New Zealand Scholarship Technology flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Fitness for purpose

The degree to which an outcome meets the stated brief and its measurable specifications while satisfying the needs of identified stakeholders in its intended context of use.

Technological intervention

A deliberate design change to the made world that alters what people can do, and therefore carries predictable and unpredictable consequences that must be evaluated.

Brief versus specification

The brief states the problem, stakeholders and constraints in broad terms; specifications translate the brief into measurable criteria that can be tested and judged.

Iterative design process

A cyclical process in which research, ideation, modelling, testing and evaluation repeat as new evidence emerges, refining the outcome rather than following fixed linear stages.

Stakeholder conflict

A situation where different parties affected by an outcome have incompatible needs, requiring the designer to prioritise explicitly and justify the trade-off with evidence.

Functional modelling

A model built to test whether a concept behaves as intended, focusing on forces, energy, movement or interaction rather than on final appearance or manufacture.

Prototype

A physical or digital realisation used to test manufacture, assembly, ergonomics or user interaction, typically closer to the final materials and production method than a model.

Success criterion

A pre-defined, measurable condition that a trial must meet for the outcome to count as fit for purpose, set before testing to avoid post-hoc justification.

Failure mode analysis

Systematic identification of how an outcome could fail, whether through material, structure, user error or system fault, and the design response to each mode.

Trade-off justification

An explicit statement of what was gained and sacrificed in a design decision, supported by test data or stakeholder evidence rather than preference.

Invention versus innovation

An invention is a novel concept or device; an innovation is that concept successfully developed, implemented and adopted within a real context of use.

Material property mapping

Selecting materials by matching measured properties such as strength-to-weight ratio, thermal conductivity, durability and workability to the required function and environment.

Lifecycle assessment

Evaluation of environmental impact across extraction, manufacture, distribution, use and end-of-life, identifying which stage dominates and who controls it.

Design for end-of-life

Designing so that materials can be separated, repaired, reused or recycled, reducing waste and extending the useful life of components and products.

Systems thinking

Analysing an outcome as inputs, processes, outputs and feedback, so that faults can be traced to a component, a connection or a control loop.

Feedback loop

A control mechanism in which output information is returned to adjust input or process, enabling a system to self-correct toward a target state.

Risk control hierarchy

The order of hazard controls: eliminate, substitute, engineer out, administrative control, then personal protective equipment, with elimination preferred and equipment last.

Likelihood and consequence

The two axes of risk assessment; risk level is estimated by combining the probability of harm with the severity of the outcome if it occurs.

Evidence hierarchy

Ranking of justification strength from controlled measurement, through repeated user trial and expert judgement, down to untested assumption, used to weigh design claims.

User-centred design

An approach in which the needs, capabilities and limitations of the people who will use the outcome drive decisions, verified through observation and user trials.

Ergonomics

The application of human physical and cognitive capabilities to design, matching dimensions, forces, reach and information load to the user's body and attention.

Accessibility and inclusive design

Designing so that people with varied abilities, ages and contexts can use an outcome, reducing barriers rather than adding adaptations after completion.

Cultural impact of technology

The effect of an outcome on the practices, values and identity of a community, including Maori perspectives such as kaitiakitanga where relevant in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kaitiakitanga in design

A guardianship principle requiring designers to consider long-term responsibility for people, place and resources affected by a technological outcome.

Sustainability

Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, assessed across environmental, social and economic dimensions.

Embedded energy

The total energy consumed in extracting, processing, manufacturing and delivering a material or product, before any energy used in operation.

Circular design

Designing products and systems so materials circulate through reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycling rather than ending as waste after a single use.

Intellectual property

Legal protection of inventions, designs, brands and creative works through patents, registered designs, trademarks and copyright, affecting who may exploit an outcome.

Standards and compliance

Published requirements such as standards and regulations that an outcome must satisfy for safety, interoperability or legal sale, forming part of the specification.

Scale of production

The choice between one-off, batch, mass or continuous production, which changes tooling cost, unit cost, tolerances and the design freedom available.

Quality control versus assurance

Quality control inspects outputs for defects; quality assurance builds processes and specifications that prevent defects arising in the first place.

Tolerance

The permitted variation in a dimension or property, chosen to balance function, interchangeability, manufacturing capability and cost.

Critical evaluation

Judging an outcome against the brief, specifications and evidence, including comparison with a rejected alternative and acknowledgement of remaining limitations.