Ohne Titel

1. Aesthetics: The 'Investigation Table' has a natural theme heavily using wood. Two shades of natural timber are prominent, being the logs with the bark on the table legs and the debarked planks. The wood for the surface of the table has been treated and sanded down to give a smooth and good looking finish. The hexagon shape gives the table character and also encourages six people to sit around the table and investigate together.

2. Consumer/Customer: The consumer of this table would be young children who want to investigate objects that they find around them and in nature. However, it is unlikely that they will be the customer as this will probably be either parents or educational institutions who will need to be convinced that the product is worth its price and its value as an educational tool.

3. Cost: The table is retailed for £379. This is relatively expensive for a learning tool, however due to the fact that it is made from treated wood, it will last for a long time and will be able to withstand the constant harsh use of young children. As parts of it are handmade, the cost may be justified for the increase in craftsmanship.

4. Environment: Redwood (which the table is constructed from) is a softwood, meaning that it has a short growing time. This means that when a tree is cut down, it will not have a massive ecological impact as if replanted the next pine tree will not take too much time to mature. The likelihood of the tree being replanted will increase if the tree is cut from a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved forest. As the wood is used outside, air seasoning may have been able to be used as the moisture content of the wood doesn't need to be too low.

5. Safety: The planed wood that makes up the surface of the table is very smooth making it hard for someone to get a splinter. However, the bark used in the legs, is quite rough and could cause a cut to bare hands and fingers. The screws connecting all the pieces are wood are not sticking out and do not cause a hazard. As the base of the legs are wide, it is unlikely that the table will fall over onto a child.

6. Size: The table has an advertised size of 1220mm in length x 630mm in width and 580mm in height. These dimensions allow for a young child to use standing and be able to reach across the table comfortably. The table is not suited for people to sit at, but this encourages the child to stay healthy by standing up as well as to engage with what they are investigating.

7. Function: This product has a variety of functions that the children using it can combine with other products to learn more about the world around them. The plastic buckets allow for the children to collect things of interest and as shown in the photo, they may decide to use a magnifying glass to look into the details.

8. Manufacture/Material: The station is made from pressure-treated Scandinavian Redwood, which would have been planed with the planer, and screwed together by hand. The pine tree would have been cut down and harvested before most likely air seasoning took place. The plastic buckets in the middle would have been most likely injection moulded so that they would be consistant in shape all around.

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