Design Folder Sustainable Design - Sewciety - Jane Doe (7DET8)

Criterion B: Developing Ideas 

 

B1: Design specifications 

The success criteria for your project 
 
The design specification is a measuring stick for success. You will use this when evaluating 
your design ideas, evaluating your chosen design and when reflecting on the quality of your 
finished product. The design specification also communicates your understanding of what is 
most crucially needed in your product.  
 
Tips for developing your design specification 
 
1. Use ​this example​ as a layout for your design specification. Be to the point. Keep your 
writing to a minimum. The slides can also be found h ​ ere​. 
2. The success criteria should be phrased in a way that does not unnecessarily restrict 
your design possibilities. On the contrary: ​It should make you think about 
possibilities. 
3. The success criteria should allow meaningful evaluation.  
 
Bad and better examples 
Bad  Better 

“The chair is a success if it is red.”  “The chair should have colours attractive to 
  toddlers.” 
   
- Restricts the design possibilities   - Does not restrict the colour of the design.  
(red only)   - Can be given an opinion.  
- Is a yes/no type of statement?  
 

“The table should be 80cm high.”  “The table should have a height that allows 
  all family members to comfortably1 eat 
- Restricts the design possibilities   dinner.​”  
(80cm - not 81cm or height adjustable)    
- Is a yes/no type of statement?   - Opens up to design ideas/possibilities 
- Can be given an opinion. 
 
   

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Possible qualifying adjectives for success criteria: Accurately, Adequately, Amply, Appropriately, 
Authentically, Believably, Clearly, Comfortably, Compellingly, Consistently, Convincingly, Credibly, 
Effectively, Ethically, Fairly, Reasonably, Sensibly, Significantly, Soundly, Sustainably. 

 
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Design Folder Sustainable Design - Sewciety - Jane Doe (7DET8)

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you come up with design 
specifications: 
 
● What would make the product a success for my client? Your answers are success 
criteria! 
● What would make the product a success for a wider group of end-users? Your 
answers are success criteria! 
● What would make the product as a whole a success? Your answers are success 
criteria! 
● What would make the different parts of the product a success? Your answers are 
success criteria!
 
 
Use this template for developing your design specifications: 
 

#  My product is a  This is particularly  Some initial design ideas I have  Does it 
success if..  important for my project..  to achieve this are..  allow for 
an opinion? 

`  It can hold all the It needs to hold all my
necessary items I items because when I go
intend to put in my to ballet class I need
product. particular items in order to
successfully complete my
practices.  
Ideas to help me achieve this Yes
goal would be to have some
extra pockets for seperate
items to be stored.

1  The color of my soft It needs to have so good Ideas to help me achieve this Yes, I can
toy should have an color it has to be goal can have some nice color get other
attractive color for me, attractive. and some patterns so it will be things and
or have some patterns more attractive and looks more I can put it
on the soft toy. fun. on my toy.

2  The soft toy should be The toy can’t be so big The ideas to help me achieve Yes, I have
as big as my because I can’t take it. this goal is I can measure how my
Macbook. big are I going to do, can then I Macbook
can do it. and I have
a ruler, so
I can
measure it.

3  The soft toy can have I can add some eyes or These ideas to help me achieve Yes, I only
some facial features. some mouth on my this goal, I can get some paper need to
product. and stick on my toy. use the
material
that is in
the
classroom.

4  The soft toy needs to It needs to be comfortable In order to achieve this goal is Yes, I can
be comfortable. and soft because mostly to use the material that is soft, find
soft toys are held to sleep, the material that is used to somewher
make soft toys. e that can

 
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Design Folder Sustainable Design - Sewciety - Jane Doe (7DET8)

so don’t want holding buy some

hard things to sleep. cotton that
is used to
make soft
toys.

5  Needs to be use The soft toys' materials Since we are holding the soft Yes, we
durable materials need to be good so it toys, so we need to use can use
won't make feel itchy. materials that are suitable for cotton that
skin to touch. is good or
put a lot of
cotton in
the soft
toy
because
the soft
toy needs
to be soft.

6  Can’t have so many If there are patterns it has In order to achieve this goal, Yes
patterns on the toy. to be stable so it is not don't put so many patterns on
easy to break when the toy.
washing the toy, but can’t
have so many patterns
otherwise it will be so
hard to wash.

 
   

 
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Design Folder Sustainable Design - Sewciety - Jane Doe (7DET8)

B1: 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 ​states​ o

​ ne  ❏ The success criterion is generic. I.e. applicable to many projects. 
basic success criterion  ❏ The success criterion only covers a very small part of the 
for a solution.  product features that would lead to success. 
❏ The success criterion restricts design options unnecessarily. 
❏ The success criterion is a ‘checklist type’ statement. 

3-4  The student ​states​ a

​   ❏ The success criteria are generic. I.e. applicable to many projects. 
few​ success criteria for  ❏ The success criteria only cover part of the product features that 
the solution.  would lead to success. 
❏ A few success criteria restrict design options unnecessarily. 
❏ Some success criteria are ‘checklist type’ statements. 

5-6  The student ​develops a  ❏ Most success criteria are project-specific. 

few s​ uccess criteria for  ❏ The success criteria cover most features that would lead to 
the solution.  success. 
❏ Most success criteria are qualitative statements that allow an 
opinion and testing possibilities are considered 
❏ Most success criteria are concise and clearly phrased. 

7-8  The student ​develops​ ​a  ❏ The success criteria cover most or all features that would lead to 
list of​ s​ uccess criteria  success. 
for the solution.  ❏ All success criteria are concise and clearly phrased. 
❏ All success criteria are qualitative statements that allow an 
opinion. 
❏ The presented initial design ideas demonstrate in-depth 
research and empathy for the end-users.. 

 
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