OBJECTIVE CLARIFICATION

Objective A: Inquiring and analysing

Explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience
End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 interpret a given design  interpret an open-ended design  interpret an open-ended

situation that has a limited situation design situation
range of possible outcomes

 state their needs to solve a  outline the needs to solve a  explain the needs of the
problem problem client/target market to solve
the problem

 explore contrived, teacher-  explore identified, real-life design  independently explore real-life
led design problems or problems set in familiar and design problems set in
challenges set in familiar unfamiliar contexts unfamiliar contexts
contexts

 design products.  design products.  design products for a client or

an identified target market
group.

Table 10

1
 Objective A strand i
For students to develop understandings detailed by the statement of inquiry, and to engage with the project that facilitates
this understanding, teachers must present the students with a design situation. A design situation:
 is drawn from the statement of inquiry
 presents the context of the project
 frames the scope of the project in terms of:
 the nature of the problem to be addressed, or
 an area from which students will identify a problem that needs to be solved.
As students move from year 1 to year 5, the situation will become broader and teachers will provide minimal guidance.
Table 11 illustrates both types of design situations.

MYP year Nature of a problem to be addressed Area from which to identify a problem

1 Cupcakes are very popular individual cakes
that can be decorated in an unlimited number
of ways. For the school fundraising event,
design and make decorated cupcakes that
reflect an aspect of the school or the
community.
There are many different applications
available to create simple animations.
Select one from the given list and create a
short story based on a book you are
reading. Then evaluate the application.

3 New organizations and businesses are being
set up all of the time, but how do they
communicate with target audience? Find a new
organization or business to create a brand for.
Design its logo and a range of communication
tools it can use to let customers learn about it.
The basic concept and design of an
everyday object is instrumental in making
it either accessible or inaccessible to
people with physical, sensory, perceptual
and/or other challenges and impairments.
Design a product that is universally
accessible, including people with
impairments and challenges, in daily
interactions and activities.

2
 5 Large national museums are often packed full The global population is rising and there
of interesting items and interactive media. are increasing demands on living space.
However, smaller museums don’t always have As the cost of building land increases,
enough funding to make their exhibits as new houses become smaller and the
informative or interactive as they would like. demand for products that effectively use
Identify an exhibit in a museum and create an the space available increases. Design a
interactive experience that will inform visitors product that will utilize space effectively.
about an individual or group of interesting
artifacts.
Table 11
Example design situations
Once students have been presented with the situation, they will need to identify a problem to solve, explain it and justify the
need to solve it.
Students may ask the following questions to identify a problem from the situation.
 What is the nature of the problem?
 Who is it a problem for?
 Where is the problem occurring?
 What is the cause of the problem?
 What effect is the problem having?
Strategies to answer the above questions may include:
 identifying a target user by applying brainstorming or mind-mapping techniques
 interviewing, surveying and/or polling potential clients
 observing, filming and/or photographing users interacting with a product
 collecting data from experts to confirm there is a real need for a solution to the problem
 seeing the situation from the user’s/client’s point of view (as an example, refer to “Paul Bennett finds design in the
detail” at www.ted.com).
My mom’s desk is scattered with pens, pencils and other tools, such as glue sticks, scissors, rulers, tape, hole punchers,
3
staplers, etc., she needs while doing paperwork. Therefore I want to solve this problem for her, by creating a storage
device, which she can put on her desk and use to store everything that is momentarily lying across her desk. It shouldn’t
take up too much space, but be big enough to store everything that she needs.
This is a photo of her messy workspace:

This problem is caused, because the containers that she is using momentarily are not big enough to hold all of her
tools/equipment. A custom made storage device for her needs would be perfect for her.
President of Energy Design and author of "Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It", writes the following on the topic of a
clean work space increasing work efficiency:
“Whether you are working in a huge corporation or a one-person office, there are several benefits to uncluttering and
organizing:
 Increase productivity and profitability increase
 Keep information confidential and secure

4
 Reduce mental overload and stress
 Reduce workplace accidents and spills
 Save time and improve effectiveness”
(http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/16652/reduce-office-clutter-to-increase-productivity,-efficiency-profitability)
Considering these points, if my mom were to get a custom made storage device, she would be able to get a lot more done
in a lot less time. She would be less stressed looking for her stuff and what she needs. There would be less accidents or
things falling to the floor as she is searching for a pen. That way she would be done with her work a lot quicker, would be
able to complete more on one day, and be much more relaxed overall.

Figure 2
Establishing the problem: Desk tidy

5
6
 Figure 3
Establishing the problem: Re-launch of a product

Identify and prioritize the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 state the main points of  outline the key points of  explain the need for each point of
inquiry. inquiry and identify which are inquiry and formulate a research
priorities plan that identifies priorities

  determine which data is  determine which data is relevant to

relevant to the development of the development of a solution.
a solution.
Table 12
Objective A strand ii
Students are encouraged to formulate a list of questions in order of importance that will help prioritize and guide their
research. Students will need to identify:
 the questions that need to be answered to solve the problem
 the relevant data that needs to be collected
 where the data will be sourced from
 whether sources are primary or secondary
 which sources are essential and which are desirable.

7
 The nature of and amount of research required will vary depending on the level and the nature of the design
problem/challenge. By the end of the course, students should be able to conduct primary, secondary, qualitative and
quantitative research.
Table 13 outlines primary and secondary research tasks that students could carry out to gather the answers to their research
questions.

Primary research Secondary research

(Direct: First-hand research) (Indirect: Desk research)

All primary research is carried out by the student, Secondary research involves using data collected by other people.
who collects his or her own data.
Examples include:
Examples include:
 analysing data from a website or book
 conducting interviews, surveys and polls with  reading accounts of a problem written by another person
a target audience and/or client
 analysing articles in magazines, journals and newspapers
 interviewing experts over the telephone
 downloading data from a marketing website
 writing letters or emails asking for specific
information about a product from a client  viewing videos about how to use materials, tools and
processes.
 observing users interacting within the
situation and making notes
 analysing products that have things in
common with the problem
 investigating the work of other designers of
existing products
 conducting market research such as surveys,
questionnaires and interviews through focus
groups

8
 experimenting with materials, tools and
processes.

Table 13
Primary and secondary research tasks

Research Plan:
What tourism means to Phnom Penh- I need to do this first because I also need to know why the tourism industry is
important in Phnom Penh. Why would we bother with the project if tourism was not important or if we did not know its
importance? Therefore, this needs to be done. This information can be found in the ministry of tourism, the internet,
books, or some travel agents.
What is and why do we use scale models- I need to find this out secondly mainly because it would be more beneficial to
know why we use these models and what they look like, and to find examples and know what I will be creating before I
actually do the research about what to do in Phnom Penh. This would be because I would be able start formulating ideas in
my head once I do my research. I will also get an idea of what I am creating. To find this information I can use the internet
or ask advertising companies.
Read the article as to why Phnom Penh is the second worse city in the world- I need to do this thirdly so that I know
what was wrong in the first place so I get a clearer Idea of what I am doing and what I should not include. I can find the
article in the Phnom Penh Post and at the National Geographic website.
Find out what there is to do and see in and around Phnom Penh- I need to find this out fourth, so that I know what I will
be dealing with, and what I can use in my display, since I would have researched about it already. Knowing what a display
area should look like, I can begin formulating some ideas in my head as to what I can do. I can find this information at
travel agents, the internet, hotels, tourists, and some tourist magazines.
Looking at examples of booths and other countries advertisements- With all my main research being done at this stage, I
can derive further ideas from real life examples. This will provide me with inspiration as to what my final product can look
like. This will also be a great transition to the design stage because this will give me my final boost of inspiration. I can find
examples on the television, walking around, travel agents, and the internet.

9
 Figure 4
Research plan example: Phnom Penh tourism

Learning a New Language – Creating a Language Learning Tool

To what extent can I enhance the learning experience of others?
Language considered teaching: Spanish
Options for the Subjects and categories to be taught
Parts of the body, Culture, Colours, Shapes, Dialogues, Numbers, Vowels (works well for Spanish), Greetings, Simple
Phrases, Basic Vocabulary, Higher leveled vocabulary
Preliminary Questions that come to mind:
 How does the learning process vary between different groups or targeted audiences?
 How will I have to alter the product to fit with the different groups or targeted audiences?
 How will the attention span of different target audience vary? How will this alter my product, will I need special
animations or features?
 How will the skill level of the target audience affect the product?
 Can I possibly use one product that can be advantageous to two targeted audiences?
 How will information vary from different sources such as internet versus people versus textbooks
 How do people learn second languages best?
Ways of Gathering Information
 Through interviews who specialize in teaching people languages, such as the teachers at the school or private tutors
of translators outside of the school.
 Through papers and different websites advertised on EBSCO
 Interviews with people who many not necessarily teach a language, but deal with the selected targeted audience.

10
 Through Internet sources and research studies, for example on how people learn best etc.
 Translators (though this may not be a reliable enough source, since translators are often erroneous grammatically)
 Vocabulary and phrase books
 People who speak the language, such as teachers or outside sources.
 Second Language textbooks
Different options for a targeted audience.
Elementary Students, High school students (completely new to the language), High school students (with basics down),
Adults and Seniors (completely new to the language), Adults and seniors (with basics down)
Anything else that will help guide people and get them started:
Animations, Videos, Images, Different activities, Music and catchy songs and music videos.

