Design Development: A Basic Guide and Checklist for Students

Welcome to a simple guide on the “Development” phase of the design process! 

In this video, we explore the essential steps to fine-tune and finalize your design concepts, ensuring your project is ready for realisation and presentation.

Watch the video HERE

1. A Basic Guide to Design Development

The “Development” phase is where you transform your initial ideas into detailed, workable designs. Here’s what you need to focus on:

• Shape and Form: Refine the aesthetics and ensure ergonomic usability.

• Functionality: Test and improve features to ensure reliable performance.

• Material Choice: Select materials based on strength, flexibility, and sustainability.

• Color Scheme: Choose colors that enhance the design’s appeal and functionality.

• Jointing Methods: Determine the best techniques for assembling your design.

• Finishing Methods: Apply appropriate treatments to protect and enhance your design.

• Detailed Documentation: Prepare comprehensive production plans, working drawings, and presentation boards.

2. A Simple Checklist for Students

Use this checklist to ensure you’ve covered all necessary elements in your design development:

• Shape and Form refinement

• Functionality testing and improvement

• Material selection and justification

• Color scheme planning

• Jointing methods determination

• Finishing methods application

• Detailed production documentation

By following this guide and checklist, you’ll be well-prepared in your Design & Technology coursework. Remember, a thorough development is the key to creating a successful and remarkable design.

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Three Levels of Using SCAMPER in Ideation

SCAMPER is a popular technique for ideation and development in design. It provides a structured method for generating creative ideas and solutions. The ability to use SCAMPER effectively varies depending on a student's aptitude, competency, and proficiency in the art of designing, visualizing, and drawing. 

By structuring SCAMPER into three distinct levels, students of varying abilities can engage with this powerful tool, ensuring they have the opportunity to develop their ideation skills progressively.

3-Levels to Use SCAMPER Suitable for Every Design-Ability Level

Level Pro SCAMPER Example

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Level 1 (Basic Level):

At Level 1, the student simply uses one SCAMPER acronym at a time independently for each modification of the basic form.

The student will either use one acronym at a time in sequence or choose those that they can manage and ignore the rest. Each acronym used results in an exclusive design, meaning if three acronyms are used, three exclusive designs are produced. 

The outcome of the designs matches the number of acronyms used, providing a straightforward and manageable approach for beginners.

Level 2 (Intermediate Level):

Level 2 represents an intermediate stage where the student has developed the competency and proficiency to merge two or more independent modified ideas into one. 

This process is dependent on the student's capacity and proficiency, as well as their ability and aptitude for design. Typically, when one idea is combined with the basic form, it will automatically require modifications. Basic modifications to the Level 1 forms are necessary to produce a new, integrated design after merging two SCAMPER elements from Level 1. 

This stage begin to challenge students to think more critically and creatively about combining and enhancing their ideas.

Level 3 (Pro Level):

At Level 3, the student has a thorough understanding of SCAMPER and possesses the aptitude and intellectual capacity for advanced design. 

The student can use Levels 1 and 2 at will, applying SCAMPER elements in any order and not necessarily in sequence. Not every acronym needs to be used, which allows for a high level of free play and creativity. At this level, the basic form evolves continuously as SCAMPER elements are added, reflecting the progression and sophistication of the ideation process. 

The Pro Level encourages students to innovate and refine their designs dynamically, utilizing SCAMPER flexibly to achieve complex and well-developed outcomes.

Conclusion

This structured approach to using SCAMPER, from Level 1 to Level 3, provides a clear pathway for both teachers and students in Design & Technology. It ensures that students can gradually build their skills and confidence in ideation, ultimately reaching a level where they can fully exploit the creative potential of the SCAMPER technique.

If you need any help or clarification, do not hesitate to write to me.

#DesignThinking #SCAMPER #Ideation #CreativeProcess #DesignEducation #StudentCreativity #TechnologyInEducation #DesignAndTechnology #InnovationInDesign #TeachingTools #DesignSkills #Prototyping #StudentDevelopment #EducationStrategy #ClassroomInnovation #CreativeLearning

Mastering Unfamiliar Themes: A Simple Guide to Kickstart Your Design & Technology Coursework

Embarking on a  Design & Technology (D&T) project can be an exciting journey but students often find themselves at a crossroads when confronted with a theme that feels distant from their daily experiences. 

This post aims to guide you through the initial phase of tackling a difficult and unfamiliar theme in your D&T coursework, helping you move past the daunting 'stuck' syndrome.

1. Embrace the Challenge

Understanding the Theme:

• Start by defining the theme in your own words. 
• Research its meaning, history, and relevance in today's world.
• Connect with the theme on a personal level. 
• Ask yourself: How does this theme affect me or the people around me, even in the smallest ways?

