As the demands of the marketplace continually change, the design and manufacturing fields must adapt-and, with advances in technology, they are able to do so faster than ever. This program explores newly developed materials and production processes that are leading to an ever-wider variety of manufactured goods. Topics include the basic principles of human wants and needs; the role of conceptual and technical innovation in design, as well as in production; the use of robotics and automated systems; and the impact that social and environmental issues have on design and manufacturing.

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on June 03, 2009. Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

Design for Individual Needs (4:08) -- Chair Design Considerations (5:37) -- Materials: Properties and Characteristics (3:34) -- Design Process (2:37) -- Prototypes and Manufacturing (2:42) -- Innovation in Design and Manufacture (3:42) -- Future of Product Design (1:19).