The principles of Mechanics for students of product design

Abstract

Those engaged in product design need to combine creative talent and sensitivity with intellectual ability. The Carter report on Industrial Design Education in the United Kingdom! identified the ideal 'A~levelsubject combinations as 'traditional academic subjects, such as Maths, Physics or English, in addition to the more specialised design subjects' - a position which the Design and Technology department at Loughborough University of Technology (LUT) would wholeheartedly support. This article concerns the application of the principles of mechanics by students of product design, but could probably equally well have been written about electronics, materials science, ergonomics, or communication techniques.