What are design features?

Question

what does "design features" mean, i know a little of what it means, but im still abit confused about it.

Answer 1

It is bandied about as marketing hype - put simply it is those things about a car/house/appliance that make it different from others in its class. So we might talk about the external cladding, a state-of-the-art kitchen and whole-house sound system as being 'design features' of a building. The reality is of course that everything is designed to some degree - but the 'features' are the significant parts which help to define the whole.

If you coved the junction between the skirting and the floor this would make it easier to clean, for example. If the floor was laid to a fall and incorporated a drain this would be easier to hose down. Loose fittings that could be pulled out better than those that can't. Avoid changes in level as that can impede cleaning. Choice of materials is also very much a design decision, so impervious water and acid (wee-proof) resistant surfaces win over carpets, for instance.

Much of this is common sense - try to visualise the problem and then ask how your design is going to work with this - light colours better for seeing muck if you want to clean it off - good lighting - plentiful water points, refuse storage - slop hoppers for getting rid of pooh, that kind of thing. Somewhere to store waste, soiled bedding, food scraps, etc are all important design features.