Part 1/2: Theme: Definition + Exploration & Study

INTRODUCTION

THEME

To cover the 'theme' thoroughly and to understand the 'theme' well, what does that require us to do? Some observations? Do some definitions? Give examples of them? What else?

To study and explore the theme is more than just pasting pictures and writing 'reviews' on what you see. It is not even just churning out on the next page or two of mood or theme boards mindlessly especially if you do not even know what they are for and what to do with them later; just your 'checklist' says so.

If you look at what you have researched and and find they hardly reflect the 'theme' clearly, you have not done any work. If you cannot explain your work, you have not done any work either.

You will be spending considerable efforts defining and understanding the 'theme'. This is an important base work and you got to do it well. 

Because that will be the basis to your entire coursework - for the 'theme' is the reason for your coursework which leads you to an identified need and then to a solution. 

You need to be reminded of the 'theme' throughout your coursework and not deviate from it. But you cannot to stretch this process for too long. You think about how long it requires to simply define and understand the 'theme'.

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DEFINING THE THEME

Defining the theme is one of the very first step you do before you begin exploring and studying the theme as widely as you can. 

1. Making use dictionary definitions is one good way to begin.
2. You should also offer your personal interpretation on what the definition of the 'theme' means.

You should use both illustrations (graphics) and annotations (descriptions) to present your definition as clearly and as widely as possible.  'Words only' definition presentations are boring and does not present ideas to be understood quickly and effectively.

• Interpret your 'theme' with understanding. 
• Comment on you research works (on data, facts, images, etc) showing meaningful interpretations and thoughts on them. 

How do you know if you have done a good job defining the theme? 

A very simple way to check. Give it to someone who does not know the theme. 'Hide' the theme (do not give the cat away), and get the person to guess what might the theme be after looking at your work. If the person guessed it right and gained good knowledge about the theme - You got it.

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Click 'here' for examples on how how a theme can be defined.

An example theme starter

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EXPLORING THE THEME

Planning for Theme Exploration

A Broad Plan is necessary to begin engaging the theme. 

Think broadly and quickly on what you want to cover and how you can approach studying and exploring the theme as widely as possible.

The above example shows a very quick draft on what I can include and find out in order to explore the theme. Point forms using a mind-map are very simple and effective to do. Once you have this draft, you can proceed with more in-depth exploration and study.

Note that you should cover the theme as widely as possible but you cannot possibly cover everything. 

However you also do not want to be seen as not having sufficient content. 

So sometimes it is about knowing what is necessary and how much is enough and to be able to balance between covering firstly enough 'breath' (widely) and secondly enough 'depth' (deeply).

Next, I'll show you a way you can cover both 'breadth' and 'depth' for any given theme.

1. Begin with a Broad Plan (like the above). That will provide you with enough 'topics' to investigate and explore. Find out facts about those stuffs. Build up a good understanding on the topics you have noted. Make notes of interesting stuffs, products, events or activities along the way.
2. When you begun exploration, you will notice that you will be covering some issues lightly and some more in-depth. Notice that you will only bother to cover a topic in detail if that interests you!
3. You may have incidentally found or identified a problem area, an interest area or an area for improvement. Once you find those, you begin studying them in detail - 'Deeply'.

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Technique

'Is there a particular technique I can use?' You may ask. 

One that will alway work in almost every situation is the 5W1H technique. 

the 'Who', 'What', 'Where', 'When', Why', 'How' Technique.

The 5W1H technique enables the explorer (you) to move between exploring the theme both broadly and deeply.

You can use the 5W1H technique repeatedly at any point in your journal where you need elaboration.

Next... Identification of Design Opportunities.

Part 2/2: Theme: Definition + Exploration & Study - How to use 5W1H

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An example

Definition for "AMUSEMENT"

"A State | An Experience | A Provision... for

Funny | Laughter | Enjoyment | Entertainment | Diversion of Attention"

And you go...

'I finished my definition of the theme, what do I do next?'

Sounds familiar?

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The beginning of a project starting with a theme can be very daunting. You may either have too much information coming in all at once or you may think of nothing at all or you may be clueless on what next. You may find difficulty recording information systematically and effectively despite making attempts to do so.

The following tip can help you transit effortlessly into the exploratory stage. 

Suggested Method:

"Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?" (5W1H)

Craft and ask relevant questions with '5W1H'. Some examples on how you can apply 5W1H to define and explore the 'theme' broadly are shown below. 

Note: 

For the examples that follows you can replace '...' with your given theme, e.g. 'Entertainment'.

WHAT?         

