Evaluation of Kitchen Appliance and Utensils

1. Evaluation Internal Assessment
Design Challenge
Kitchen Appliances or Utensils can be useful practical and timesaving devices. Some however are
badly designed and impractical or even dangerous. Some devices are easy to identify and easy to
work out how to use others not so.
Task:
Choose two appliances/utensils and evaluate their practicality, usefulness and overall
design. Appliances can be electrical but don’t have to be.
Eg Coffee Maker or a Can opener./ Chopping Board.etc
Select a focus for your investigation using a Design Brief and Design Specifications for these
particular appliances. Design Specifications can be seen from the item’s purchase
booklet/pamphlet or sourced from the manufacturers website. Use a report format that highlights
your information in each specification sub-heading. Include references to each article, statistic or
data you source.
Make sure you explain how or why you are testing the specification (your methodology) with
design reasoning and justification.
Testing them (Could involve taking them apart) and observing the product is a crucial evaluative
task and will allow you to identify design features that are good, bad or ugly……
Consider also
The Target Market of these utensils. Should they be redesigned with a consideration for other
user groups? Older people, younger people, disabled or other societal groups that find using these
items difficult.
Could these items be redesigned with the potential to have other uses?
Could these items be redesigned with the potential to be incorporated into another utensil?
What about the disposal or recycling /reuse of the materials used in its construction?
What ergonomic changes could be necessary?

2. What aesthetic changes could be suggested?
Examine them with a view to improving their design in some or as many ways as possible
How will this be assessed? Using Assessment Criteria - Evaluation Aspects
Each aspect will be awarded one of three levels:
Complete You have met the criteria fully 2 marks
Partial You have met some but not all of the criterion 1 mark
Not at all You haven’t met the criterion at all 0mark
Aspect 1 Conclusion
Devise a test or checks. Identify what sort of test or, checks are appropriate for the utensil
you have chosen. You will specify at least 5 criteria that you are evaluating. Justify these.
Why and How?
What equipment, method or other information is relevant? See Topic 7.1.1 in your workbooks.
How will you gauge the success and failures of the utensil? Consider all positive and negative
aspects.
Use a Design Brief and List Design Specifications you are evaluating. Use a grade system to
record your results eg, tables, graphs etc You may also consider researching standards for the
items you have chosen BSI, ISO etc
Create a short questionnaire 6-8 questions)and ask parents or brothers, sisters their
interpretation of the utensil and record their comments or feedback for your evaluation
Analyse all your findings
To achieve a 2 you need to provide clear evidence of a valid conclusion that addresses
the brief or research question
Aspect 2 Procedure
Show detailed photographic evidence of the appliance./ utensil you are evaluating and the
target market or user using the equipment.
Test the product against a range of criteria specified by you in the previous aspect. Use
photographic evidence to support your justifications and comments.
This aspect is basically the summary/conclusions of your findings from the testing. Make sure
you explain each result and what it was you were testing. What you were hoping to find out.
Ensure that you conclude with what you have found out. What works what doesn’t What was
useful and how this information can influence design in the future
To achieve a 2 you need to include comprehensive evaluation of procedure at each stage
of this investigation.
Aspect 3 Recommendations

3. Using your feedback and results explain how you could suggest modifications to the
utensil/appliance to improve it. You may need to improve it in several areas or just one. If
possible annotate photographs or do sketches or models of these improvement suggestions.
Explain all modifications with diagrams, drawings and clear design terminology (words) These
are your recommendations for improvements. Try to keep your improvements realistic or at
least achievable.
A summary of the evaluation that compares the weaknesses in the first design and the
advantages/improvements of your designs. Any potential family of products or re-design
opportunities need to be clear.
To achieve a 2 you need to make realistic recommendations for the improvement of the
utensil
See these Websites and Resources below to help you get started…
http://www.designcouncil.info/betterbydesign/life/issues.html
http://www.designcouncil.info/betterbydesign/life/challenge.html
http://www.choice.com.au/ Consumer Association Reports
(Hardcopies also available in class)