Design Project Process

This is a guide to lead you through the process. It is not the final say but a guide. Each project will/should be different although many elements are mandatory such as the brief.  Also, print out the checklist (on Moodle) and refer to it throughout this process!

The IB grading rubric will state what is needed and is the ultimate guide. Refer and cross reference with it.

Final word before you begin – your clients are crucial throughout the entire design process! From looking at your brain maps, exisiting product analysis, design brief, specifications, developing ideas, prototype making, and evaluation.

They will enjoy being a part of your project and take pride in helping you. It will be a conversation piece for them!

Criterion A – Analysis of a design opportunity

Think of the design cycle as one big extended family – like your cousin in Africa and your sister in Europe. All aspects govern/drive your direction and end goal are related in someway. For example, your user and market research will lead to a deeper understanding of the design parameters (constraints & success criteria) that then will lead to the development of the design specifications which will be used to design (Crit B) and build your prototype (Crit C) that then will be evaluated against the design specifications (Crit D).

 

The Problem Statement

  1. Refer to the The IB rubric guidelines.
  2. Start looking around you for inspiration.
    • Study situations, people using things, yours or others  interests, etc.
    • Look through the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
    • Use Brain/Bubble/Mind maps (see below section).
      • One could be for clients the other solutions/products to help you discover a possible client (then find a problem) or a possible problem/solution (then find a client).
    • Look up functional art, smart electronics, up cycling/sustainability, pinterest, yanko design, habitat, etc.
  3. Brain (Bubble/Mind) maps – an important tool. There are two scenarios …
    • Scenario 1: This is if you have a client and a possible solution.
      • This can help you to find out more about your client needs – user research.
      • Work with your client (do the map together) to develop a map and highlight what the client has expressed as aspects (features, materials, size, safety, colour, etc) they want included.
    • Scenario 2: This is if you DO NOT have a client and a possible solution.
      • It can help to guide you in finding a client and/or possible problem/solution.
      • One brain map for possible primary and secondary clients.
        • Think of possible people you might like to work with, local orphanage or school, coaches, teachers, maids, etc.
      • The second map is of possible areas to explore further such as around the home, school, area you live, outdoor spaces, sports, shops etc. Look for potential ‘needs’.
      • These will help to you to narrow down the field.
      • Do a simple internet search of existing/similar products to see whats out there.
        • It may exist and so you may need to modify your thinking/idea.
  4. Identify your Primary and Secondary client/audience and their needs.
    • Primary client.
      • Establish the true identify a possible primary client.
      • Primary client/audience are the people or group who the intended product is designed and made for,  such as, an individual (with a special need, request, etc), children, the elderly, disabled adults, sports teams, etc.
      • It cant be family (only if you get prior approval), your friends or you – they will always be nice to you and your design!
      • Once established who it will be …
        • Interview them to discover their needs … the solution to their problem.
        • The situation of the problem.
        • Image boards that represents the clients’ needs/style/mood/etc.
          • These can help to capture styles, moods, inspiration, other existing problems.
    • Secondary client.
      • Establish the demographic/group that represents the secondary client.
      • Secondary client/audience are the people who may buy the product for themselves. They may buy it for someone else as a gift or feel that they may need it such a product (ie help make their life better). For example, a basketball retrieval system for an individual at home, a store manager, an organisation etc
      • Once established who it will be …
        • Interview the secondary client/s and the focus group to discover further possible needs.
        • Discover the possible situation they see it as.
      • Do a simple internet search of existing/similar products to see whats out there.
        • It may exist and so you may need to modify your thinking/idea.
  5. Proof of a need.
    • Interviews with primary and secondary clients (see above).
      • Brain/Bubble/Mind Map can be a very useful tool.
    • Photos of the location/issue/etc of the need/problem.
    • More comprehensive interview/questionnaire. Try to stay away from yes/no answers. You need answers that will help drive your design development.
    • Include some data such an injuries, performance, demographics, etc.
      • Look at offical websites (eg UN, etc), magazines, newspapers etc.
  6. Focus Groups (this does not need to take long).
    • Talk to 8 – 10 people (including your primary client) as a group or individually about your possible ideas.
    • Another option, is post to a special interest forum (like mechanical keyboard, hobbies, cooking, sports, gaming etc). One year a student received 110 responses from a forum – proving his idea was a worthwhile one and a possible market for it.
    • Before asking questions explain what you are doing and describe the possible product.
    • Ask questions like …
      • Would you have a need for such a product?
      • Would you consider buying it for someone else?
      • As gift or a need, etc.
      • Are there other features you might to see included?
      • Any other questions you may think of …
    • This will help you to see/prove there is a wider potential need, a potential market and help in finding secondary clients.
  7. Market analysis/research (no need to do all of the below).
    • Analyse (do not describe be analytical) a couple existing products.
      • This can be SWOT analysis or some other method. Not in depth … bullet point format or small paragraph summary is fine.
      • Along the lines of a set of generic design specifications (cost, size, materials, aesthetics, etc).
      • Try to establish why it may not meet the needs of the client/s.
      • Do a further few but do not include an in-depth write up; just very brief (two sentence) summary mentioning that you did extra analysis and had similar (or not) findings.
      • Involve your client and show them your product analysis and try to solicit feedback from them.
    • Check product feedback on online stores such as Amazon or Taobao.
    • Perception map  and other market research strategies.
    • Image boards of existing products.
    • Focus groups or go to forums and post questions.
  8. Design opportunity – write a small concluding summary outlining and justifying the need.

