Task A3 | ​Existing products 

🔎 What? 
 
❗Why? 
 
Analyze a group of similar products that inspire a solution to  You are trying to figure out what makes related products a 
the problem.  success (or not) and you are trying to come up with ideas for 
  your own project.  
 

⚙H
​ ow? 

Inspiration board 
● Choose ​a product idea from this list - ​Choice of Upcycled Product 
● Create​ a Pinterest board of a range of products (at least 25) that are an inspiration to your specific project.  
● Present​ a screenshot of (a large part of) your Pinterest board in your design folder. Include the title and the 
hyperlinked source of your Pinterest board. 
● ​ hen creating your inspiration board, choose products that are ​different from each other​. If the 
Consider also​ -​ W
products are very similar, you will gain only limited knowledge and inspiration for your own project, because most 
products will lead to the same conclusions. It is likely that your inspiration will not only come from products that are 
similar to what you have in mind. Quite different products may have features that inspire you as well. 
● Review​ the ​high-level example​ and the rubric (below) to ensure you have enough detail. 
● Choose and j​ ustify​ which project plan will be the foundation for your project. You will incorporate elements from other 
projects, but choose 1 that best represents what you want to make. 

Inspiration Board of​: ... Ideas 

Source: YuHe Lin​ h

​ ttps://www.pinterest.com/yuli2024/​Pinterest Board. 26 Feb 2020. 
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1kF3m4j1WFP9fmr_NCYjHFtj3ddHXd1mIVDo54xrmE2g/edit 
 

PMI analysis​ | Plus, Minus, Interesting 

The command term a
​ nalyze​ is defined as​:  
 
 “Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure​.” 
 
In this task, this means conducting a PMI analysis for the products you identified in your inspiration board. 
 
Tips for analysis: 
● Evidence that you looked closely at the site of the pin. 
● Identified properties of the products (size, shape, style, functional effectiveness, appropriate for fabric, 
appropriate for your skill level, appropriateness for the client). 
● Bullet points but full sentences. 
● Explain why it is a strength/challenge/interesting point 
 
 
Format: Statement + reason (why/how) 

Analyze​ strengths (​plus​) of the products. In your analysis clearly identify and explain specific features that 
⊕  make the product successful. 

● Fig. 1 I think it looks very simple, not too fancy because only black and white color. It has a carry and it has 
strong plastic cover the whole bag and it made this bag have good quality and not that easy to break.  
● Fig.2 This bag has two different handles, it’s very useful, you can carry it by hand or you can put it on your 
shoulder. 
● Fig.3 This is colourful because it has lots of different colors, and this bag will make people think it’s special, 
because the background of this bag is S ​ tarry Night
● Fig.4 this remake tote bag is interesting, because it has three different metral, and makes these clothes more
colorful. The bag has some vintage style. 

Analyze​ weaknesses (​minus​) of the products. In your analysis clearly identify and explain specific features 
⊖  that make the product less successful. 

● Fig.1 this bag has good quality because the plastic will not be easy to break, but if someone broke this will be 
hard to fix. 
● Fig.2 this bag will Wrinkle very quickly, because this tote bag was made by Cowhide, the bag has a big space, 
you can put lots of stuff inside but relatively. It made this bag too heavy. no one would bring a huge bag when 
that person hangs out. 
● Fig.3.the color of this bag was light color, so it will become dirty quickly and it can’t be clean. 
● Fig.4.this bag uses too much fabric, so people will think this bag is heavy. 

Outline​ all take-aways (​interesting​) you have gained for your project by analysing the products. 
ℹ  Take-aways are Ideas that are worth remembering for later in the project.  

   
● First one has a plastic bag that’s interesting because no one do it like this  
● Second one it has 2 handles so I think if I will make one bag maybe I might have two handle  
● Fig.3 this one is colorful and the color mix just fits the bag. 
● Fig.4 that’s most interesting bag I think because it’s remake bag it using 3 different material to made this bag 
 
 
 

Choose and justify a project plan 

 
Select one of the products from your inspiration board and justify the choice for this product to design in the next 
stage of the design cycle.  
 
Your justification must address the following elements: 

Why did you choose this product over the others in your inspiration board? ​Explain how it is appropriate for: 
● I think this style suits me very well, I like this pompous bag 
● I will use canvas for my bag, because tote bags are usually made of canvas. I may also cut some materials 
like picture 5 to make my bag, make it look like it has some vintage style. 
● I have help my grandmother sewing clothes but that’s long time ago so I just completed forgot how to do 
 it this  
... 
 

   
A3 Assessment 
Level  Descriptor  Typical features of student work 

0  The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. 

1-2  The student ​presents​ some  ❏ The analysis of the individual products l​ ists​ specific features as strengths 
existing products that inspire a  or weaknesses. 
solution to the problem.  ❏ The inspiration board is ​not completed​, nor a link to your source. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​limited​ analysis and thinking 
about client, fabric and skill level. 

3-4  The student ​outlines​ features  ❏ The analysis of the individual products o​ utlines​ specific features as 
of some existing products that  strengths or weaknesses and leads to some further insights regarding the 
inspires a solution to the  project. 
problem.  ❏ There is a l​ imited​ number and range of products in your Pinterest Board. 
There should be at least a range of 25 products that are different from 
each other 
❏ The source is included, but ​not in, proper​ MLA format. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​basic​ analysis and thinking 
about client, fabric and skill level. 

5-6  The student ​describes​ common  ❏ The analysis of each individual product or system d ​ escribes​ specific 
features of similar products  features as strengths and weaknesses and leads to meaningful insights 
that inspire a solution to the  regarding the project. 
problem.  ❏ There is a s​ ufficient​ number and range of products in your Pinterest 
Board. 
❏ The source is cited in p ​ roper​ MLA format. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​sufficient​ analysis and thinking 
about client, fabric and skill level.  

7-8  The student ​analyses​ a group  ❏ The analysis of each individual product or system e
​ xplains​ specific 
of similar products that inspire  features as strengths and weaknesses and leads to impactful further 
a solution to the problem.  insights regarding the project. 
❏ There is an e
​ xtensive​ number and range of products in your Pinterest 
Board. 
❏ The source is cited in p
​ roper​ MLA format. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​sophisticated​ analysis and 
thinking about client, fabric and skill level.