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10 Principles of Product Design (Part 4)
17 Jun 2014
We’ve been reviewing how our products stand up to Dieter Ram’s principles of good product design. We’re finishing things up by looking at the details, environmental considerations and minimalist design that go into our products. We hope you’ve enjoyed the series but if you missed the earlier blogs you can still access them here, part 1, part 2 and part 3.
Good Design is Thought Through to the Last Detail:
“Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.”
Detailed Choices
PURELAB Chorus may appear to be a complex product, but it can be as simple or as complex as needed. The elements can be configured in a number of different ways depending on the requirements of the laboratory. Because the units, tanks and dispensers can be positioned or connected in different ways, there are considerations to be made for each installation. The number of power supplies, types of connection and installation kits can be different for any given scenario. This means we have had to rethink not only the product design itself, but also the detail of how we configure and supply systems making it a much more bespoke product.
When is a tank more than a tank?
Elements of the entire system have been refined based on our previous experience to ensure we are giving you the best quality water. If we take the tank for example, it’s probably the simplest part of the system right? Well yes and no. The tank has been considered from the outset of the Chorus project, it contains many small improvements that all add up to be an impressive place to store your ultrapure water.
There are strainers on all of the outlets, so even if someone happens to drop their sandwich in the tank (yes we all know it can happen) you won’t find any salami in your dispensed water. The mixing of water has been improved by the addition of up risers, meaning a better laminar flow inside the tank which inhibits biofilm build up. There are no corners for bacteria to hide out causing potential problems with your water quality. The position of the outlets and the shape of the tank mean that all of the water in the tank is usable and it can be completely drained for cleaning (or removal of sandwiches and other debris)! The tank also has a display so you can always see how much water you have left to dispense.
Good Design is Environmentally Friendly:
“Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.”
Waste Not Want Not
As an ISO14001 accredited manufacturer, we have considered the environment in our selection of materials, manufacturing processes and which items are shipped with each product. As mentioned above we only ship the power supply required for a given bespoke configuration, and we only send the correct power supply for the country the product is destined for, avoiding items being disposed of unnecessarily. Our PureSure® deionisation cartridges make sure you use all the resin available to you before exchanging the cartridge for another. This not only protects the environment but saves you money.
Ingenious Accessories
During water purification some water will always go to drain. To deal with this we have also developed a high recovery kit to which recovers some of the water ensuring that waste is kept to a minimum. When a typical laboratory can use 35 million liters of water a year, every drop counts!
Another accessory helping to alleviate wastage is the degasser module which can help extend the life of consumables in those laboratories with high levels of CO2 in their feed water, again helping both the environment and your research budget.
Good Design is as Little Design as Possible:
“Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.”
Detailed Design but Rational Choices
The PURELAB Chorus has been carefully designed from an aesthetic perspective. Curves and flowing lines combined with subtle glowing lights and picked out colours combine to make an attractive product. Ultimately the design must be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing and without frivolous extras.
The modular nature of the product means that the choice is with the laboratory. If the application demands additional dispense points, higher or lower quality of water, increased capacity for peak delivery then the system is adaptable to specifically meet those needs. There is also the possibility to expand the product
In the product design itself we have focused on the items essential to the laboratory technician. Simple dispensing, water quality, user interaction, space saving footprint, robustness and a modular design were the key factors in product design choices.
That concludes our blogs on product design. We hope you’ve enjoyed this series and that our products continue to uphold the principles of design that Dieter Rams outlined.
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