Figure 5
Research plan example: Language learning tool

Area of research Priority and reason

Function 1 – Highest. When doing research, I will see if there are specific things my video must
include. This may be comments from viewers, who demand for something specific, like an
explanation for one of the hand or cup movements.

Quality 2 – High. The quality of my video will depend on that camera or filming object/camera I will
use. This is because if I film my video with a professional film camera or a DSLR camera, the
quality of the movie will be greatly enriched. Further I rather prefer not using one of the
smaller cameras, as they are not as ideal for filming.

Materials and 3 – High. Which cup will I be using? Which colour has it? What size? What will its form be?
components This I should ask my end user in the form of an interview, so I can make easily a decision on

11
 what cup I should use. I will have a short interview in person and ask them the question on
which cup they would prefer.

Length 4 – Medium. Additionally I will be looking at the length of the video, by seeing how long the
other videos are that were uploaded on to you tube. This will make the decision of mine
easier, but it will also depend on the context of my video and how long it takes me to
explain individual hand movements.

Performance 5 – Medium. My video needs to be saved and exported in the form of a video file, so my
requirements end user is able to open it up as a movie clip, which is similar to the YouTube videos. Instead
of making a slideshow or diashow, which wouldn’t be as practical for my video, my end user
is able to move back a few seconds of the video to watch one hand movement over.

Original 6 – Medium/low. I will also maybe include a small video clip of the actual movie scene with
the main character of the movie “Anna Kendrick” who performs her original cup song in
front of an audience. This will show my end user how it should look and sound like in the
end, once they learned how to do it themselves.

User requirements 7 - Low. As I already know for whom I will create and design this product – a video tutorial, I
will be able to plan in advance how the video and its design should look. For example could I
have a pink background for my introduction slide, if my end user wishes for pink.
Figure 6
Research plan example: Instructional video

How will I gather How will I gather the Why will I research this When will I
the information? information? information? do this?
What will I PRIMARY SOURCE SECONDARY SOURCE
research?

12
 End user (My INTERVIEW I want to find out what items Sept 22nd
Cousin) are to be stored in the jewellery
I will interview my
box, how many of each items
cousin to find out
does she want and drawers,
what colours she
hanging space, mirrors etc. I also
likes and what kind
want to find out her preferred
of drawings or
design ideas and colours so I
graphics she wants
know how to make it for her.
on the jewellery
box. What shapes
does she want it to
be and what
features or any
other extra things
does she want on
there.

Existing PHOTOS This will help me to get better Sept 22nd

designs (field ideas of the designs on the
I will go to the
research) market. I can compare designs,
shopping malls to
colours, finishes, materials etc. I
take photos of
will also look at the sizes and
existing jewellery
interior of the box to see what is
boxes. This will help
inside, and how they function –
me by seeing
doors opening, drawers etc.
different designs to
help me with some
ideas for my own
design.

13
Wood joints INTERNET I need to find suitable joints Sept 28th
which are practical, easy to
After researching the
create, functional, serves its
types of jewellery
purpose, and look good. The
boxes and the
joints are important as it will
materials that were
hold my box together. It will
used for making it. I
need to have special joints to
will look on the
make the drawers work, shelves
internet to research
fit, etc.
what kind of joints are
best to use for making
my own jewellery box
and make sure that it
is strong enough to
hold all the pieces
together.

Measuring MEASURING ANTHROPOMETRICS – I will measure the jewellery to Sept 28th

internet be able to work out the size I
I will measure my
need it to be. If I measure the
cousin’s items of I am also going to find
biggest items then this will allow
jewellery she wants some anthropometric
all sized items to fit into the box.
to put into the data from the Internet.
jewellery box so I I will focus on the size I also need to find out the
can be sure that of a 13 year old girl’s average size of a 13 yr old girls
the final design fits hands and fingers. hands and fingers to allow me to
into the required design the compartments and
space. drawers which she will be placing
her jewellery into. This will help
her to remove and place the

14
 jewellery easily.

Materials PHOTOS I need to find the appropriate Oct 1st

(Field research) materials. They need to be the
I will have to
right size and look good. I need
research and find
to choose suitable material
out what material I
which I know my cousin likes, but
will use to make
I am also able to make the
this project. I will
correct joints from. This is
check the
important as I want it to be fully
workshop if those
functional, but also look great.
materials are
available there or
not, otherwise, I
will have to go to
stores like IKEA of
other hardware
stores to get the
materials ready.

Finishes MAGAZINES This is so I can compare designs Oct 6th

(Handles, I am going to buy a of the handles to see which will
hinges & locks) range of magazines to look best on my box design.
find pictures of
It is also to find out which will
handles and locks I can
have the most suitable style of
use for my design. I
locks so it can lock as she wants
will also collect free
it to.
magazines from
furniture shops to see

15
 a variety of pictures.

Target market QUESTIONNAIRE This will allow me to get good Oct 8th
feedback on what the majority of
I will hand out a
people think is the best size,
questionnaire to a
colour, design etc. for my design.
suitable range of
It may even give me good ideas I
people similar to
had not thought of. I will
who I am making it
summarise this data to find
for. I am going to
definite results to my research.
make this for my
cousin who is 13, so
I am going to hand
out my
questionnaire to 20
female students at
school between the
ages of 12-14.

Disassembly EXISTING DESIGNS I will disassemble to be able to Oct 10th

AND/OR SIMILAR clearly see all of the parts to the
PRODUCTS jewellery box. I want to see how
the drawers are joined together,
I am going to
how the handles are attached,
disassemble
how the hinge works, what joints
existing jewellery
have been used to construct all
boxes. My little
of the different parts.
sister has one, so I
will use this. I also By disassembling the garden
have an old one chair, I will see how I can design

16
which I do not use the collapsible shelves in my
anymore, so will design.
take it apart to
observe and
analyse.
I am also going to
disassemble a
garden chair to
research the
collapsible
mechanisms used.

Figure 7
Research plan example: Jewellery box

17
Analyse a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 identify the main features  identify the main features of  analyse a range of products that may
of a product and a group of products and solve the problem by identifying their
understand how it works explain how they work and strengths and weaknesses and outline
how they were made potential areas for improvement

 develop and use simple  develop and use a variety of  develop and use a variety of product-
product-analysis product-analysis techniques analysis techniques to carry out in-
techniques depth analysis of products to assess
their suitability against the user’s
needs

 understand product  demonstrate an  demonstrate an understanding of

analysis and its importance understanding of product product analysis and its importance in
in developing new analysis and its importance developing new products.
products. in developing new products.

Table 14
Objective A strand iii
There may be a wide range of products that solve similar problems to the one assigned to students. Before beginning to
develop a specification and designs, students need to identify existing products that solve a similar problem, could partially
solve their problem or could give them ideas on how to solve their problem. Students will need to employ a range of
strategies to analyse these products, such as:

18
  identification of and interaction with similar products when out shopping
 attribute listing of existing products
 SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
 functional analysis
 aesthetic analysis
 graphical disassembly analysis
 performance testing of products
 evaluation of past student projects
 secondary research through product reviews on consumer websites, buying guides or magazines
 summary of customer reviews on commercial websites.
Note: Methods could include analysis of a graphic or analysis through sketching of parts.

Flash drive model Feature/attribute

USB Brand/model Dimensions (mm) Aesthetics

model

Length Width Height Shape Cap style Colou

r
variety

19
 Standar Kingston 55.65 17.3 9.05 Rectangula Swivel 4
d USB DataTraveler101 r
port

San disk Cruzer 57.15 20.6 7.94 Retractable 5

Mirco

Kingston 65.68 22.37 10.66 External cap 2

DataTraveler G3

Mini PQi i812 29.5 12.2 6.0 Swivel 5

USB port

Apacer AH110 34 12.6 2.7 No cap 2

Super Talent 31.8 18.8 4.4 Retractable 1

20
 Pico-B

USB Brand/model Form & use Source of data values

model

Weigh Casing Extra The sources correlate with the

t (g) material feature brand/model of the flash drives for
which data was retrieved

Standar Kingston 12 Metal Chain (kirsch)

d USB DataTraveler101 & slot
port plastic

San disk Cruzer 5 Plastic Chain (Sandisk Cruzer Mirco U3 Smart

Mirco ring Technology)

Kingston 11 Plastic Chain (DataTraveler Generation 3 (G3))

21
 DataTraveler G3 slot

Mini PQi i812 4.9 Metal Chain (Intelligent Drive i812)

USB port ring

Apacer AH110 2 Plastic Chain (Handy Steno AH110)

slot

Super Talent Less Metal None (Super Talent Pico-B Retractable 4GB
Pico-B than 6 USB2.0 Flash Drive)

Figure 8
Attribute listing example: Flash drive

Pizza Attribute Analysis

Pizza Type of Pizza Size Cost Nutritional Storage and shelf life

22
source: base variety: consideration

Thin crust Meat Regula $9.90 No No instructions but food

Classic: r 9” nutritional safety requires left-over
white flour $12.90
Amigo traditional information food to be placed in the
yeast dough Large
Pizzeria sauce, $18.90 provided. refrigerator asap for a
– hand made 12”
mozzarella $22.90 maximum of 3 days and
Comes in a
cheese, Family reheated to above 72
box – the
ham, 16” degrees
bottom of
bacon, Party which has a
salami, 18” huge oil stain
(chicken
on it
optional)
suggesting
fabulous
the pizza has
with BBQ
a high fat
sauce
content.
Oily
appearance

