MYP Design May 2017

Subject group and discipline: Design (design, digital design, product design) Unit duration: about 20 hours
Unit title: The importance of innovation

Global context and specific exploration: Scientific and technical innovation : adaptation, ingenuity and progress
Key concept: Development
Related concept: Ergonomics
Statement of inquiry: Applying scientific information when designing and adapting products can help to improve a user’s
experience.
Inquiry questions such as these should be developed by teachers and students:
Factual: What is the study of ergonomics?
How do products progress over time?
What is meant by iteration in Design?
Conceptual: What is adaptation?
How does innovation impact our environments and vice versa?
Debatable: Can we ever fully “optimize” our innovation?

Summative assessment
The student produces an ePortfolio that follows the design cycle to develop a solution (or range of solutions), which demonstrates the impact of
environments on human activity, and or how humans adapt environments to their needs. The students should integrate ingenuity, progress and/or
adaptation in their planning and solutions.

Students must target one of the following audiences/clients:

 Infants, children and/or teenagers
 The environment (microcosm, local and/or global concern)
 Pets or animals
 Communities / Organizations looking to adapt their environment

Suggested solutions may be, but are not limited to, the following ideas:
 Repurpose an existing product taking into account environmental benefits
 Animal nutrition or care
 Redesign a space by creating a digitally rendered CAD/CAM to address an existing environmental concern
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 An animation which explains the need for environmental concern

 An interactive application which measures an environmental impact
 An edible food utensil and/or packaging which highlights the reduction of reliance upon unrecyclable materials
 Ethical and/or principled food products such as eating invasive species
 Textile based products which incorporate recycled materials
 Multipurpose or transformable household / homeware products which adapt your environment

Objectives: All strands of all objectives (A, B, C and D)

Summative assessment tasks, including assessment criteria:
Criterion A – students will explain and justify possible problems, specify
clients, identify and prioritise pertinent research and analyse and
develop this information to appreciate the need for a final product.
Relationship between summative assessment tasks and statement of
inquiry:
Within Criterion A the student will identify a target audience/client from the
options above and will analyse and inquire into:
 The need for a solution
 The identification of primary and secondary research
 Scientific and technical innovation
 Existing products that have been adapted or repurposed

Students will create a design brief which reflects the analysis of the research.

Criterion B – students will develop specifications based on prior research
which will inspire and develop a range of design ideas, incrementally
improved to present a final design which is justified fully and critically
against the specification. The final design accurately details and outlines
the requirements for creation.
Within Criterion B students provide evidence of:
 A detailed design specification for the final design
 A range of ideas or designs that consider the specifications
 Examples of planning these solutions, which may include detailed
sketches, storyboards, accurate drawings or aesthetic considerations
 A presentation of the final design with justifications.

Criterion C – students will construct a detailed and logical plan.
Appropriate technical skills are demonstrated and progression and
improvement to the design and plan are evident and justified. The final
design should consider the perspective of the environment identified.
Within Criterion C students produce a plan which incorporates evidence of
time limitations, resources and details of the necessary skills required to
create the solution.
Students will demonstrate sufficient technical skills by following the plan to
create, refine and present a final product. Evidence of skills may include, but
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is not limited to:

 Photographic
 Audio/Video
 Written

Criterion D – students will create detailed, relevant and authentic tests Within Criterion D students will present data from authentic tests conducted
which will evaluate the product’s success against the design against:
specification. The evaluation should explain improvements to the  The design specification
solution and how they impact the identified client/target audience.  The client/target audience

Using the data students will explain how they could improve the product, and
the impact the product has made on the client/target audience.

Resources
The following resources based on the global context are suggestions or starting points which may be used during the teaching of the unit. The list is
optional and for information. It is neither prescribed nor exhaustive. Schools should always satisfy themselves that the content of any suggested
resource is suitable for their own context.

General resources for schools in relation to the global context

Subject resources
http://burningman.org/culture/philosophical-center/10-principles/ - Music festivals can be examples of both humans adapting to envrionments and vice
versa
https://www.edenproject.com/ - Adptation of environments for environmental benefits
http://www.biomimetic-architecture.com/ - Biomimicry in design
www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-eco-friendly-green-apps/ - Interactive appilcations for greener living
http://inhabitat.com/environment/green-pets/ - Animal nutrition and care
http://www.boredpanda.com/efficient-space-saving-design/ - Space saving ideas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi_PD5aZT7Q - Ted Talk with Michael Green on wooden skyscrapers
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http://www.ecouterre.com/category/reuse-recycle/ - Clothing made from recyclable materials

http://www.ikeahackers.net/ - Repurposing products for new uses
http://thetinylife.com/what-is-the-tiny-house-movement/ - Vertical living
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/05/how-vertical-farming-is-revolutionizing-the-way-we-grow-food/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_farming - Vertical farming
http://www.pestaurant.com/ - Eating pests
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDqXwUS402I) - Insect consumption around the world
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/07/invasive-species-dinner-restaurant-prey-food-recipe-florida - Invasive species restaurant
http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/move-over-disposable-utensils-because-bakeys-edible-cutlery-here.html) – Disposable utensils
http://www.thecultureist.com/2012/09/19/lavazza-edible-coffee-cup-cookie/ - Edible coffee cups
http://usedtobeapizzahut.blogspot.co.uk/ - Repurposed and re-designed spaces