Development

Development of design proposal product design specification

Having identified and investigated the problem, you can begin to define what you are going to design. 1. Research evaluation 2. Detailed design brief 3. Product design specification
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1. Research evaluation
Different types of research, some of which will be more useful than others.

I carried out different types of research; some of them were more useful than others.
The evaluation of research is often overlooked. If you overlook this you lose marks. Your evaluation will need to refer back to your plan of strategy for the investigation stage. If you forgot to do this, do it now! Planned stages of investigation need to include aspects of economics, social effects and environmental impact. Ensure that the research plan is specific in drawing on experts/consultants. You should explain how and why you have used interviews, books, questionnaires, visits and databases as sources of information. You need your research to have provided you with data about the key areas of costs, benefits and user-preferences and the consumer.

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Investigate a real situation, describe findings, and suggest practical changes. Describe what existing solutions are like. Describe what you have noticed around you. Analyse data and develop designs. Make suggestions for improvement. Demonstrate your competence with ICT by analysing the results using a spreadsheet and using Publisher (or similar software) to produce a summary report. You may wish to use PowerPoint for a presentation to an audience. Be careful not to overdo the effects available with ICT; they can be a distraction. Remember: Presenting the results of your research to an audience will often help you to focus on what you have found out. Your audience will help you to make judgements, which you can support with evidence.

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Make sure that you have consulted an expert. This person will be crucial to an effective evaluation where you have to show that you have been responsive to external critique.

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2. Detailed design brief

I am now ready to write a first draft design brief which covers the main points of my design problem. My design brief is
Before you can solve a problem you have to be sure exactly what the problem is. In technological terms writing a design brief helps to define the problem. This is the time to summarise what has gone before and to move beyond I will design and make a Your initial research and the analysis of that research should be used to help you write your design brief.

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There is nothing worse than trying to mark a design folio without a clear understanding of what the candidate is trying to design and make. Help the marker to get inside what you are trying to do.

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3. Product Design Specification

Having analysed the research put more detail into a justified specification.

Having carried out my research and analysed my data I am now ready to extend my initial design specification into a more detailed product design specification which will help me to develop my design
In business and industry, problems are identified by market research staff. They find out from potential customers what they want. Companies use this information to help them decide on a design brief, which is a brief outline of the problem. The development and research team take this brief a stage further by writing the detailed specification, which will include costs. Remember that people have different expectations and demands of the products they buy.

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A specification breaks the main problem into smaller parts. The Product Design Specification is often a typed A4 document under these headings: 1. Background 2. Performance 3. Size 4. Weight 5. Safety 6. Environment 7. Ergonomics 8. Anthropometrics 9. Aesthetics, appearance, finish 10. Scale of production 11. Cost 12. Consumer issues 13. Timescale 14. Testing 15. Competition 16. Materials 17. Processes 18. Product lifespan 19. Maintenance

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Numbering the points in the PDS (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 etc.) will help when you come to describe the process of detailed designing, making and evaluation.

Remember: Make this a business-like, serious document. No images, no fancy fonts, no WordArt. Just well laid out and perfectly presented text. Remember: You need to justify your specification explaining the reasons for including each aspect.

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Prepare for evaluation by printing two copies; one for this stage of the folio, the other for the evaluation/testing.

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