Supermarke Thick crust Meat 10” $3.00 Detailed Detailed information

t Feast: nutritional provided –
Wheat flour
information
Heat and yeast dough Mozzarella keep refrigerated below
provided –
Eat Pizza and 5 degrees C
commerciall
cheddar Energy
y made freeze before the use by
cheese,
Protein date below minus 18
beef,
degrees
bacon, Fat
tomato consume within one
23
paste CHO month cook from frozen
Uncooked Sodium
the pizza
per 100
toppings
grams and an
look very
extensive list
sparse as
of additives
does the
and
use of
preservatives
tomato
19 in total
paste lots
listed
of cheese
not
particularly
appetizing
however on
cooking the
pizza
looked
quite
appetizing
but was
lacking in
flavour. The
base
although
looks as if it
would be
crisp was
quite
24
 doughy.
Note:
ingredients
could be
added for
example
vegetables
to improve
the
nutritional
balance

Pizza Xpress Classic crust BBQ 10” Depends Up dated Not found on the
Meatlovers: on the detailed packaging nor on the
A range of
promotion nutritional website
bases Rasher
but information
available bacon,
generally available
cheesy crust pepperoni,
around online plus
traditional, smoked leg
$8-12 allergen and
value, gluten ham,
additive
free, ground
information.
traditional beef, Italian
edge and sausage, Good choice
puff and range 97%
mozzarella fat free
on BBQ
Low
sauce
carbohydrate
crust

25
Sensory Analysis of cooked pizza

Pizza from Appearance (cooked) Texture Flavour Value for money

(1-5
poor- excellent)

Amigo Rustic home made in Moist, crisp base – Wonderful 5

Pizzeria appearance, colourful, well- firm enough to hold smokey
proportioned with lots of without the topping flavour,
topping ingredients, not flat – falling off meaty, spicy,
substantial looking salty

Supermarke Perfectly round shape, not Base was heavy and Bland – 3
t very colourful, flat, toppings dense the pizza as a bread with
not well proportioned whole was soft and tomato paste
rubbery. and cheese
on it with a
few bits of
meat

Pizza Xpress Perfectly round, very golden Moist inside crispy on Cheesy, 5
brown, colours all blending top, base firm and sweet from
in, well-proportioned but bread like, stringy the
individual topping ingredients caramelized
not clearly visible as shown red onion,
on-line salty from
the cheese
and meats –
trendy

26

Attribute analysis example: Uncooked and cooked pizza
SWOT analysis Backpack – Frameless
Strengths
Simple design that combines the drawstring and
straps onto a single piece of cloth
One main storage compartment, suitable for the
general transportation of goods
Comes in varying sizes and different colours
Lightweight – weighs almost nothing
Machine washable – easy to clean and maintain
Opportunities
 Reflective materials added for safety at night
 Made into fashion accessories – designed
specifically for women and no larger than a purse –
maybe one strap rather than two
combination
Figure 9
Weaknesses
Lack of pockets on the inside and outside
Durability – looks as if seams might split when carrying a few
weighty goods
Not comfortable – the drawstring straps would not take the
weight off the shoulders – injury could occur from shoulder strap
pressure
Small load capacity and difficult to put the loaded backpack on
Because the fabric is thin, the bag would not hold its shape and
goods could easily get crushed
Fabric not completely waterproof
Threats
 Safety – drawstring a safety hazard
 Should the fabric tear, you could end up with a hole in the
bottom and lose your goods
27
 Fabric could be waterproofed

Figure 10
SWOT analysis example: Backpack

28
Figure 11

29
Analysis example: Fruit juice packaging

Figure 12
30
 Disassembly analysis example: Video game console controller

Logo analysis
Use a series of guiding questions to complete aesthetic and functional analysis of the work done by a peer
A. Type of logo:
o illustrative logo (clearly illustrates what a company/person does, likes or dislikes)
o graphic logo (includes a graphic, often an abstraction, of a company/person does)
o font-based logo (a text treatment which represents a company/person)
B. Shape:
o Does it have a recognizable shape?
o Is the outline simple?
o Is it simple abstract, can be discernible in small sizes?
C. Contrast:
o Does contrast aid shape-recognition by making the edges between elements clearer?
o Does contrast create dynamism?
o Compare the brilliance/luminosity of the foreground and the background. The greater the difference,
the greater the contrast
D. Effort:
o Does the logo evidence the use of techniques learnt in class? (use of layers, transparency, gradients,
effects or filters, fancy typography, tracing complicated shapes, transforming, graphic styles)
Source: Logo Design for Websites
http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/web-design/logos/
Example of year 3 student work

31
 This is a graphic logo because we can see a graphic,
most probably representing something he is proud
about and likes. The tango is representative of
Argentina because it’s a dance invented in this country,
and this student is very proud about his country. We can
recognize a shape of two people dancing tango, it
represents pride, the colors and the shape are well used
to give an impression of elegance. Here it shows the
good use of vector drawing technique, so we can say he
had applied the techniques learnt in class.

Figure 13
Logo analysis example
32
Develop a detailed design brief which summarizes the analysis of relevant research
End of year 1
Students should be able to:
 collect data
 present the main findings
of the research and state
how it will be used to
inform the development of
design ideas
 understand the importance
of questioning the validity
of primary and secondary
sources of information
 understand how to cite
primary and secondary
sources of information
End of year 3
 collect quantitative and
qualitative data through
simple surveys using a
variety of open and closed
questions
 present the relevant data
collected in a clear and
concise way and, with
guidance, analyse it,
explaining how it will be used
to inform the development
of design ideas
 consider the validity of
primary and secondary
sources of information
 cite all primary and
secondary sources of
information correctly and
End of the course
 collect quantitative and qualitative
data through surveys, interviews
and/or discussion groups using a
variety of open and closed questions
 summarize the analysis of relevant
data in a clear, concise way, explaining
why and how the information is
relevant and useful to the
development of design ideas
 evaluate the validity of information
collected through primary and
secondary sources
 cite all primary and secondary sources
of information correctly and fully
33
 correctly and fully fully

 interpret a given design  outline a design brief.  formulate a detailed design brief,
brief. clearly articulating what is to be made
and why.

Table 15
Objective A strand iv
At this point, students have collected a great deal of data that requires analysis and summary to inform the design of the
solution and be useful. The analysis and summary must be presented in a design brief, a series of detailed paragraphs that
present only the useful information.
The brief shouldn’t solve the problem at this stage, but instead outline what the student intends to design to solve the
problem, provide answers to each of the research questions, and clarify the essential and desirable features of a solution. It
should also state any determined values that the design must meet, such as the following.
 When designing a bird house, the student may have researched the size of desired birds and therefore determined the
size of the entry hole to the bird house.
 When designing a new noodle product, the student may have determined the “base” recipe for making the noodles as
part of his or her research.
 When designing a web page, the student may have identified certain fonts or images that need to be included.
 When designing a video game, the student may have identified particular sprites that he or she will use to represent
the main characters in the game.
When writing a design brief

Students should: Students should NOT:

 present information concisely  write large paragraphs of text

 explain how and why the information  include statements that do not relate to solving the problem

34
is relevant to solving the problem  make statements without evidence from expert opinion or data
 evaluate the validity of the data  include all of their research within the body of the project.
 present their research in an appendix
 cite all sources of information using
appropriate conventions.

Table 16
Guidelines for design brief writing
To prepare students to address strand iv, teachers may consider:
 providing examples of good, mediocre and poor briefs
 demonstrating how to write a complete bibliography and refer to appendices (or how to use an online citation tool)
 providing examples of the school’s preferred convention
 working with the school librarian to check the accuracy of bibliographic referencing
 providing exercises that develop skills in extracting information from sources to present as a summary.
The Trumpet is not the hardest instrument if you only think about the fingering. Actually getting the sound out of the
instrument is the real challenge.
Still beginners really struggle with the fingering. There is a logical system of valves and sounds coming out as well. I
learned that from my Trumpet teacher.
There are natural tones where you don’t have to press any button, just lower or increase the number of vibrations (you
don’t blow into a trumpet, you basically buzz your lips and then through the vibrations a sound appears) to heighten or
lower the sound.
There are three valves. The first valve can lower the tone by one step, the second by half a step and the third by one and a
half. In total you can go down by 3 steps (if you press all valves at once).
If kids were taught at a very young age not to just learn the fingering for some of the notes but also the logic behind
them. This would really help later, when things get difficult. Also you have different fingering for the first two octaves.

35
The half step fingerings are as follows (1 stands for valve one, 2 for valve 2 etc.)
0, 123, 13, 23, 12, 1, 2, 0, 23, 12, 1, 2 (first octave) 0, 12, 1, 2, 0, 12, 1, 2, 0, 12, 1, 2, (second octave fingering repeats).
I am sure that a chart for this is available, but I don’t think that kids are being taught this. This may be hard to do but I
think kids could be taught this by playing.
It should be easy to read and logically built up. One could for example try to relate it to the scores lines that mark the
tones height.
A system like that would be in my eyes a great innovation because it has never been done before and in my opinion
greatly increase the young Trumpeter’s fingering.