Design Brief

    • Design goal or expected outcome.
    • Target audience – briefly describe your primary and secondary client.
    • Broad constraints
      • This is what defines what product must be or must include.
      • It is determined from your initial user and market research from the previous aspect.
    • Success criteria
      • This is the ‘wishes’ or if’s. If possible it would be better to be ….
    • State the possible commercial production scale.

Design Specifications (the process)

  1. Develop a research plan (another useful tool).
    • It should include Market and User research. These will help you later in the project to develop the product design specifications and evaluation.
      • Include ‘areas of research’ and how they will  measured.Is it primary/secondary and quantitative/quantitative.
      • How will you collect the data.
      • Prioritise it from ‘what it has to be’ to ‘wishes if possible’
      • Use the generic product design specifications laid out by IB.
      • You could add a column for a summary of research it can be used later in the write up.
  2. Collect the research data.
    • It is a tool to organise your collection process and refer back to if need be.
    • Put it in an appendix.
    • This will not be included in the final submission.
    • It will be a school grade and separate upload.
    • Make sure you record the sources, so you can return to them if need be.
    • Use annotated images.

Design Specifications.

    • State it – they need to be specific measurable constraints (specification)
    • Justify it – support your justification with cited sources of information. 
      • Refer back to your research that you collected.
      • How will it be measured
      • There will be a set of generic specifications but there should be more that are directly related to your project.
Criterion B – Concept Modelling
  1. Important: your designs need to evolve – they should be different from the start to finish!
  2. 10 to 12 Napkin Sketches
    • Draw them in 3D, Colour them, Label & number them. Have you client/s review, select 4 and offer improvements to them
  3. Model the selected 4
    • use various techniques when modelling, graphic, physical and CADScaled models – some may be full size ignored to get a feel for it, others maybe to scale to see proportionsUse various fidelitiesGraphic model need to be drawn 3D, coloured and with meaningful annotations.Physical models can be clay, materials from the workshop, foam, card etcModel various parts of your designs – joining method, a moving part, how things go together, hitch, etc, These could be modelled in CAD and then 3D printedExplain you model through annotations and/or a paragraph
  4. Evaluate them against the specifications
  5. Have your client evaluate them.
  6. Select 2 (you may only need one – go to step 8)
    • Model in CAD including improvements
  7. Justify the selection of the final idea (one)
    • Based on the client feedback and specifications (you may not need to do it against all specifications only the ones that are changing).Write a small summary of why
  8. Model/render it in CAD – hopefully with new improvements

Design Tech for IB students