Research(Right click & press Print or File & Save As)
Research is not easy. It has to be relevant and useful, otherwise it's a waste of time.Whatever you are planning it is likely that you will need to find out about the types of material that are available at your centre. Web diagrams can be useful, you will find one in the mini project in the next section).
You should find out about things available on the market, use catalogues, write to manufactures, look on the internet (you can right click on images and ask the computer to save the pictures which you can then print off and use) and photograph things that you see which are related to the object you want to make. A few quality photographs are better than lots of poor ones. The key work is LOOK, the information will not come to you.
From the information gained obtain sizes, materials and cost and if necessary the way they work (take them apart if you can).
Ask other people what they think by using other types of market research such as a survey. Make sure the survey is going to tell you something.(Decide what it is you want to know about so you don't ask the wrong questions).
What about the sizes of a range of people? If your article has to fit somewhere what about plans as to where it has to fit. If something has to fit in it what about the size of those things.
What about the weather? Safety? Ease of use? Disabled people? Children? Security?
This is not a long list, there are many other areas of research that could go on it. Once you have decided roughly what you want to do it is wise to make some sort of a web diagram and use it to tick things off when they are done. (Look in the Mini project for an example)
For the bike example I would be
| Looking at a range of bikes taking measurements from them |
| Finding out which materials were available to use |
| Measuring the garage |
| Finding out about locks to fit on my finished article |
| Finding out about bike locks on the market |
| Visiting bike shops |
| Taking photographs of bikes the garage and anything else that could be useful |
| Investigating types of finish |
| Looking at the circumstances surrounding the thefts |
| Looking on the internet and perhaps e-mailing a few companies and saving a few pictures |
| Asking others what they think |
| Looking at safety and access to the site where the project will be installed |
| Investigating other spaces such as 'off the floor' |
Again these are just a few things that could be investigated. If I thought of more topics as I was investigating I would go back and add them. Research is not about doing everything all at once. Don't be worried about missing out something vital. If it's vital you will realise it is and go back to investigate later.