Wooden toy train

Wooden toy train

1. aesthetics

   • colour
     • blue, purple, pink
       • complementing color scheme so that it looks aesthetically pleasing
       • 'cool' colours set relaxing theme, perfect for a child.
     • red, orange, yellow
       • warm, inviting theme. encourages children to play with the toy. Gender neutral, could buy this for any gender, increasing the customer range.
     • rainbow
       • gender neutral. Aesthetically pleasing to the eye,
       • bold, attracts customers. Allows children of a younger age to explore and learn about different colours.
     • left blank
       • would be cheaper, wouldn't have to pay for paint. May be less pleasing to the eye?
       • no bold colours to attract customers
       • could be left for customer to paint themselves. Encourages creativity for children of a young age, also makes the product more personalised and enjoyable.
   • type of wood
     • pine
     • oak
     • mahogony
     • beech
   • shape
     • could have anything between 2 and 5 carriages.
   • texture
     • wooden
       • inevitable. the product must be made of wood.
     • soft, smooth. More pleasing, means that the product will not splinter the customer, making the product more safe
     • feels better, probably preferred texture

2. cost

   • manufacturing price
     • must pay for materials, in this case that would be wood, perhaps some paint. e.c.t
       • depending on what wood you use, the price of materials can substantially vary.
     • transport, pattern? wages?
   • selling price
     • must be sold high enough to generate a rough 100% profit, but low enough that it's affordable to a wide range of customers.
   • profits
     • should be around 100% so that we gain enough money to keep supplying, pay expenses, and still keep the rest of the profit e.c.t
     • must be a decent amount so that the business can keep running, introduce new prodcts, e.c.t

3. customer

   • parents
     • could be the ones buying the product for their child
     • low budget as they have expensive kids to look after. Won't be looking to 'splash out'
     • 18-30 years of age
   • young children
     • 1-5 years of age
       • will probably convince their parents to buy the product on their behalf.
     • although they wont be buying the product themselves, the product will be purchased on their behalf so it's important that the product is suitable for them
   • grandparents
     • 50-75 years of age
     • likely to buy the present as a gift to their grandchild
     • likely to spend more money to spoil the grandkid. Less reluctance to buy the product and likely higher budget because they no longer have children to look after.

4. environment

   • softwood is more sustainable than hardwood because it comes from evergreen trees, meaning that they grow all year round, unlike the trees that hardwoods come from.
     • therefore, it would be a lot more sustainable to use softwoods instead of hardwoods for manufacturing the product.
       • however, it would make the product less durable and lower quality, meaning that it would be likely to be thrown out quickly by the user, as it may only be suitable for short term use.
     • also,. it's more sustainable because it's easy to work with, meaning that less resources and energy will be used per product
   • contains no plastic, product is less damaging to environment

5. size

   • could be big or small depending on number of carriages. Can't be too small that it is a choking hazard for toddlers or too big that it consumes space, resources and money
   • could have anything from 2-5 carriages. Carriages should be anything from 7.5cm high, 8.5cm tall 5cm wide.
     • ROUGH ESTIMATE

6. safety

   • wood must be softened down so that it cant cause splinters or harm the consumer in any way.
   • must contain no small, detatchable parts so that the consumer (toddler) will not choke
   • must have rounded edges so that the consumer can not injure themselves on the sharp object. That would not be good and may result in lawsuit.
   • must use durable materials such as hardwoods or efficient softwoods so that the product can't snap and the consumer will not harm themselves on the broken, splintered wood.

7. function

   • the function of this product, besides generating money, is to entertain young children, particularly toddlers. Hopefully, the product will be able to have moving wheels so that the product can work, but a lot of work will have to be done for the product to function in that way.
   • another neccessary function of the product is to be able to be durable enough to last perhaps multiple children to avoid the product being inopropriately disposed of, because it's not being disposed of at all
   • the function of the product could also be to work efficiently, move efficiently and be able to be used efficiently, as this is a big part of what the product is intended for

8. material

   • hardwood
     • advantages
       • stronger, making the product more durable and therefore better quality
       • higher density, giving it enhanced strength
       • less flammable than softwoods- increased safety
     • disadvantages
       • expensive, not cost effective. Product would result in being more expensive than perhaps intended?
       • harder to work with due to durability
       • trees have a slow growth rate- may not be environmentally sustainable
     • oak
     • mahogony
     • beech
     • ash
     • maple
   • softwood
     • advantages
       • easier to work with than hardwood due to low density. In the long run, you use less time and resources, saving money
       • more cost-effective than hardwood, meaning that you can sell the product for cheaper, making it more affordable, and therefore a more popular product because so many can afford it.
       • these woods are more sustainable than hardwoods, due to being from evergreen trees, meaning that they grow faster
     • disadvantages
       • less dense than hardwood, making the product weaker and less durable
     • pine
     • cedar
     • fir
     • redwood