Digs out definitions and provides understanding, clarity, functionalities, processes of the theme.

• What is the meaning / definition of this word / phrase? e.g. 'entertainment'.
• What is related to...?
• What does ... do?
• What does ... look / feel like?
• What is the process of ...?
• What problems do people face with ...?
• What could be the problems faced when showing ...?
• What could be the frustration with ... be?
• What else is related to ...?
• (Research outline question #1/3) What do I know about ...?
• (Research outline question #2/3) What I do not know ...?
• (Research outline question #3/3) What do I need for find out about ...?
• Converting to a design challenge question by asking "What if...?"

WHERE?         

Locates the sphere of influence. The locations, the place, the space, the environment.

• Where might we find ...?
• Where does ... take place?
• Where else might ... take place?

WHEN?         

Specifies the time. Past, Present and Future.

• When does ... start / stop?
• When does /does ... not happen?
• When else does ... / does not happen?
• When will the activity be considered ... and when it is not?
• Is there a good / bad time for ...?

WHO?         

Focuses on Target Users / Target Groups / leading to design NEEDS.

• Who is / are involved in ...?
• Who are the people involved in ...?
• Who can / cannot be involved in ...?
• Who are the receiving end of ...?
• Who else are involved in ...?
• Leads to Design Needs analysis using P.I.E.S.

HOW?         

Questions on functionality, processes, methods, techniques.

• How does one know if he/she is being shown ...?
• How is ... done?
• How is ... achieved?
• How is ... so?
• How else can one show / be shown ...?

WHY?

Getting to the hard facts and evidence and the root cause. Seeking fine clarify.

• Why is there a need for ...?
• Why can't ... be ...?
• "5 Whys" technique: challenge assumptions and finding out root causes.
• Converting to a design challenge question by asking "Why not...?".

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Tips:

To present your exploration and study of the theme, use images, on-location photographs and researched data as supplements. I won't be surprised in doing so, you might already identified some design opportunities.

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Conclusion

The ability to free the mind to explore is very important. Do not be too concerned that you may not do it right. Ask yourself this basic question: "Does what I am about to do contribute to the understanding of the theme?" Be creative in your presentation of information.

Secondary 2: Dining Storage Accessories Project - Research Part 2/2: Focused Product Storage

 Focused Research and an example.

This shall be your second set of research, Focused Research, after you have done your General Research activity and had written your Design Need and Design Brief.

The objective of the general research on various types of holders/storages is an activity to help you practice and learn to pick out innovative products. And also to be used to navigating through the DesignJournalSOS blog and all the cool websites. When you identify and read about the products and then form your own comments to be written beside each product, that will help you appreciate even more on the uniqueness and the type innovation associated with the product. What you produce for the activity in your journal will also help me understand your ability to do so.

FOCUSED RESEARCH

Let's get started on Focused Research. Well, as the name implies, this research is 'focused'. By now you would have selected what you wish to design and make. For me? I've decided on a 'business card storage'.

So for this research activity, you'll focus on seaching for innovative, cool, funky, quirky, etc. business card holders/storages. From where do you find examples of innovative storages? Refer to my list of 'Design References'. The process and the procedures are similar as the General Research activity.

Fill up to 3 or so pages of your selected type of holders/storages.

Bring your work on the date I set for your hand-in.

Look out for announcements in your class FaceBook page for updates.

Secondary 2: Dining Storage Accessories Project - Research + Design Need and Design Brief

Today's activity will mark the start of your design journey! Isn't that exciting?

Introduction

You will be given a set of Design Need. Also commonly known as Design Situation or Design Opportunities. Basically the Design Need/Situation/Opportunities all do one thing, and that is a short paragraph or two stating the current situation and the problem or a design challenge that is identified.

But you got to write your own Design Brief that follows right after.

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To begin, let's take a look at the classroom demo below and a review of the steps we did in class:

Part 1/2

Steps:

1. You were tasked to work in groups of 4s.
2. Braintorm using a Mindmap to identify Restaurants you know or have been to.
3. Select ONE Restaurant and proceed with another Mindmap to identify holders and storages you may find in the restaurant.
4. Select ONE type of holder or storage.

You will fill in the Restaurant and the type of Holder/Storage in the next activity where you 'copied' the Design Need and Design Brief.