Figure 14
Poor quality design brief example

After researching the problems my parents have with their bedroom and bathroom, I have decided to design a dressing
table for my mom which is for her bedroom.
This dressing table will:
 include a mirror large enough for my mom to use when preparing in the morning.
 include special designed accessory holders for the variety of jewellery and accessories my mom has so that they will
all be neat, presentable and easy to take off and put on.
 include a place/tray for all the perfume to be able to stand on, which will make it easy for my mom to choose her
perfume each day.
 include a few little storage boxes which my mom can place her hair clips in, her hair ties in, and other accessories or
products that cannot get tangled up with each other.
 be decorative, so that it really fits in with bedroom and will add to the bedroom being a cosy and warm room.
 have a place for candles where they are safe (from falling and safe to light up) and will add to the look and feel of
the room.

36
 be made so that it is very stable, this will be done through constructing the table using the series of joints that I have
identified in the research.
 include at least one of the colours of the bedroom so that it fits with the bedroom.
 be according to the measurements of my mom, so that she will be able to sit down easily and so that her legs are
not against the bottom of the table as well as placing everything well so that my mom can easily reach everything and
place everything when she used something.
 be environmentally friendly because it will be recyclable and so if my parents decide to throw it away after a few
years of use, the materials can be used for other projects or making other objects.
 be user-friendly.
This project will help my mom save time as well as storage space as well as finishing the design of her bedroom which she
wanted to make more cosy and presentable and neat.

Figure 15
Average quality design brief example

37
 Objective B: Developing ideas

Develop a design specification which clearly states the success criteria for the design of a solution

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 list what the solution must do and
understand the concept of a design
specification as a justified list of
requirements against which ideas are
evaluated and products/solutions are
assessed.
 list the specific requirements that  identify and explain the requirements
must be met by the solution based of the solution based on the analysis of
on the data collected and the data and identify which are
presented. essential and which are desired.

Table 17
Objective B strand i
Students should be presented with this strand in one of the following situations.
 Students have completed objective A and move on to objective B—they have carried out their research and developed a
summary of their findings.
 Students are presented a design brief from the teacher, which includes a summary of information with enough detail to
write their specifications.
What is a design specification?
A specification is a set of considerations, constraints and requirements for a solution: what the solution must or must not
have to be successful. A specification is not a description of the outcome. It should demonstrate that students understand

38
the needs of the problem that they have identified. Every aspect of a specification must be specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic and testable (SMART).
The specification should be directly connected to the design brief. Writing a specification can be a difficult job if the design
brief is not well researched and written. If a solution or design fails to meet an aspect of the specification, it can be
considered that it has not met the criteria for success.
Students will need to refer back to the specification throughout the project, particularly when developing ideas and
evaluating the solution.
When writing a specification, students should consider including details addressing the aspects in table 18.

Aesthetics Consider appearance, style, colour, shape/form, texture, pattern, finish, layout.

Cost Is there a maximum cost? Is this a material cost/time cost/selling cost?

Customer Who it is for? What is the target user’s age, gender, socio-economic background?

Environmental Where will the solution be used? How will the design directly or indirectly affect the
considerations environment?

Function What it must do? What is its purpose? Where will the product be stored? How easily can it be
used/maintained?

Manufacturing What resources are available? Are there limitations as to how this can be created? How much
time is needed to create the design?

Materials What materials are available? What properties do the materials need to have?

Safety What safety factors need to be incorporated into the design?

39
Size Are there any specific sizes that need to be considered? What “human factors” need to be
considered? What anthropometric data needs to be considered?
Table 18
Aspects to consider in a design specification
Table 19 demonstrates poor and good examples of design specifications. Remember that these should be specific,
measurable, achievable, realistic and testable.

Poor examples of a design specification Good examples of a design specification

My storage device must look good/nice.
The interface must look attractive.
The storage device must contrast with the furnishings of the room;
so bright colours such as red, yellow and orange would work really
well.
The interface must appeal to my target audience, whose favourite
colours are hot pink and deep purple.

It must work well. The clock must display the time accurately.
It must function correctly. The clock must have a method to hang it on the wall.
The storage device must store my jewellery collection (list the
specific types of jewellery and quantity) 10 rings, 5 bracelets and 10
pendants.
All information on the web page must be accessible using 3 clicks or
less.

My storage device must be the right size. My storage device must be able to hold 20 pencils that are 170mm
long and 8mm in diameter.
The images on the web page must be clear and visible when viewing

40
 from 50cm from the screen.

My animation should be fun. My Flash animation should contain animated graphics that carry the
meaning of the song included, sing-along with bouncing dots and
appropriate typography (Sassoon Primary or similar.)

My video must include music. My video must include up-beat, hip-hop style music.

My video must not be too long. My video must be last at least 1 minute and no more than 2
minutes.
Table 19
Poor and good design specification examples
To help students think about the importance of good design specifications, teachers may want to use the following activity.

Write the name of an everyday product on a piece of paper, hand it to the student and ask them to write two sentences to
describe the product. Each sentence should start with “The product must...”. Once they have done this, they read the first
sentence out to their peers. The peers should be able to determine what the product is.
If the product is not determined, they should read out the second sentence and allow peers another chance.
If the specifications are specific enough to the product, they should be able to determine what the product is.
Example A:
Sentence 1: The product must provide a mechanical advantage to the user in order to remove corks from a bottle.
Sentence 2: The product must grip a cork firmly.
Example B:
Sentence 1: The product must be able to translate any value from one currency to another
Sentence 2: The product must update currency exchange rates in real-time to give an accurate conversion

41
Example A is a corkscrew, example B is an App for calculating currency exchange.

Figure 16
Design specifications exercise
Teachers may also help students understand the importance of a specification using the following strategies.
 Give students a product and ask them to write a single specification for it. Peers then try to guess what the product is. If
they fail, another specification is written until their peers identify it correctly.
 Ask students to select a product and write a specification for the device. Students then look up the real specification
online and compare it to their own.
 Give students a final product. They must work backwards to create a specification by answering a few questions related to
the product.
o What was the problem to be solved?
o What questions may the designer have asked to be able to design the product?
o What do you think the design specifications of that product include?
o What other questions could have been asked to enhance the effectiveness of the product?
Changing specifications during a unit of work
Students may have opportunities to develop their specification further as they continue through the unit of work. Whether
students modify their specification should be taken into account by the teacher, and the final version of the specification
should be incorporated into the assessment of students’ performance.
Changes in a specification should be justified through additional research that students may need to conduct as a result of
finding that an aspect of a specification is not appropriate.

Develop a range of feasible design ideas which can be correctly interpreted by others

42
 End of year 1
Students should be able to:
 develop and use a variety of
simple techniques to generate a
few designs through 2D and
three-dimensional (3D) modelling
that are easily interpreted by
others
 understand the principles behind
CAD and use it to generate simple
designs
 annotate designs to identify key
features and to explain design
thinking
 evaluate designs against the
specification to identify the most
feasible solutions
 develop the most feasible
solutions to create a final design
that meets the requirements of
the design specification.
End of year 3
 develop and use a variety of
techniques to generate a
range of different designs
through 2D and 3D
modelling that are easily
interpreted by others
 use CAD to generate and
develop complex, accurate
designs
 annotate designs to outline
how they meet the
requirements of the design
specification and to explain
design thinking
 evaluate designs against the
specification to identify the
most feasible solutions
 develop the most feasible
solutions to create a final
design through modelling
that fully meets the
End of the course
 develop and use a wide variety of techniques to
generate a wide range of distinctly different
designs through 2D and 3D modelling that are
easily interpreted by others
 use CAD to generate and develop accurate, multi-
component models whose components are
created and assembled to create a solution
 annotate designs with sufficient detail to explain
how they meet the requirements of the design
specification and to explain design thinking
 evaluate designs against the specification to
identify the most feasible solutions
 develop the most feasible solutions to create a
final design through modelling that fully meets the
requirements of the design specification.
43
 requirements of the design
specification.

Table 20
Objective B strand ii
For both digital and product design, a natural starting place when designing is with a pencil and sheet of paper, developing
rough sketches of potential solutions. Students should be encouraged to focus on getting the basic building blocks of ideas
sketched out in short, concentrated bursts. These initial ideas should focus on generating a range of different solutions to the
problem.
Students should then identify which initial ideas should be developed further. This could be done through a range of
strategies, including:
 further, more detailed sketches that start to develop ideas with direct reference to the specification
 detailed annotation that allows students to explore and communicate their own thinking through annotation
 making of simple card and CAD models and simulations used to test ideas and ensure they meet the specification.

44
 Figure 17
Design development example: Russian revolution
45
Figure 18: Design idea development

46
47
Examples: Figure 19: Design idea with annotation and evaluation example

Figure 20
48
Initial sketched idea example: Animated website

49
Figure 21: Initial sketched idea example: Animated child’s book introduction

50
51
Figure 22: Design development example: Table

Figure 23: Design development example: Textile

52
53
 Figure 24
Developing a pattern example: Pair of shorts
54
55
Figure 25: Storyboard example: Video design

56
 Figure 26
Design ideas example: Presentation about deforestation
Throughout the course, teachers should ensure that students have the opportunity to practise different strategies and
techniques to communicate and develop ideas. This opportunity can be planned and recorded as part of the subject
overviews in the “Content” section.
Table 21 describes examples of strategies and techniques to communicate and develop ideas.