Mindset Shift:

• Recognize that challenging themes spark creativity. 
• They push you out of your comfort zone, leading to more innovative ideas.
• Embrace the learning opportunity. 
• Working on an unfamiliar theme is a chance to gain new knowledge and skills.

2. Conduct Thorough Research

Exploring Various Perspectives:

• Dive into books, articles, documentaries, and online resources to gain a comprehensive understanding of the theme.
• Interview people or individuals related to the theme to get firsthand insights.
• Gathering Inspiration:
• Explore similar projects done in different fields or contexts. 
• How have others approached similar themes?
• Create a mood board or a visual diary to collect ideas, images, and concepts that resonate with the theme.

3. Brainstorming and Ideation

Free Your Mind:

• Engage in brainstorming sessions without the pressure of coming up with the 'perfect' idea.
• Use mind mapping to visually organize thoughts and discover connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.

Seek Diverse Opinions:

• Discuss your ideas with friends or teachers. 
• Fresh perspectives can spark new ways of thinking about the theme.

4. Narrow Down and Focus

Identifying Key Elements:

• From your research and brainstorming, identify elements that intrigue you the most.
• Consider how these elements can be integrated into your D&T project.
• Break down the theme into smaller, manageable parts to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Conclusion

Tackling an unfamiliar theme in Design & Technology coursework can initially seem daunting, but it's an excellent opportunity for growth and creativity. By understanding the theme, conducting thorough research, brainstorming, focusing your ideas, and starting with a simple prototype, you can effectively begin your journey and move past the 'stuck' syndrome. 

Remember, every great project starts with a single step. Embrace the challenge, and let your creativity flourish!

Brief Introduction to the Design Process from Design Situation to Design Opportunities

Introduction to the Design Process

The design process is a journey that starts with a design situation and ends with design opportunities. This blog post will guide you through each step of this process, using real-world examples and interactive elements to make it engaging and easy to understand.

Steps in the Design Process

Identifying the Design Situation

Every design process begins with a design situation. This could be a problem or a need that exists in the world. For example, in a kitchen, a common design situation might be the difficulty of opening a tightly sealed jar. 

Research Methods: To understand the design situation, we need to conduct research. This could involve observing people in the kitchen, conducting interviews, or even shadowing someone as they go about their kitchen tasks. 

Defining the Design Need

From the design situation, we identify the design need. In our kitchen example, the need might be for a tool that makes it easier to open tightly sealed jars.

Research Methods: To understand the design need, we might conduct surveys to find out how many people struggle with opening jars, or we might experiment with different methods of opening jars to understand the challenges better.

Uncovering Design Problems

The design problems are the specific issues that need to be addressed to meet the design need. In our example, the problems might include the fact that some people don't have enough hand strength to open jars, or that some jars are sealed too tightly.

Research Methods: To understand the problems, we might use the "5 Whys" technique to get to the root cause of the issue. We might also conduct more interviews or surveys to gather more data.

Discovering Design Opportunities

Finally, from the design problems, we identify the design opportunities. These are the potential solutions to the problems. In our example, a design opportunity might be to create a jar opener that uses leverage to make opening jars easier.

Research Methods: To identify design opportunities, we might use techniques like brainstorming or mind mapping. We might also look at existing solutions and see how they could be improved.

Decision Making in the Design Process

After conducting research at each step of the process, we need to make decisions about how to proceed. This might involve choosing which design opportunity to pursue, or deciding how to refine a design to better meet the need.

Research Methods: Decision making often involves further research. For example, we might need to test different design ideas to see which one works best. We might also need to gather feedback from potential users.

Conclusion: Understanding the Design Process

Understanding the design process and the importance of research and decision-making is crucial for successful design outcomes. By applying these methods, you can become a better designer, able to create solutions that truly meet people's needs.

Quiz

1. What is the first step in the design process?

2. Why is research important at each step of the process?

3. Can you think of a design situation in your own life? What is the design need, what are the design problems, and what are some potential design opportunities?

Application Questions

1. Choose a room in your house (e.g., the living room, kitchen, toilet, storeroom, bedroom). Identify a design situation in that room, and go through the process of identifying the design need, design problems, and design opportunities.

2. Think about a common household item (like a jar opener). How could you improve this item? What research would you need to do? What decisions would you need to make?

Unintended Design: Finding Functionality in Everyday Surprises

In the world of design, the most delightful features often emerge without intention. A typical outdoor café table, at first glance, offers little more than a surface for your coffee. But on closer inspection, it reveals a serendipitous design that perfectly serves an unintended purpose.