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Part 2/2

Steps:

1. You have already copied the Design Need. You will just need to fill in the 'blank' in the Design Need: 'The restaurant (fill restaurant name) had decided...'.
2. Once you have done that, you will write your own Design Brief following the guide given to you, "Design and make a/an (interesting/fun/innovative/cool/etc.) (what?) to do (what?) for (who) to be placed (where?)'.
3. Note: You do not need to follow the sentence structure rigidly. But try to include all the details.
4. An example of a Design Brief may look like this, 'Design and make a/an (interesting/fun/innovative/cool/etc.) (business card holder) to do (hold business cards) for (restaurant customers) to be placed (on the cashier counter)'.

Note:

1. Add in 'fun', 'cool', 'funky' (whatever) will make your Design Brief look real exciting to work with later. It will also give you a sense of direction on what you will be researching on and how you will sketch your ideas to look like.

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Next, is Focused Research. Find it here.

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Part II of II: PROJECT SCHEDULE and Design Activities

Save you hours of confusion frustration and useless works.

Cut the chase. Get your Gantt chart Guide HERE: https://mrdanielsos.gumroad.com/l/ruzqio

The Project Schedule Gantt Chart that you will produce for the GCE 'N' or 'O' level is a typical gantt chart with the top row dedicated for 'Planned' timing (see the Shaded portion) and the bottom row (colored brown) for the record of your 'Actual' progress with respect to each design activity.

The activities on the left hand column is a typical design process flow. It is up to the individual to include more detailed activities within each one or to leave them as a broad heading.

An example closer to the beginning of the project process would be 'Identifying of Design Opportunities'. The activities of identifying a design opportunity can be divided into various sub-activities starting from perhaps an initial attempt at making a few assumptions of typical problems that people face in the park, followed by a scheduled trip to the park for observational studies or photo taking for evidence and study, then crafting of Survey Questions, then Survey, etc.

Under Working Drawings you will find sub-tasks such as Isometric Drawings, an Orthographic Projections, Material List, etc. It is optional that you want to include those sub-lists in your schedule. Otherwise a broad heading Working Drawings might be sufficient.

Whatever it is, the planner must know the Design Process well and understand the various activities and tasks associated with everyone of them.

Note: The numbers (n) bracketed in red represents a typical time frame (in terms of weeks) a student would need for a particular activity.

1. (1-2)   Research and Exploration of the Theme

2. (2-3)   Identify Design Needs & Opportunities

3.            Confirm Identified Design Need & Opportunity

4. (< 1)   Design Brief 

5. (2-3)   Design Considerations and Constraints (or Limitations)

6.             Design Specifications

7. (2-3)   Ideas Generation 
                Includes modeling / Testing / Evaluation / Improvement 

8. (2-3)   Idea Refinement & Development
                Includes Prototyping / Testing / Evaluation / Improvement 

9. (2-3)    Working Drawings
                 Isometric Drawings and all parts labelled
                 Material List 
                 Part Lists and Dimensions
                 Orthographic Projection and Dimensions
                 Assembly Drawings (or Exploded Views)
                 Sectional Views 

10.           Presentaion Drawing (Tips on presentation drawings here).
11.           Production Planning Gantt Chart (for realization. See Gantt Chart)

12. (2-3)  Presentation Boards (3 x A2 boards: Tips on presentation boards here)

13. (2-3)  Realization (that means the actual fabrication of your proposed project product                              solution)
 14.           Evaluation & Improvements (Evaluation against your set of Design Specifications)

Note: Presentation Drawing & Production Planning (Steps 10 & 11) and Presentation Boards & Realization (Step 12 & 13) can be done concurrently. Because all necessary works would have been completed on stand-by to be transferred to the Presentation Boards.

Activities can and should overlap each other.

(i.e. the next activity can *begin about a week or so before the previous activity ends)

* note: it is not necessarily that all activities have the same overlapping time frame or that they can only start after completing the previous one.

Note: 

Activity 14: Evaluation is throughout the entire design process similar to Research.

Finally, strive to plan your schedule and project completion within 20 weeks. i.e. Before the June holidays begin.

For Part 1 that explains the general process of both Project Schedule and Production Schedule, click HERE.

An example of a suggested timeline can be found below:

Secondary 2: Dining Storage Accessories Project - Research Part 1/2: General Product Storage

Without prior knowledge of what they are going to design, I got my students to begin their project with a task to research on as many storage examples as possible. This activity is a follow up on the lesson on 'Innovation' and about innovative products / solutions.

What my students could produce will be a good indication on whether they have learned to identify and pick out innovative products from the norm. This is a very important skillset to acquire for the later stages of Ideation & Development. One must first learn to understand and identify an innovative solution. Then the possibility of being able to churn out innovative solutions is possible. Other very essential skills like sketching and the ability to generate many ideas quickly and effortlessly are another set of skills to be covered later.