Technique/strategy Digital design Product design

Initial concept sketching  Layout drawing  Two-dimensional sketches

 Storyboarding  Three-dimensional sketches including
 Scripts for audio perspective; crating; oblique, isometric and
projection
 Rendering to show form, colour and texture

Development drawings  Detailed layout page design  Orthographic projection to scale

 Visual mock-ups
 Web trees/maps
 Detailed audio script including
directions on pitch, sounds, pause
lengths, pace and music
 Sectional views
 Exploded drawings
 Part and assembly drawings

Modelling  Mock-ups  Card models

 Prototypes  Prototypes
 Simulations  Three-dimensional CAD models

57
 Table 21
Communicating and developing ideas

Figure 27
Card model example: Key ring

58
59
 Figure 28
Card model example: Home
What does it mean to develop an idea? How do I present this information?
Designers do not come up with a single, static idea that solves all aspects of a problem; designs are developed over time in an
iterative fashion. Students should record their iterative development through design sketching, modelling, refining and
testing. This is all part of design development.
A range is not quantifiable. The number of ideas students will create depends on the complexity of the problem, age, level of
experience and time. When students ask how many ideas they should generate, the simple answer is: as many as it takes to
solve the problem and to develop a design that meets all of the design specifications.
When developing their design ideas, students must always be working towards the goal of designing a solution to the
problem, for which the requirements have been defined through the design specification. Therefore, they must work towards
developing at least one design to meet the specification.
Students should develop, or refine, every detail, including:
 the exact size and shape of individual components
 the required and/or available materials
 how the components fit together to create the whole
 the required and/or available tools and equipment
 aesthetics (colour, texture, shape, form, line, balance, finish)
 how the user will interact with the solution
 aspects relating to safety and accessibility.
What is a feasible idea?
A feasible idea is an idea students could successfully make independently in the given time, with their skills, and with the
resources at their disposal.

60
Students can include ideas in their design folio that do not achieve all specifications successfully, but these ideas should lead
to feasible ideas through design development or be constructively criticized through annotation to highlight weaknesses and
suggest improvements.
To ensure that ideas are feasible, they may need to be tested using mock-ups or models.
Depending on the type of project, students can use mock-ups or models to prove concepts or test whether their ideas or
solutions will work. This is part of the development of ideas. Students should explain why they are making the mock-up or
model and how it has helped them solve any design problems. They should provide evidence of their development by
photographing the mock-ups or models and include the results of testing as evidence in the design folio. Students should also
clearly state how this testing has informed further development of the designs.
The following questions may help students reflect on their design ideas.
 Do I need to do more research to complete my design? For example, how do I join one part of my design to another?
 Does the school have the resources (tools, machinery, hardware, software or materials) to make the design?
 Do I have the skills to make this design? Can I gain the skills to make this design?
 Will I have to get any resources myself? If so, where and when?
 Will I be able to make this design in the time available?
Why is "annotation" important?
Annotation is vital for students to communicate the thinking behind their ideas and how that thinking develops. Simply
sketching ideas will not clearly communicate them, as other people looking at these ideas may not interpret them correctly.
Teachers may ask the following questions to support students in writing their annotation.
 How did you come up with the idea? Did something influence your thinking?
 What materials do you think should be used, and why? Are the materials available?
 How could the idea be made? What tools, equipment and processes would you use?
 Could the design be made in the time available and with your skills?
 Would it cost too much?
61
 Is it safe?
 Do you think your client would like the idea?
 Why did you choose this colour/texture?
Other elements students should incorporate into their annotation include: how one idea led to another; how they could
improve/develop their design ideas; whether they need to do more research, for example, into materials; and whether the
client thinks their ideas are suitable.
Do all ideas need to be evaluated against the specification?
When designing, students should develop their ideas towards meeting the design specification, resulting in their final design
meeting the criteria. Students should constantly consider the design specifications as they design and reflect this in their
annotation. An evaluation of the final design against the specification should be included as part of the design’s selection.
Correct interpretation of design ideas
The correct interpretation of design ideas is vital for clear communication of ideas between a designer, client, target audience
and manufacturer.
Students are assessed on the quality of their design communication through strand ii, encompassing their sketching,
modelling, refinement, development, testing and annotation of designs. If the teacher cannot determine or interpret the
design, it is not sufficiently represented and the design thinking has not been clearly articulated.
Students will need to combine their design sketching, mock-ups and models, CAD and annotation to clearly articulate their
ideas.

Present the final chosen design and justify its selection

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

62
 present the chosen design in
an appropriate format
including annotation that
identifies key features of the
design.
 present the chosen design in an
appropriate format including
annotation that outlines the
reasons the design was chosen in
reference to the design
specification.
 present the chosen design in an appropriate
format including detailed annotation that justifies
the choice of design by referencing the
requirements of the design specification.

Table 22
Objective B strand iii
Presenting the chosen design
When presenting the final chosen design, students must provide a clear image of that design, which clearly shows its details
and features. This image should be presented as a final illustration, separate to any developmental work.
For product design, students create a clear, well-presented illustration of the final chosen design that highlights details such
as colour, form, texture, proportion, how the solution functions and all its features.
For digital design, students create a clear, well-presented illustration of the final chosen design that highlights details such as
colour, form, fonts, layout, how the solution is interacted with and its features.

63
Figure 29
64
Final design presentation example: TV advertisement

65
 Figure 30
Final design presentation example: Drawing

66
67
68
 Figure 31
Final chosen idea examples (showing development)

Presentation of the chosen design

This is the chosen design, because it is the most sophisticated, simple and does not have an inelegant box shape that a lot
of the other designs had. It does not look as crowded as a lot of the other products would have looked like, and its
simplicity fits well into the situation it will be made for.
In the first section of this document, the chosen design is compared against the design specifications. All the essentials and
most of the desirable specifications are fulfilled.

69
 Figure 32
Final design presentation example: Desk tidy

70
71
 Figure 33
Final design presentation example
Selecting and justifying the chosen design
When working with a client or target market, feedback is a vital source for selecting a design to take forward for prototyping.
Students should formulate questions, which could be delivered in the form of an interview or survey, to find out which design
their client likes the best and why. They then summarize findings in a written statement.
The questions should focus on gaining feedback related to the aspects of the specification that have qualitative/subjective
parameters. Students should recognize that clients may change their minds at this point, and therefore the specification; they
may have to redevelop their chosen idea.
Students will also need to critically evaluate the chosen idea against each specification and justify how the chosen design
satisfies the specification. If the design does not meet the design specification, it needs further development—or the
specification needs redevelopment
Example 1
In figure 34, the student can choose to disregard design C, which meets the design specifications, and continue to develop
designs B and D. Design D is developed further to meet the design specifications fully. However, design B needs much more
development to meet the design specifications.

72
 Figure 34
Selecting and justifying the chosen solution

73
If the teacher informs the student that design D cannot be made due to the unavailability of a resource, the student can then
either develop design B further to incorporate the required change or change the design specification so that the existing
design can meet it.
Example 2
In figure 35, the student assigns a quantitative rating of how well each design meets each of the design specifications. Design
2 seemed more likely to be chosen because it received the highest rating from peers. However, feedback from the client
indicated that the design was not preferable.
Designs can be further developed to improve their weak ratings against particular specifications, but when designs are
developed for a particular client as opposed to a target audience, after the design has been developed to fully meet the
design specifications, the client has the final choice.

Design Incorporation Use Simplicity Overall Logo Total

Specifications of the of of design presentation score
theatre mask colour
image

Design 1 3 3 6

Design 2 4 1 4 4 13

Design 3 1 1
Figure 35
Evaluation of designs against specifications: Feedback from peers
The results from figure 35 show that design 2 received the highest overall rating (13/20) and therefore should be refined
further and chosen.

74
 Develop accurate and detailed planning drawings/diagrams and outline the requirements for the creation of the chosen

solution

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 develop a drawing/diagram  develop a series of accurate  develop a series of accurate

that includes the main details drawings/diagrams that include the drawings/diagrams that include sufficient
of the design main details of the design details of the design for peers/others to
interpret correctly to make the solution

 include major sizes and an  include all sizes and details of how  include details of size, assembly and
indication of how the product the product will be assembled and production methods in their
will be assembled in their how the parts will be made in their drawings/diagrams.
drawing/diagram. drawings/diagrams.

Table 23
Objective B strand iv
Why do I need a planning drawing/diagram?
Typically, designers will develop their ideas and create detailed drawings/diagrams for a manufacturer to create a final
prototype/sample/model. To get the correct solution created to the correct specification, designers must communicate their
final chosen solution to a manufacturer very clearly. Planning diagrams and drawings are communication tools that are
essential for good design.
When designing solutions to problems, students need to ensure that they have a very clear idea of what they will create.
There is often a great difference between the “idea” and the “realized solution”. To ensure that the idea and realized solution

75
 are the same, students should consider all aspects of creating the product. Through the development of design ideas,
students should have identified:
 which materials will be required (digital or tangible, standard or customized components, and so on)
 which tools and processes will be used (hardware, software, techniques, and so on)
 the size, tolerances, position (layout) and assembly of components
 the overall visual appearance.
These elements must be defined clearly through planning drawings or diagrams that are sufficient for someone else to
follow.
What modes and media are appropriate for planning drawings/diagrams?

