Overview of the role

Developing new and improved furniture products such as domestic and office furniture.

Details of standard

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in the Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors manufacturing industry. The UK furniture, bed and furnishings manufacturing is substantial with over 8,000 companies contributing over £11 billion to the country’s GDP. Over a quarter of a million jobs are dependent on the success of the industry, with 118,000 in manufacturing alone.

The broad purpose of the occupation is developing new and improved furniture products such as domestic and office furniture. New Furniture Product Developers develop new products or improve existing products so that the company can meet customers’ needs more effectively. They create design briefs using their knowledge of industry specific legislation and understanding of products and materials. They manage the furniture product development and improvement process from conception through to completion.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of people including production/manufacturing managers, quality technicians, product developers, engineers, purchasers, customers and suppliers. They understand design, testing, materials and manufacturing processes.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for working as part of a team, collaborating with marketing, technical, suppliers and manufacturing specialists throughout the product-development/improvement process. They will report to a senior member of staff such as the Design Director. A New Product Developer combines design, business and engineering skills to create products that meet both market and production requirements. They also test products both internally and externally.

New Furniture Product Developers can work in a range of environments from small workshops to large factories.

Typical job titles include:

Design technician Furniture design technician Furniture designer New furniture product developer Product designer Product developer

Occupation duties

Duty Criteria for measuring performance KSBs

Duty 1 work safely at all times following relevant legislation and regulations and ensuring the safety of self and others

complying with relevant health and safety requirements and legislation

K1

S1

B1

Duty 2 Plan, organise and manage furniture design projects from conception to completion on time and within budget

delivered in line with agreed timescales, costs and budgets

K2 K3

S2 S3

B2 B3 B4

Duty 3 create suitable furniture design briefs and concepts for the furniture products to be produced

delivered in line with agreed timescales, costs and customers expectations

K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11

S4 S5 S6 S7

B5 B6 B7 B8

Duty 4 investigate new and existing furniture products and materials in order to incorporate these into future furniture designs

delivered in line with industry standards

K12 K13

S8

B5 B8

Duty 5 create and introduce new/improved furniture products, proving and testing both internally and externally and collaborate with marketing, technical, suppliers and manufacturing specialists to combine furniture design, business and engineering skills

delivered in line with agreed timescales, costs and budgets

K14 K15 K16 K17

S9 S10 S11 S12

B5 B6 B8

Duty 6 choose appropriate furniture manufacturing methods, processes and techniques to produce furniture designs

delivered in line with industry standards

K18 K19

S13 S14

B5 B8

Duty 7 produce 2D and 3D drawings, prototypes, models, mock-ups, artwork, samples or test pieces of furniture designs to bring these to life

delivered in line with specifications and industry standards

K20

S15

B5 B8

Duty 8 present furniture designs to customers (internal/external) in order to get buy-in

delivered in line with customer expectations/specifications

K21 K22

S16 S17

B6 B9 B10

Duty 9 collate costing information and present this in a comprehensive format (Bill of Materials)

delivered in line with customer expectations/specifications

K23

S18

B5 B8

Duty 10 develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, customers, suppliers and other relevant stakeholders

delivered in line with customers' expectations

K24 K25 K26

S19 S20

B6 B11


KSBs

Knowledge

K1: Health, safety and environmental management and risk assessment for example Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Health And Safety At Work Act (HASAWA), Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) and manual handling Back to Duty

K2: Codes of Practice, industry testing and environmental standards and legislation affecting furniture design for example British Standards or Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations Back to Duty

K3: Basic project management including principles and techniques of good project management Back to Duty

K4: How to create and scale furniture designs Back to Duty

K5: Sustainability and protecting the environment in furniture design Back to Duty

K6: Furniture design trends, technological developments, new markets and innovation Back to Duty

K7: Ergonomics and anthropometrics in furniture, including relating to an ageing population Back to Duty

K8: Commercial and domestic furniture designs such as living room or office furniture Back to Duty

K9: How to design for furniture assembly/ disassembly – ensure product build is as quick and simple as possible, likewise disassembly to be the same as appropriate Back to Duty

K10: Furniture industry materials and modern and traditional manufacturing methods including plywood, MDF (Medium Density Board) and MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard), veneers, laminates, edging materials, stains and finishes, fixtures and fittings (glass, plastics, electrical components and fittings), fabrics, springs, manmade and natural fillings and adhesives Back to Duty

K11: Strength of materials and material selection including how/where to apply them Back to Duty

K12: Product and material investigation techniques for example analysis of properties, flammability, abrasion, impact, scrape and scratch resistance Back to Duty