Here is how you can complete the task:

1. I have a list of 'Design References' on the right hand side of this blog. Scroll down and you will see a cool list of websites that I have compiled.
2. Pick one website randomly or start from the first one (or the last),  study those innovative solutions, read what is written about them. Click the link that brings you to its original website (if any). Think about those innovative solutions and what inspired the design. Admire them. Start to get used to seeing and knowing that these products exists.
3. Select those associate with 'Storages' and use them in your journal as your research.
4. Remember to include the URL to acknowledge where you get the images from. The URL will also be useful later when you need to trace back to its origin later.

Some other useful tips to do your research:

1. You need to know what you want to know or find out, before you can set off and do some research. Otherwise you will be a headless cockroach running frantically and heading no where. Be very clear of your objective. Your objective is to find 'as many (innovative) product storage examples as possible'.
2. You can either search aimlessly, randomly or you can set for yourself a simple structure to do your research.
3. Each of those methods can yield very different outcomes. Researching randomly may bring you some surprises cause you won't know what is next. But being 'random' will also mean taking a longer time to complete your task. Being 'random'  allows you to get in touch with more general stuffs which you otherwise might not have cross path with. Being 'random'  is very good if you have time and want to study and admire stuffs slowly.
4. Having a simple structure allows your research tasks to be more focused. An example of a simple structure is to use the method called 'Location Mapping'. 'Location Mapping' simply means 'the map of a location', for example a map of your Home. You begin by identify parts of your home, e.g. the Living Room, the Bedroom, the Study Room, the Kitchen, and Bathroom, etc. You visualise yourself walking through these locations. When you arrive at the 'Living Room', 'look' around and ask yourself 'What do I see that is a storage, needs or have a storage?' Make a list of them. You can then use your list in a systhematic way to find the type of storages. You move on to the next item, and the next location, until you finish your entire house. When you finished you will have various categories of researches related to 'Home' storage solutions.
5. Even better if you are physically at home and you'll literall walk around with your notebook and start listing stufss down.
6. If I were you, I will use a mix of both (Random and Simple Structure) to get the best of both wolds in my research.

Fill up to three or four pages in your journals with many research images. We will be using them for Idea Generation.



D&T Awards 2013 Invitation for Submission

Dear Students,

Many of you have worked hard and well with me through this year. And I am sure you are proud of the works you produced. So why not take a little step forward and submit yours for D&T Awards 2013?

The following is an excerpt from an email sent to me:

"I would like to invite you to enter your lower and upper secondary pupils' D&T projects from this year for D&T Awards 2013.  The submission requires a write-up of not more than 100 words and images/videos that show well the intent of the project."

Other details required/instructions for submission  can be found in the 'Contact Daniel Lim'  heading above or here: http://db.tt/TheySW0C

The timeline for the award is as follows:

• 2013 Feb 25 to 27        Window period for submission
• 2013 Mar 5                   Announcement of shortlisted entries
• 2013 Mar 18                 Pitching session for shortlisted entries
• 2013 Jun 5                    Awards presentation ceremony cum exhibition

Informal After-School Hour Revision & Consultations

The session is opened to all 'N' or 'O' Level D&T Students 2012
You can start to gather your own study group (around 4-5 people) and make an afternoon appointment with me for a 2-3 hrs D&T informal revision and/or consultation session.

'Informal' means the format can be very serious do-past-year-paper type, or just talking over topics in a discussion format. The latter should be quite fun.

Important:
Please make your appointment at least a day in advance for me to plan my time as well as to avoid disappointment. There is no limit to the number of times of consultations.

How to make an appointment:
1) Via Facebook
2) Via email : mrdanielsos@yahoo.com.sg
3) Look for me at my office.

How to Use S.C.A.M.P.E.R. for Combining Ideas and Further Refinements

The  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. Technique in a Nutshell

A little recap on what S.C.A.M.P.E.R. is all about:

 S.C.A.M.P.E.R. is an idea generation technique. The function of a technique is to assist the user to perform a tasks more efficiently. Similarly, the  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. technique is for assisting the idea generator to generate more ideas quickly and more efficiently.

However, simplistically using the  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. technique does not yield 'meaningful' outcomes. Ideas may turn up to be a variety of hybrids but not really practical for use. Nevertheless, the  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. is useful for idea starters where a varieties of ideas can be created freely for later consideration, evaluation, modifications, and so on.

As with all other techniques and tips, the person using it will not be able to generate freely if there isn't enough practice (or interest or motivation) in doing so. Practice is required.