Digital design Product design

 Details of components (identification, size/scale,  Details of components (identification of standard

colour, fonts, and so on)
 Screenshots demonstrating visual layout
 Storyboards
 Web trees and details of identified components (text,
images, fonts, audio, video, sprites) to be used
components, size/scale, material, finish, and so on)
 Sectional and exploded views
 Orthographic projections/working drawings
(conventions/standards, scale, units of measurement) and a
cutting list

 Layouts/templates designed by the student  Circuit diagrams/printed circuit board layout

 Interface layouts  CAD/freehand/instrumental

 Detailed sketches (graphic design models)  Nets/developments and patterns

 Ingredient lists and recipes including decoration
details/plating-up design

Table 24
Appropriate modes and media for planning drawings/diagrams
76
Standard components/raw materials/ingredients, whether physical or digital, need to be identified. Where students select a
standard (pre-made) component, they must consider how the standard component will be combined with any components
that they need to create themselves.

77
78
 Figure 36
Orthographic drawing example: Toy

Component Component Material Length Width Thickness No

identification name (mm) (mm) (mm) Off
number

Figure 37
Cutting list template example

79
Figure 38

80
 Assembly drawing example: Chair

Figure 39
Development example: Wall-mounted bike stand

81
Parts list – Jewellery Box

Part: Material: Dimensions (mm): Quantity: Tools:

Sides Pine wood 120 x 80 x 12 2 Tenon saw

Front & Back Pine wood 180 x 80 x 12 2 Tenon saw

Base & Lid Pine wood 120 x 180 x 12 2 Tenon saw

Fabric Blue felt .5 Square 1 Scissors & glue

82
 Battery drill and
Screw driver
Hinges Brass 32 2

Nails Steel 22 long 8 Hammer & Nail punch

Timber stain & - - - Cloth & Paint brush

Varnish

Lock & Key Brass - 1 Battery drill, File &

Screw driver

Handles Brass - 2 Battery drill, File &

Screw driver
Figure 40
Parts list example: Jewellery box

Planning to Sew details: Resources, OHWS, Care Label, Due Date

Main construction details  Leave a gap in the back of the waistline

casing to thread the elastic through
 1.5 cm seam allowance
 Final stage is the leg hem line
 2 front and 2 back pieces sewn together along the crotch line
 A flow chart will provide step by step details
 Pockets need to be sewn on before the side seams followed by the inner leg
seam

83
 Fabric, notion and equipment requirements  Sewing thread to match fabric, sewing
machine, over locker, iron, scissors, tailors
 1.4 metres of printed flannelette
chalk, quick unpick, tape measure, needles,
 80 cm of elastic pins
 2 metre of ribbon and decorative trim
 30 cm of thin iron on interfacing

Stitch details  Over locking for neatening seams

 Regular straight stitch – setting 2.5; use guide on presser foot to ensure 1.5  Reverse stitch
cm seam allowance

Care Label information

 100% cotton, warm machine wash with like colours, turn inside out, do not soak or bleach, tumble dry low better still line
dry in shade, warm iron on reverse, do not dry clean

OHSW Considerations  Keep pins and scissors away from cords

 Wear closed in shoes  Do not use scissors or sharp objects to
remove jammed threads from the machine
 When operating electrical equipment switch off power at the power point
before plugging in, or unplugging, make sure hands are dry, do not pull the  Good posture is important; do not lean in
plug by the cord – grip the plug firmly, check cords are not frayed and do too close to the thread take up lever
not have cords trailing across or in front of electrical equipment  Do not interfere with anyone else’s machine
 Do not hold pins in the mouth – one operator on one machine!

Figure 41
Manufacturing requirements example: Fashion product

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 Objective C: Creating the solution
Construct a logical plan that describes the efficient use of time and resources, sufficient for peers to be able to follow to
create the solution
End of year 1 End of year 3
Students should be able to:
 with guidance, outline each step  with guidance, describe a series of logical
required to create the solution steps to create the solution, using charts,
diagrams and/or text that include
aspects of quality control and quality
assurance
 with guidance, outline a plan to  with guidance, construct a plan to create
create the solution that considers the solution that makes effective use of
the use of resources and time resources and time
 understand the need for plans to  with guidance, outline a clear and
be clear and concise for others to concise plan that peers will be able to
be able to create the solution. follow to create the solution.
Table 25
Objective C strand i
In objective C, the role of the student switches from designer to prototype-developer or manufacturer. Objective C focuses
on the realization or creation of a solution to a problem.
End of the course
 construct a series of logical steps to
create the solution, using charts,
diagrams and text that include aspects
of quality control and quality
assurance
 construct a plan to create the solution
that makes effective use of resources
and time
 construct a clear and concise plan that
peers will be able to follow to create
the solution.
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One of the most difficult aspects of design is to take an idea from paper and create a product that someone can interact with:
a solution to a problem. In objective B, students developed planning drawings and/or diagrams to clearly depict what they
are making. In this first strand of objective C, students detail how they will make their solution.
By constructing a logical plan that details the steps required to make a solution, students will demonstrate their knowledge
and understanding about how solutions can be made.
What are resources?
Resources can be categorized in two ways: materials and tools.
It is simple to identify tangible materials such as hardwood, nylon or cornstarch; however, it can become more problematic
to determine digital materials. When identifying digital materials, students should consider text, fonts, images, audio, video,
animation, sprites and icons.
For digital design, tools include both software and hardware (input, processing and output devices). For product design, tools
include hand tools, machinery, CAD software and CAM hardware.
Quality control and assurance
Quality assurance covers all materials from design to documentation. It includes the regulation of quality of raw materials,
assemblies, products and components, services related to production and management, and inspection processes.
Quality control manifests itself in the development checking and testing of systems to ensure that products or services are
designed and made to meet or exceed specifications.
Examples of plans
Flow diagrams

86
87
88
 Figure 42
Simple flow diagram examples
Step-by-step plan

Step Process (including Required Materials Time to

quality control and resources complete
health and safety
considerations)

2
Figure 43
Step-by-step plan template

89
 Figure 44
Step-by-step plan example
90
Gantt chart/slippage chart
A Gantt chart is a project-management tool used to provide an overview of a process. The Gantt chart plots divide the
manufacture of a product into small tasks. It indicates the time estimated for each of these tasks and the resources required.
It does not provide a detailed set of instructions, but instead is an overview to self-assess progress with a project. Students
should be encouraged to indicate when each task is complete.

Figure 45
Simple Gantt chart example

91
 Figure 46
Gantt chart example

92
A slippage chart goes one step further than the Gantt chart in that it has room below each task to mark when it was
completed (in green), allowing students to identify when they are behind in their plans and take action to get back on
schedule.

93
 Figure 47
Slippage chart example
94
Storyboard

95
96
 Figure 48
Storyboard example: Making a box

97
Figure 49
98
Storyboard example: Stop-motion animation

99
 Figure 50
Storyboard example: Advertisement

100
101
 Figure 51
Storyboard example: Cyberbullying awareness TV advertisement—Year 2
Recipes

102
103
 Figure 52
Recipe example

Patterns
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 Figure 53
Pattern example: Dress
Teachers may use the following strategies to prepare students to develop an understanding of the importance of a
specification when creating a product.
 In year 1, present students with a list of jumbled-up tasks with missing vocabulary that they have to arrange in the correct
sequence and complete the missing vocabulary from a word bank.
 Give students incomplete plans that they must follow and complete to create a product.
 In year 3, swap the plan of one student with another. Each must follow the plan written by the other student to create a
product. Compare the resulting products with the designs and have the students develop their plans further based on the
outcome of the product.
The following questions can help students consider their planning.
 Does your plan contain a sequence of logical steps?
 Is the use of resources explained clearly?
 Have you made sure you have enough time to complete your product?
 Have you given time for practising or learning a new skill?
 Have you allowed extra time in case something goes wrong?
 Have you considered alternative ways of creating the solution?
 Have you planned for testing at appropriate times in the manufacturing process?

Demonstrate excellent technical skills when making the solution

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

105
 with guidance, develop  with guidance, develop  develop manipulative skills to effectively
manipulative skills to use tools, manipulative skills to effectively use use a wide range of tools, techniques and
techniques and equipment a range of tools, techniques and equipment
equipment

 use tools and equipment  use a range of tools and equipment  use a wide range of tools and equipment
competently to create a solution proficiently to create good-quality proficiently to create high-quality solutions
of an appropriate quality solutions

 ensure a safe working  ensure a safe working environment  ensure a safe working environment for
environment for themselves and for themselves and others. themselves and others.
others.

Table 26
Objective C strand ii
To determine the correct level of technical skill a student is operating at, teachers need to consider the complexity of skill
demonstrated as well as the level of guidance that the teacher needs to provide the student for him or her to complete the
task.
When determining the complexity of skill demonstrated by a student, a number of indicators can be considered.
 Accuracy of the solution: Have all parts been made as detailed in the plan? Have all parts been made accurately?
 Final aesthetic quality of the solution: Has the student given appropriate attention to detail, considering the final overall
look and feel of the solution?
 Assembly of the solution: Do all components fit together or combine as detailed in the plan?
When determining the level of guidance and support needed, teachers should consider that students:
 can be given initial guidance and demonstrations by the teacher
 can practise the processes as required

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  must work independently when making the solution, if they are to achieve the higher levels
 should demonstrate safe working practices.
For digital design, the level of technical skill demonstrated can be shown through the functionality of the assembled solution.
For product design, the level of technical skill demonstrated can usually be shown through the functionality and the final
finish of the assembled solution.

