1.14 Investigate environmental, social and economic challenges GapFill

When designing an item, many aspects need to be considered in the specification.  Physical propertyVisualEnvironmentalSocial factors include considering different social groups, economic groups and  ethnicprofessionalclassage groups.   A social group is a collection of people who share a  similarityhousedifferencejob. This includes things such as gender, age, education and profession.   Identifying a social group could help the designer focus on specific criteria to help provide a solution to   a difficultya target audiencea mattera problem.   An economic group is a collection of people who share a similar  religionincomeculturebudget.   Identifying this during the design stage will help target people with a specific  agejobbudgetproblem in mind.   An ethnic group is a collection of people who share a similar  incomecultural backgroundsocial backgroundproblem.   Identifying this during the design stage will help the designer sympathise with certain requirements that could otherwise cause  problemsdisruptionoffencecrime.   The designer should also consider how a product is going to affect the environment.  Carbon offsetting schemesFairtradeReducingRecycling is a method that can help manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint.   An example of this is using  reusingrecyclingrepairingrenewable energy sources.   Products can be designed to be effortlessly disassembled to make  assemblyproduct usematerial separationrepairing easier.

Doing this increases the likelihood that an item will be recycled or  landfilledusedparts reusedwasted.   As well as product disassembly,  incinerationfair tradelandfillwaste disposal is something else that can be monitored to help reduce the negative effects a product can have on the environment. There are government laws in place to help prevent companies from disposing of waste in a way that could cause harm to the environment.   Many large companies source manufacturing in developing countries. This is because  expectationscurrenciestravel costslabour costs are lower, and working conditions are not monitored as much as those in developed countries.   It is more cost-effective for large companies to manufacture products in developing countries, but poor working conditions can easily be overlooked.  Fair tradeMoney exchangeRenewable energy sourcesWaste management is a system that helps reduce unethical working conditions.