The points hightlighted above are steps for my student to move on from their previous attempt at 'Concept Borrowing' as a starter for Idea Generation. Click 'HERE' for a review on "Concept Borrowing".

Once a variety of alternative ideas are generated, the ideas are ready to be 'harvested' (like a farmer) to be further fine-tuned. Taking the ideas generated a little futher, we can make use of  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. again to create more 'Hybrids' of ideas. We can 'Combine' 2-3 ideas into one and then followed by some 'Modifications'to its features and functionalities, etc. See below for examples.

 

For demonstration purposes, I reproduced two drawings from my student from his 'Concept Borrow' idea generation page. The first one is a cCube' drawing practice which he uses as a warm up for drawing, and the second one is a candle light holder that is 'borrowed' to become a straw holder.

Use 'C' = Combine' from  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. you can see a range of modifications that follows, which in turn making use of other acronyms from  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. (e,g, Eliminate, Modification, Rearrange, and some others not recorded) to create more hybrids.

Follow the "broad arrow" and see how ideas evolved from one to the next. Below are brief notes on how the idea evolves...

1. The first modification is simply a direct Combination. I added the 'arms' to the side of the wireframe cube and turned it to be a 'Cube Straw Holder'.
2. Next I Combined a ball and place it within the cube,
3. Rearrange the 'arms' and stick them on the ball.  I now have a ball within a cube structure with straws sticking out. This idea looked no only strange, but may not be so practical for use.
4. Next even after another attempt at Modifying the angles of the 'arms', I decided to summon 'Elimination', to take away the cube frame instead.
5. Left with the ball like structure and the arms sticking out, does it look somewhat like a 'Spider'?
6. Rearrage the 'arms' and Modify them by bending them at one point, I know have a structure that really resembles a 'Spider'.
7. Plan a few 'holes' along the top hemisphere for the straws, now I have a "Top-Hairy Spider Straw Holder".

Notice earlier on when I mentioned '...simplistically using the  S.C.A.M.P.E.R. technique does not yield 'meaningful' outcomes', in my own attempt shown above, I have taken a step further by also working on the practicality of the idea as I continue working on them. It will be great that after a while along the idea generation phase you should start making the ideas make sense.

It will be a great help when you arrive at the Development stage.



TEN Points Common Mistakes in Design Journal (2012)

for Part A - The Design Journal

1.     P&M lacked realistic timed stages and evidence of on-going evaluation and monitoring of time.

2.     Lack of 'feel' on the theme. Presentation of what the theme is and the identified problem is unclear.

3.     Majority of researched facts, data, images and annotations are meaningless, i.e. they do not have any 'follow-up' and do not lead to further investigations or decisions being made after they are being 'researched'. Much of the research contents did not have any impact or any influence on Ideation & Development (I&D) to meet the Needs (or Problems) identified.

4.     Decisions and important points may be present but not obvious. They do not stand out.  They are difficult to spot within the pages that are full of writings.  

5.     Contents presented in I&D do not have clear (sub-) headings to represent the I&D being attempted. That makes understanding the intention difficult.

6.     Most I&D attempts throughout shows ONLY the product but hardly shows the corresponding props or the users or the environment being integrated-in to 'test' or 'evaluate' if the solution meets the List of Specification (LoS).

7.     Most (if not all) I&D are attempted as if the LoS never existed. Most I&D are not 'evaluated' against the LoS. Many (if not most) also lose touch with the Needs (or Problems) highlighted in the Design Need (or Situation) and Brief as I&D progresses.

8.     Idea Generation lacked comprehensive exploration and on-going evaluations to surface the most desirable concept for development. Most attempted as if the LoS never existed (see Point 7).

9.     Weak Development. Lacked evidence to show how material, jointing, color and finishing choices, jointing methods, final dimensions, production methods and sequences, etc. are explored, evaluated and decided.

10.   Overall lack of flow of information from section to section. It is as if reading a book compiled with random chapters from various books. Note: The lack of (sub-) headings may also have contributed to this. See Point 5).

The journal should not contain information only you can understand. It’s about how the marker can understand without a question being asked. To do this you must anticipate vague contents and make them idiot proof.

The compositions and contents herein are not to be copied, reproduced, printed, published, posted, displayed, incorporated, stored in or scanned into a retrieval system or database, transmitted, broadcast, bartered or sold, in whole or in part without the prior express written permission of the sole author, who is, unless otherwise denoted, Daniel Lim. Unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and is an infringement of National and International Copyright Laws.