Follow the plan to create the solution, which functions as intended

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 understand the importance of  follow the plan to produce  independently follow the plan to produce the
plans and, with guidance, the solution with minimal solution, which functions as intended
follow the plan to produce the guidance
solution

 with guidance, manage time  with limited guidance,  manage time effectively to produce the solution to
effectively to produce the manage time effectively to the deadline stated in the plan.
solution to the deadline stated produce the solution to the
in the plan. deadline stated in the plan.

Table 27
Objective C strand iii
Students demonstrate that the planning process was sufficiently thorough if the final product matches the planning drawing
and no changes were made to the plan, in whatever form it was presented. If the drawings/diagrams and the plan match
what has been made, then students have followed the plan.

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 If a student does not follow the plan, it will usually result in the solution not fully meeting the specification and/or matching
the design detailed in the drawings/diagrams.

Fully justify changes made to the chosen design and plan when making the solution

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 understand the importance of  explain any changes made  justify, through the use of drawings/diagrams, any
monitoring progress and to the design while making changes made to the design while making the
modifying the design and plan the solution and how they solution and how they affected the plan.
as needed. affected the plan.

Table 28
Objective C strand iv
As students implement their plans, they will often come to a point where they will have to modify the plan or the design.
They need to ensure that they detail and justify any changes that they make during the creation process.
If students do not make any changes to their product or plan, this strand does not have to be addressed with evidence.
However, if any changes are made, students must address this strand.

There are two main changes and modifications I have made to my original idea:
1. The hole on the edge of the small wooden pieces (used for the numbers) used to help lift the pieces was originally a
square of dimensions 15mm x15mm. Nevertheless, I have found a better solution that is easier to create and is more
practical. I will instead create a circle of radius 10mm. This will be done using a bench drill which is easier and faster
than cutting it in a square shape using a saw, especially since I will be creating 20 pieces of these.
2. In the original plan, the snake was supposed to be painted on the top 600 x 420mm wooden piece, with the holes for

108
 the number pieces being in it. Nevertheless, I have found a better solution which is to cut out the snake (with the
dimensions listed in the ‘Parts list’ page) and create the holes in the snake itself. This would not only make the product
more attractive, it would additionally make its creation more practical and easier since it would be easier to rotate the
snake than the whole board when creating the holes.

Figure 54
Changes made to design example: Educational toy

On the home page…

The link has moved from the very bottom to almost near the top, I had done this for aesthetical reasons. The quote,
instead of having it centered, it is now flushed right, this was because I needed to create more of a visual balance. Other
than that, it appears the same in the design as it does in the final product.
Design Solution

109
 Figure 55
Changes made to design example: Website

110
111
 Figure 56
Changes made to design example: Making a box
Modification to my Design
Now that I have made a plan to follow and thought about all the materials, tools I am going to use and how much time the
project is going to take, some features of my design changed.
1. To start with, I changed the thickness of the circle of the sun which is where I am going to locate the clock mechanism.
This is because the part of the clock mechanism that has to be drilled through the material is 6cm long. So, it is going to
take a long time to drill a whole about 14cm deep on an 18cm thick material. I thought it would take less time drilling a
whole about 2 cm deep on an 8cm thick material
2. Now that I thought about how long it is going to take to create stickers, I decided make more Number Stickers. Before I
made the plan, I thought it would take the longest time to create the stickers on the vinyl cutter; however, I realized it
actually doesn’t. I was going to only make four stickers: 12, 3, 6 and 9. But, since it doesn’t take so much time creating
them, I decided to make all twelve stickers. I also realized that while I am waiting for the stickers to be cut out by the
vinyl cutter, I could be using the time and start working on the next step which is putting the clock mechanism on to the
clock design.
3. The last change I have made is to use spray paint for one or two parts. If I use paint, I have to paint several coats and dry
them. Same goes for spray paint; however, if you compare the time on how long it takes to paint and spray a material
once, to spray paint takes less time.
Figure 57
Modifications to a design example
Changes made / Justification
 First we were going to make a cushion and a doll but when we realized we won’t have time for both we only made the
cushion.
 In the cushion we were going to use these skills: Buttoning and unbuttoning (we used it), fasten and unfasten Velcro (we
used it), zip and unzip zippers (we didn’t use it because the zipper was too big for our cushion), tie shoelaces (we couldn’t

112
 use them because the girl in the cushion was too small).
 We were going to do worms to put your finger inside them but instead we did butterflies.
 The sky was going to be blue but when we found a red fabric we used it instead because it was funnier and more colourful.
 We were going to make some trees but instead we made some flowers because it was more colourful.
 The bottom part of the cushion was going to be green for the grass but as we didn’t found as much as we wanted we only
putted some pieces of grass.
 When we sew the upper part of the cushion we thought of putting zippers there but at the end the zippers didn’t fit and
they were hard to sew and because of that we used buttons.
Figure 58
Changes made to design example: Textile cushion
I made a change from my original design which was adding in images of the months of the year instead of just writing out
the word like what I did with the English translations. I changed this once again to help keep the students attention as
there were not a lot of pictures included so they might have trouble focusing. I also decided to give the outer layer of the
English translation a different colour as I felt that it needed some colour as well as there was a lot of the Spanish side but
not a lot of the English side. Aside from these corrections, the rest of the slide followed my design.
Design Solution

113
 Figure 59
Changes made to the design example: Language learning software

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 Objective D: Evaluating

Design detailed and relevant testing methods, which generate data, to measure the success of the solution

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 with guidance, design simple
tests to evaluate the solution
against the requirements of the
design specification.
 with limited guidance, design tests
to evaluate the solution against
the requirements of the design
specification.
 design a wide range of effective tests to
evaluate the solution against the
requirements of the design specification
(including expert appraisal, user trials, field
testing and user observation).

Table 30
Objective D strand i
Testing methods
An effective and authentic measure of a design solution means that the student has tested against every aspect of the design
specification. These tests can be classified as follows.
Expert appraisal
A person considered an expert in the use of similar products is presented with the solution, given time to interact with the
solution and then interviewed on aspects of its success. The expert has particular knowledge and skills that allow him or her
to make judgments on the success of the solution. The expert may be the client.
Field trial

115
A field trial is a test of the performance of a solution under the conditions and situation in which it will be used. For example,
an interactive information point (developed in HTML) for a museum exhibit may be tested by the exhibit visitors in the
museum, structured as a user trial or user observation.
Performance testing
The performance of a solution is tested under the conditions in which it would normally be used. Quantitative data is
collected through a variety of tests such as:
 destructive tests assessing impact strength or flammability
 cyclic tests
 measurement of physical properties such as weight and size
 timed tests for web pages to load
 ease of navigation through an interactive story, game or website.
User observation
The user is presented with the solution and is set a task to achieve with little or no guidance. The user’s interaction with the
solution is observed and recorded.
User trials
The user is presented with the solution and guided on how to use it. The user is asked questions as he or she interacts with
the solution or is given a survey to complete. User trials may include focus groups.
The design of interview or survey questions needs to be targeted to draw out responses that assess the solution against the
specification.
Collecting data
Both types of data collected through testing are considered primary sources of data.
Qualitative data deals with quality and is data gathered as descriptions. This data tends to be subjective and can be
converted to a numerical value, for example, “I like the overall shape of the solution, it fits my hand well, I would give it a 9

116
out of 10 for comfort” or “The layout of the webpage looks intuitive, it looks easy to navigate and the use of negative space
makes it clear. I would rate the clarity of the page as 8 out of 10.”
Tests that can be used to obtain qualitative data include:
 using a questionnaire to find out if the target audience likes the look of a product
 surveying students to find out which parts of a video game they found too easy and which were too difficult
 working with a taste panel to find out if a target audience likes a food product
 interviewing an expert after he or she has interacted with a solution
 performing a user trial by giving a toy to children to play with and observing reactions.
Quantitative data deals with quantity and is gathered as definite values, typically a numerical value. This data is objective and
can be measured, for example, “All information in the database has to be a maximum of 3 clicks away” or “The overall cost of
the materials can be no more than €45.”
Tests that can be used to obtain quantitative data include:
 timing users who are tasked with finding a particular piece of information on a website
 measuring a product to ensure it is the correct size and within weight limits
 beta-testing interactive media to find bugs
 running performance tests to determine the strength of a product
 checking the capacity of a storage device
 counting the number of hits on a website over a set period of time.

