Critical Evaluation

Assessing the Specified Design Criteria: 

This project has helped me gain confidence in CAD CAM processes, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly! I have evaluated my final product in terms of the design specification and brief and have assessed both the positive and negative aspects of my final outcome:

Specification: The casing must:	Achieved?	Positive	Negatives
Encase the printed circuit board in a casing which must be of a snug fit thus not allowing the circuit to move.	Yes	The clear peg secured the USB in place and the PCB recess was of suitable dimensions	The peg was not glued in place (due to fear of damaging the paintwork and the fact that this is a prototype) so the PCB could have been secured even more securely using glue.
Protect the printed circuit board which measures 45.5 x 13.5 x 1mm	Yes	The PCB is fully encased and the chassis is protected with the lid	Due to the rotating mechanism of the lid, the central cavity had to be left open ended meaning that dust could potentially get into the chassis.
Be user friendly - compact for ease of storage and transportation.	Yes	My USB is of a neat and compact design when the lid is closed.	Due to the swivel lid, the width of the casing is doubled meaning it is quite bulky.
Be safe – i.e. no sharp corners in case people want to carry it in their pocket.	Yes	All corners were rounded.
Be robust and durable- able to withstand prolonged used and mishaps such as dropping it on the floor.	Yes	My casing protects my USB and has .5mm clearance in the lid recess either side of the chassis so that it should not be damaged if dropped
Be as narrow as possible in order allow access to the USB ports for any additional USB sticks the user wishes to use.	Yes	My design is as narrow as possible for my chosen idea	My chosen design dictates that the swivel lid may cover an additional USB port; however the user can overcome this issue by simply placing the wider side of my USB on the opposite side to the secondary USB port.
Not restrict the USB connector from engaging with the port. If insufficient space is not allowed then the computer will be unable to read the data.	Yes	The measurement for the PCB recess was correct meaning there is was enough chassis sticking out.
Be aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching.	Yes	I think that the swivel lid is of a novel design and the vinyl graphics are eye-catching
Promote my chosen brand.	Yes	I have stuck to a strict black and white colour scheme and the same font and theme to create a cohesive brand.
Be displayed on a promotional POS stand that attracts the consumer and enhances the brand identity.	Yes	The stand is of ideal proportions to house my USB	I would have liked to have produced other promotional material such as leaflets if time had permitted.
Incorporate a solution that allows the lid to stay attached to the USB body when in use so that it is not lost.	Yes	The swivel lid allows for this	The incorporation of the swivel lid causes the width of the casing to be doubled when the USB is in use.

Having evaluated my final product in according to the design specification and brief I am pleased with what I have achieved within this short project.

For my initial research I looked at problems a USB user may face and also assessed that:

·         The lid of the USB stick often becomes lost.

·         The user may forget to remove the USB when they leave the computer.

I believe that the hinge-pin-swivel-lid solves the problem of a lost lid as it is permanently attached and the fact that the USB lights up red when in use should be a reminder that the USB is plugged in.