Our Higher Product Design class recently completed their product test session for the Product Evaluation NAB. Each pupil evaluates a product and their is a whole range throughout the class, kettles, portable speakers, ball pumps, potato peelers, wind-up torches, travel mugs, kitchen timers and tin openers.

Over a double block everyone tested their product and compared it against similar products which were also tested. They had prepared some tests that were measurable (e.g how long it took for a kettle to boil) and others that required a rating or a comment (e.g. how comfortable is the grip on the potato peeler). Some pupils got a range of people to test their products for them.

The results were sometimes suprising. For example, it required a small screwdriver to insert the battery into the kitchen timer, not a very convenient feature. The least expensive potato peeler was superb at peeling, requiring almost no effort but had a very poor grip. Only one of the five thermal mugs was fully leakproof. People testing can-openers deliberated a lot over value for money as the can-openers ranged from 49p (ASDA) to £15 (Le Crueset)

You can view the photos above on our flickr page and see the notes that have been added to them – a very useful feature of flickr.