K13: Furniture products and services offered to customers Back to Duty

K14: New furniture product development introduction processes Back to Duty

K15: Furniture product testing methods and processes for example testing which simulates real-life use and foreseeable misuse Back to Duty

K16: Furniture product and material investigation techniques for example performance and durability Back to Duty

K17: Furniture product development processes and how to improve existing products Back to Duty

K18: Furniture manufacturing methods, processes and techniques for example CNC machining Back to Duty

K19: Furniture product specifications Back to Duty

K20: How to produce 2D and 3D furniture drawings, prototypes, models, mock-ups, artwork, samples or test pieces Back to Duty

K21: Presentation techniques for example voice tone, positive body language and use of visuals to enhance messages Back to Duty

K22: How to communicate furniture design proposals visually and in writing, different methods and how to use them effectively to reach agreement Back to Duty

K23: Bill of materials and costs to produce furniture designs Back to Duty

K24: Effective communication skills and techniques including verbal, written and physical non-verbal Back to Duty

K25: Equality and diversity and how this applies in the workplace Back to Duty

K26: Importance of developing good working relationships with others Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Work safely at all times, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and completing health and safety records and reports Back to Duty

S2: Plan, organise and manage furniture design projects to successful completion Back to Duty

S3: Maintain furniture design records Back to Duty

S4: Create suitable furniture designs and concepts for furniture to be manufactured Back to Duty

S5: Apply furniture industry specific regulations, legislation and standards, covering COSHH, British Standards, European and American test standards, Conformité Européenne (CE) Marks, Intellectual Property, ergonomics and renewable practices to designs as appropriate Back to Duty

S6: Create furniture designs for assembly / manufacturing capability including the use of computer aided design (CAD), 3D modelling and surfacing Back to Duty

S7: Select appropriate furniture materials, products and components for the furniture designs to meet customer requirements Back to Duty

S8: Investigate new and existing furniture products and materials and record findings of investigations Back to Duty

S9: Develop new furniture products and improve furniture existing products that meet customers’ needs more effectively Back to Duty

S10: Prove and test new and improved furniture products internally and externally Back to Duty

S11: Collaborate with marketing, technical, suppliers and manufacturing specialists Back to Duty

S12: Arrange and coordinate test build programmes for value engineering of product and componentry Back to Duty

S13: Choose furniture manufacturing methods, processes and techniques to suit customer requirements Back to Duty

S14: Develop furniture specifications for products to be manufactured Back to Duty

S15: Produce 2D and 3D furniture drawings, prototypes, models, mock-ups, artwork, samples or test pieces to industry standards Back to Duty

S16: Present furniture designs to customers (internal/external) Back to Duty

S17: Produce visuals that demonstrates how furniture designs meets the strength, aesthetics, cost and other relevant requirements of the brief" Back to Duty

S18: Collate comprehensive costing information such as a Bill of Materials Back to Duty

S19: Apply effective communication techniques at all levels including written and verbal communication skills Back to Duty

S20: Develop and maintain effective working relationships Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Have a safety-first attitude, ensuring the safety of self and others as appropriate Back to Duty

B2: Takes personal responsibility for meeting objectives of the team and business Back to Duty

B3: Shows integrity, aims for excellence and manages time effectively Back to Duty

B4: Is efficient when working individually and as part of a team, with ambition to achieve in all aspects of work Back to Duty

B5: Thorough and accurate when accomplishing tasks Back to Duty

B6: Is friendly and approachable in a furniture design environment Back to Duty

B7: Demonstrates creative thinking when creating designs and concepts Back to Duty

B8: Has a methodical approach to furniture design tasks Back to Duty

B9: Demonstrate a positive work ethic and can-do attitude showing initiative and self-motivation Back to Duty

B10: Demonstrate professional standards of behaviours and positive personality, to dress appropriately and be aware of personal presentation Back to Duty

B11: Sets an example to others, is fair, consistent and reliable Back to Duty


Qualifications

English and Maths


Additional details

Occupational Level:

3

Duration (months):

24

Review

Status: Approved for delivery (available for starts)
Level: 3
Reference: ST0793
Version: 1.0
Date updated: 27/09/2019
Approved for delivery: 27 September 2019
Route: Engineering and manufacturing
Typical duration to gateway: 24 months (this does not include EPA period)
Maximum funding: £10000
LARS Code: 515
EQA Provider: Ofqual
Employers involved in creating the standard: Senator, Harrison Spinks, Travis Perkins, Silentnignt, DFS, Hypnos, Roundhouse Design, Burbidge, Simpsons of Greenfield Mill Ltd, Mascari

Version log

Version Change detail Earliest start date Latest start date
1.0 27/09/2019 Not set

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