2. Plan - ii) Develop a range of feasible design ideas that can be correctly interpreted by ohers
By the end of year 5 students should be able to:
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. You should 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.
You should then identify which initial ideas should be developed further. This could be done through a range of strategies, including:
The outline below describes examples of strategies and techniques to communicate and develop ideas. This may also work well as a table
- 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
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. You should 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.
You 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.
The outline below describes examples of strategies and techniques to communicate and develop ideas. This may also work well as a table
- Technique/strategy - Initial concept sketching
- Digital design
- Layout drawing
- Storyboard
- Scripts for audio
- Product design
- Two-dimensional sketches
- Three-dimensional sketches including perspective; crating; oblique, isometric and projection
- Rendering to show form, colour and texture
- Digital design
- Technique/strategy - Development drawings
- Digital Design
- Detailed layout page design
- Visual mock-ups
- Web trees/maps
- Detailed audio script including directions on pitch, sounds, pause lengths, pace and music
- Product Design
- Orthographic projection to scale
- Sectional views
- Exploded drawings
- Part and assembly drawings
- Orthographic projection to scale
- Digital Design
- Technique/strategy - Modelling
- Digital Design
- Mock-ups
- Prototypes
- Simulations
- Mock-ups
- Product Design
- Card models
- Prototypes
- Three-dimensional CAD models
- Card models
- Digital Design
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. You should record your 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 you 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 your design ideas, you 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, you must work towards developing at least one design to meet the specification.
You should develop, or refine, every detail, including:
What is a feasible idea?
A feasible idea is an idea you could successfully make independently in the given time, with your skills, and with the resources at your disposal.
You can include ideas in your 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, you 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. You should explain why you are making the mock-up or model and how it has helped you solve any design problems. You should provide evidence of your development by photographing the mock-ups or models and include the results of testing as evidence in the design folio. You should also clearly state how this testing has informed further development of the designs.
The following questions may help you reflect on your design ideas:
Why is "annotation" important?
Annotation is vital for you to communicate the thinking behind your ideas and how that thinking develops. This is why annotation is so important. Simply sketching ideas will not clearly communicate them, as other people looking at these ideas may not interpret them correctly. Think about the following questions when writing your annotation.
Other elements you should incorporate into your annotation include: how one idea led to another; how you could improve/develop your design ideas; whether you need to do more research, for example, into materials; and whether the client thinks your ideas are suitable.
Do all ideas need to be evaluated against the specification?
When designing, you need to develop your ideas towards meeting the design specification, resulting in your final design meeting the criteria. You should constantly consider the design specifications as you design and reflect this in your 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.
You are assessed on the quality of your design communication through strand 2, encompassing your 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.
You will need to combine your design sketching, mock-ups and models, CAD and annotation to clearly articulate your ideas.
A range is not quantifiable. The number of ideas you 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 your design ideas, you 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, you must work towards developing at least one design to meet the specification.
You 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 you could successfully make independently in the given time, with your skills, and with the resources at your disposal.
You can include ideas in your 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, you 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. You should explain why you are making the mock-up or model and how it has helped you solve any design problems. You should provide evidence of your development by photographing the mock-ups or models and include the results of testing as evidence in the design folio. You should also clearly state how this testing has informed further development of the designs.
The following questions may help you reflect on your 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 you to communicate the thinking behind your ideas and how that thinking develops. This is why annotation is so important. Simply sketching ideas will not clearly communicate them, as other people looking at these ideas may not interpret them correctly. Think about the following questions when writing your 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?
- Is it safe?
- Do you think your client would like the idea?
- Why did you choose this colour/texture?
Other elements you should incorporate into your annotation include: how one idea led to another; how you could improve/develop your design ideas; whether you need to do more research, for example, into materials; and whether the client thinks your ideas are suitable.
Do all ideas need to be evaluated against the specification?
When designing, you need to develop your ideas towards meeting the design specification, resulting in your final design meeting the criteria. You should constantly consider the design specifications as you design and reflect this in your 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.
You are assessed on the quality of your design communication through strand 2, encompassing your 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.
You will need to combine your design sketching, mock-ups and models, CAD and annotation to clearly articulate your ideas.