Test – comparison with existing product

117
Existing product

118
 My product

Advantages of my product Disadvantages of my product

My product looks more interesting and colourful There are less places to keep the accessories

There are more spaces to put larger objects The existing product is more organised

My product does not need extra spaces around the The existing product has a mirror which would be convenient to try on
sides (to open the drawer etc.) the accessories

My product would be easier to hold accessories The accessories/holder would be covered by dust as it is not kept
that are needed to be hanged (necklaces would not inside
be tangled)

My product displays the accessories more clearly, The existing product uses mainly of soft materials which would not
as it is not kept inside the drawers. scratch the accessories

From the above table comparing my product and the existing product, it can be seen that my product has both advantages and
disadvantages. Although it can be seen that most of the disadvantages are based on the quality of the product, such as the
mirrors, problems with dust, scratches, which I think that as a teenager those problems would not matter as much as adults, as
we do not have much of expensive accessories. Therefore I think that my product already suits with the age of my target
audience.
Figure 66
Comparing the product against existing products in the marketplace and noting strengths and weaknesses

From the surveys, I can conclude that my product met most of my design specification. My product has three sections for
putting different writing utensils and all sections are at least 11cm deep. Every section can stored more than 20 pencils and I
have a drawer that can put more than 3 erasers. My product is made out of plywood and is joined well using glue and nails. I
119
finished my product in time (10 create classes). For my fourth design specification (The design theme must be aesthetically
pleasing to a female teenager around 14 to 16 years old, the colour theme will be plain solid colour), 6 people said it looks
excellent and 5 said it looks good. Some like its simplicity and they said that the colour theme and popsicle sticks make the
product looks pretty. However some also say that it is a little bit too plain and not very attractive.
What most students like about my product is its function and how it can stored many stationary. They also like the design:
circular form and decorations (popsicle stick).
What they said can be improved id the drawer because it looks a bit small and it didn’t fit well, therefore it is hard to pull out.
They also said I should make each sections less deep and wider because it is quite hard to pull the pencils out. They also said to
change the colour theme from white to yellow or add more colour in the front (because it is too simple).

Figure 67
Feedback from users example

Critically evaluate the success of the solution against the design specification
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 End of year 1
Students should be able to:
 with guidance, carry out or follow
simple tests to generate qualitative
or quantitative data
 with guidance, consider the accuracy
of the data gathered through testing
 with guidance, present the data in a
clear and concise way
 with guidance, evaluate the success
of the solution against the
requirements of the design
specification
 with guidance, identify weaknesses
and limitations of the solution based
on feedback from testing.
End of year 3
 with guidance, carry out tests to
generate qualitative and
quantitative data
 consider the accuracy of the data
gathered through testing
 with limited guidance, present the
analysis of the data in a clear and
concise way
 evaluate the success of the
solution against the requirements
of the design specification
 identify weaknesses and
limitations of the solution based
on the analysis of data collected
through objective and subjective
testing against the requirements
of the design specification.
Table 31
Objective D strand ii
End of the course
 carry out a wide range of
effective tests to generate
qualitative and quantitative data
 explain the accuracy of the data
gathered through testing
 present the analysis of the data
in a clear and concise way
 evaluate the success of the
solution against the
requirements of the design
specification
 explain weaknesses and
limitations of the solution based
on the analysis of data collected
through objective and subjective
testing against the requirements
of the design specification.
121
 When critically evaluating the success of a solution, students must objectively judge the solution against the specifications.
This objective evaluation comes from analysing the data gathered by carrying out the tests designed.
Students must analyse this data and make conclusions that identify strengths and weaknesses of the solution, along with
opportunities for further development.

Specification Testing method Evidence from tests

 _______________  _______________  _______________

 _______________

 _______________  _______________  _______________

 _______________

 _______________  _______________  _______________

 _______________

Figure 68
Testing against the design specifications template
Test against design specifications

Specifications Yes / No How is it met?

Must have at least 3 sections 5/5 There are three sections for putting different
for putting different types of types of writing utensils: one big section and
writing utensils two small sections

Must have enough space for 5/5 One of the small sections of my product can
storing at least 20 pencils stored 40 pencils

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 Must have 1 drawer for storing 5/5 My drawer can stored 4 erasers
erasers that can store at least 3
small erasers

The design theme must be
aesthetically pleasing to a
female teenager around 14 to
16 years old. The color theme
will be plain solid color.
3/5 According to the survey results, 6 people said
the design is excellent and 5 said it is good.
Some says that the product is too plain

The depth of each section must 5/5 The long section is 11cm deep and the small
be at least 11 cm drop ones are 14cm deep

Must be made out of wood 5/5 The product is made of plywood

Must be joined well using glues 5/5 The product is joined using latex glue and nails
and screws/nails (from nail gun)

Must be completed within the 5/5 The product is completed within the given time
time given (the create part) below
Figure 69
Recording the results of tests against the design specifications example

Explain how the solution could be improved

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 state how the identified weaknesses and  outline how the identified  explain, in detail, how the identified
123
 limitations of the solution could be weaknesses and limitations of the weaknesses and limitations of the
improved solution could be improved solution could be improved

 state how the solution could be  sketch how the solution could be  create annotated sketches and adapt
improved. improved. the design specification to show how
the solution could be improved.

Table 32
Objective D strand iii
How can students identify how the solution could be improved?
Through the objective evaluation of their solution, students should have identified weaknesses in their solutions. These
weaknesses provide opportunities for further development and allow students to consider how they would refine their
solution further.
Students can suggest these improvements in many forms, including:
 written text—paragraphs or tables
 diagrams and charts
 annotated photographs/screenshots of the prototype
 sketches.

amended drawings/diagrams/storyboards etc
Adding the name of the places in the pictures.
(Applies to both model and final)
This was suggested by the ministry of tourism and it is a valid
improvement. This would be beneficial to my product because it would
provide tourists with some information on what these places are called
and it would help them later for further inquiries into Phnom Penh. It is
also a good idea in general because it also advertises certain areas of
Phnom Penh.

Adding the Cambodian tourism website. This was also suggested by the ministry and is a good idea as well. This

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(Applies to both the model and full size will provide tourist with easy contact information. Most airports have
display) Wi-Fi in them, thus, they are able to check out the website easily and
find out more if they wish to. This is also smart.

Add some facts or other information about
Phnom Penh such as transport.
(Applies to both the model and full size
display)
This would allow the tourists to see more about Phnom Penh without
having to do further inquiries. This is helpful for them because they can
decide just by seeing the booth. It may also provide for something
more to look at in the booth because my booth is rather simple.

Size of the lotus needs to be bigger. The lotus on the model was a little too small that it would not look very
good on the full size display. Therefore, it would be better to have a
(Applies to model)
bigger lotus because it would look more impressive and would be a
better central attraction. The lotus was small because of the sizes of
paper used to create it. These sizes could be made bigger.
Figure 70
Presenting possible improvements to a solution examples

Strengths Weaknesses Improvements

Taste of the dishes
The taste of both the
dishes were excellent
according to all of my
target audiences. The
pasta had a creamy
flavour with juicy
Appearance and texture of the pasta
dish
The appearance and texture of the
pasta was not that great as we would
have liked it to be. The design clearly
wanted our pasta to be surrounding the
sauce, but a minor mistake made us
If I had a chance to redo this dish, I would
definitely have done this twice and used the first
time as a learning experience to fix all my
mistakes and not repeat them again such as the
thickness of the pasta cream sauce. I will also try
and practice basic skills such as boiling at home
beforehand so I can perform it correctly in
125
mushrooms, mock change the appearance so I am school. I think I just need to cook more to get
chicken which adds to disappointed. The texture, more experience with these sort of things which
the texture and soft consequently, was also ruined due to will lead to a perfect dish. Since pasta is eaten
spinach which balances our poor quality sauce which was too quite often, maybe next I would try and create
out the dish. The salad thick. We were hoping to fix that my own dish that will excite my target audience
had a wide range of mistake from the first time, but a bit and give them something different to what
vegetables which when unfortunately, it did not work out the they usually have.
eaten provide a crunchy second time either.
experience for our
Cooking errors
tasters, but when
combined with the sour We did not identify some things
of the lemon and correctly such as when the water was
thickness of the feta actually boiling because we accidentally
cheese, it tastes very put the pasta in non-boiling water so
sublime. we need to be more focussed to fix
that.
Nutrients in the dishes
The nutrients in the dish
ranged from protein,
carbohydrates,
vitamins, minerals to
dairy products. Even
though the dish was for
a vegetarian, it provided
a sufficient amount of
nutrition which is what
an athlete needs in
order to perform.
Organization and Time-
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management
We organized the
cooking fairly and
equally so that we could
be efficient when
cooking the dishes as
well as have time to
clean up as we go. This
really benefitted us at
the end because we
finished just on time,
even though we
encountered a few
problems during the
end. When we faced
any problems, we
immediately fixed them
and got on with the
cooking to save time
and also finish on time.

Figure 71
Presenting possible improvement to a solution example

127
128
 Figure 72
Suggested improvements example: Clock

129
130
 Figure 73
Suggested improvements example: Ornamental clock

Explain the impact of the solution on the client/target audience

End of year 1 End of year 3 End of the course

Students should be able to:

 with guidance, consider the  consider the impact of  explain the impact of the
impact of the solution on the the solution on the solution on the client or target
client or target audience. client or target audience.
audience.

Table 33
Objective D strand iv
To identify or predict the impact that a solution will have on a client or target audience, students must refer to the original
problem, the design brief, the specification and the evaluation. Students should use these aspects to draw conclusions about
how well the design brief has been met. These conclusions may be presented in written form, as a list or as a table.
The following questions may help students to explain the impact of the solution of the client or target audience.
 To what extent has the client’s or target audience’s problem been solved?
 How does this solution improve the client’s or target audience’s situation?
 To what extent has the design brief been met?
 Are there any negative effects this solution could have?

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