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 here.
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)

1 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.

1/5
Design Folder Sustainable Design - Sewciety - Jane Doe (7DET8)

- Is a yes/no type of statement? - Opens up to design ideas/possibilities

- Can be given an opinion.

2/5
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 items
necessary items I intend because when I go to ballet
to put in my product. class I need particular items
in order to successfully
complete my practices.
Ideas to help me achieve this goal Yes
would be to have some extra
pockets for seperate items to be
stored.

1 My product should have This is important because
simple designs that the product needs to have a
attract my client who is design to attract the client
a seventh grader to want and use the small
pouch.
Ideas to help me are some basic Yes
tattoo designs since I can
replicate that and sew it onto the
pouch.

2 My product should be This is important because Ideas to help me are getting an Yes
small so that my client my client should be able to average size of bags to see how
can carry it in a carry their small pouch small I should make my product.
bag/purse wherever anywhere they go.
they go.

3 My product should be This is important because
durable so that the the main goal of my product
client can use it for a is to make sure this pouch
longer period of time. isn't fast fashion, so the
product should last longer
because I don’t want the
product to be like fast
fashion.
Ideas to help me are to see how Yes
long an average pouch or purse is
used before being thrown away
and flaws in the product so that I
don’t make the same mistake as
the other flawed pouches and
purses.

4 My product should have This is important because if Ideas to help are looking at Yes

3/5
Design Folder Sustainable Design - Sewciety - Jane Doe (7DET8)

pockets to carry smaller I want to keep toiletries different purses/pouches with

items. inside my pouch and my
face wash spills inside my
pouch it might go onto my
toothbrush. To avoid that I
can make separations inside
the pouch.
separations inside the
purse/pouch. I could also watch
videos on how to attach multiple
separations inside the bag,
depending on how hard it is to
make. I can also make the
separation pouch adjustable to
remove and add it in whenever
the client would want to.

5 My product not tear This is important because
easily my main goal is to create an
item that reduces fast
fashions. If the pouch tears
then my client will throw out
the product.
I can always go to amazon or Yes
online shopping areas that sell
products like the one i’m creating,
and I can read the comments and
see what is making the pouch
tear and then I can try to avoid
making those mistakes.

6 My closure method
should be secure.
This is important because
the goal for my product is to
reduce fast fashion. If the
zipper gets stuck then it
would be harder to achieve
the goal since my client will
probably throw out my
product.
Ideas to help me are seeing how Yes
durable the zipper is, and I can
see where the zipper is made and
I can go to their site and read
comments and ratings to see
what the issue is for the zipper.

4/5
Design Folder Sustainable Design - Sewciety - Jane Doe (7DET8)
B1: Assessment
Level Descriptor
0 The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1-2 The student states one
basic success criterion
for a solution.
3-4 The student states a
few success criteria for
the solution.
5-6 The student develops a
few success criteria for
the solution.
7-8 The student develops a
list of success criteria
for the solution.
Typical features of student work
❏ The success criterion is generic. I.e. applicable to many projects.
❏ The success criterion only covers a very small part of the product
features that would lead to success.
❏ The success criterion restricts design options unnecessarily.
❏ The success criterion is a ‘checklist type’ statement.
❏ The success criteria are generic. I.e. applicable to many projects.
❏ The success criteria only cover part of the product features that
would lead to success.
❏ A few success criteria restrict design options unnecessarily.
❏ Some success criteria are ‘checklist type’ statements.
❏ Most success criteria are project-specific.
❏ The success criteria cover most features that would lead to
success.
❏ Most success criteria are qualitative statements that allow an
opinion and testing possibilities are considered
❏ Most success criteria are concise and clearly phrased.
❏ The success criteria cover most or all features that would lead to
success.
❏ 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..
5/5