ – the former refers to the inherent value of the design, while the latter reflects how closely the final product matches the design specification.

Design for safety considers potential risks associated with product use, misuse, or failure. It aims to reduce these risks through thoughtful design.
Consider potential harm to users, either through direct contact (like sharp edges) or indirect effects (like noxious emissions).
Safety standards and regulations guide the design process and ensure the resulting products are safe for their intended use.
Safety features can be incorporated in design – like automatic shutoffs, child-proofing, or redundancy in critical systems.
Instruction manuals and labeling should provide clear, user-friendly safety information.

User feedback provides insight into the quality and safety of a product from the user’s perspective. This can be collected through surveys, reviews, or direct observation.
Regular testing and calibration will ensure product performance and longevity.
Maintain a system for reporting accidents or equipment failure, which helps identify trends or issues.
Risk assessment should be a regular part of the design and testing processes.
Maintain documentation related to quality control and safety protocols; this can be crucial in both gradual improvements and in addressing potential legal issues.

Consider the ‘cradle to grave’ life cycle of a product, taking into account the sustainable sourcing of materials, manufacturing practices, energy usage, potential for recycling, and pollution.
Material choices can have a significant impact on both the quality and the sustainable profile of a product. Metals, plastics, ceramics, and composites all have different properties, costs, and environmental footprints.
The design should reduce waste, and where possible encourage recirculation of resources (recycling or reusability).
Sustainability is not just an environmental issue, but also a quality and safety issue – a sustainable product is typically more durable, health-friendly, and ethically produced.