>>"The designer doesn't get to choose what that use is; the customer does."
Gmason@swets-farrington.nl wrote:
>Not exactly, he said with some temerity. As one example, look on Sheldon's
>site for the story about the exploding track hubs. The designer DOES get to
>say sometimes. In fact, I would suggest that it is his DUTY to say, so that
>the bits are used within the limits for which they were designed.
>Cheers...Gary
>Haarlem, North Holland, NL
Absolutely not, he said with a great deal of temerity. The designer determines the use of the product. That use is designed INTO the product and determines the product's materials and manufacturing process. If you want to put Campy cranks on a BMX bike, don't be surprised if Campy refuses to cover any damage claims. Would you race a Ferrari in the Baja 100? Would you race a Yamaha motocross bike in a Formula 1 Gran Prix? Would you put your VW Beetle through the stress and abuse of NHRA drag racing?
If you were an industrial designer at Ferrari, Yamaha, or VW, wouldn't you think customers like that had a vacancy in the brain motel?
Gary is 100% correct. Customers often determine the STYLE or APPEARANCE, but never the product's USE. Read any product warranty for any product you can think of and you will find the obvious disclaimers under "intended use".
Herb Langston
Evanston, IL