Accidental Design Meets Urban Convenience While sipping on my long black at a local café, I stumbled upon a design quirk that turned a simple table into a haven for my sling bag. Nestled between the wooden planks was a gap that cradled my bag off the ground – a detail seemingly tailor-made for the bustling urbanite.

Design That Understands Daily Life This encounter serves as a reminder that design doesn't end with intention. It lives and evolves in the everyday interactions we have with the objects around us, often solving problems we didn't know we had.

Have you ever come across a design in your daily life that seemed to understand your needs before you did? A notch on a bench that secures your bike, a shelf that’s just the right height for your keys? I invite you to share these moments of unexpected convenience.

Unintended design features are the unsung heroes of our daily grind, offering ease and efficiency where we least expect it. Let's take a moment to celebrate these small victories that make our days a bit easier.

The Subtle Art of Attention in Classroom Learning

As educators, we navigate a world where the terms 'focus' and 'attention' are often used interchangeably. However, distinguishing between the two is not mere semantics; it’s a critical factor in how we approach teaching and how our students engage with learning.

Understanding Focus vs. Attention

Focus is often equated with concentration, which involves a forceful exclusion of all distractions in favor of one task. This intense concentration requires a great deal of mental effort and is akin to being in a state of siege, constantly fending off the distractions that are an inevitable part of modern classrooms.

Attention, by contrast, is a more holistic approach. It is the art of maintaining awareness of one’s surroundings while being engaged with the task at hand. Attention allows for a recognition of distractions without being consumed by them, creating a learning environment that is both inclusive and dynamic.

The Educational Impact

Why is this distinction important in education? Because the way students are guided to engage with their work - either through focus or attention - has profound implications for their learning experience. The traditional focus can lead to mental fatigue, while an attentive approach conserves energy and fosters a more natural and sustainable form of engagement.

Strategies for Cultivating Attention

How do we create an attentive classroom? Here are some strategies:

• Introduce mindfulness practices to help students become more aware of their thought processes and surroundings.
• Design classroom experiences that acknowledge distractions as a learning opportunity rather than a nuisance.
• Teach students to gently redirect their attention without criticism, reinforcing a positive learning environment.

Conclusion: A Shift in Perspective

Embracing the difference between focus and attention may well be the key to unlocking more effective and enjoyable learning experiences. It's about shifting our educational practices from enforcing concentration to nurturing an open state of awareness.

As we move forward in crafting educational experiences that meet the needs of 21st-century learners, let's ask ourselves: How can we shift our strategies to cultivate not just a focused classroom but an attentive one?

I welcome you to share your strategies and experiences in the comments below. Let’s learn from each other and collectively enhance our teaching practices.

Can One Learn Without Motives?

Understanding Learning Beyond Motivation

In the evolving landscape of education, a compelling question arises: "Can one learn without motives?" This intriguing concept challenges the traditional paradigm where learning is often driven by external rewards or personal achievements.

Redefining Motivation in Learning Traditionally, educational systems emphasize goals like grades, degrees, and job prospects as the primary motivators for learning. However, this perspective begs for a deeper exploration. If we peel back these layers of conventional motivation, we encounter the potential for a purer form of learning, one driven by curiosity and a genuine desire to understand, rather than by external rewards or recognition.

The Shift from Goal-Oriented to Process-Oriented Learning This shift from a goal-oriented approach to a process-oriented approach in education can be transformative. It encourages students and educators alike to engage with the material on a more profound level. When learners are not solely fixated on the end result, they become more open to exploring ideas, making connections, and developing a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Fostering a Love for Learning Itself The essence of learning without motives lies in fostering a love for learning itself. It's about nurturing an intrinsic motivation where the joy of discovery and the enrichment of understanding become the primary drivers. This approach can lead to a more fulfilling and enduring educational experience, where knowledge is pursued not for a grade or a diploma, but for the sake of learning itself.

Cultivating Mindful and Engaged Learners In conclusion, the concept of learning without motives invites educators and students to rethink the purpose and process of education. It's a call to cultivate a mindful and engaged approach to learning, where the journey is as valued as the destination. By embracing this mindset, we can create a more authentic, effective, and inspiring educational environment, one that nurtures a lifelong love of learning.

#EducationalTransformation #IntrinsicMotivation #LifelongLearning #CuriosityDrivenEducation #ProcessOrientedLearning #MindfulEducation #StudentEngagement #TeachingInnovation #LoveForLearning #EducationalMindsetShift

Discover the Ingenious Design of the Lopsided Napkin Holder

Often, the brilliance of a design goes unnoticed when it functions seamlessly. I've recently discovered an exceptional example of this – a napkin holder that requires no learning curve. Its simplicity might be by design or mere happenstance.

The holder is a straightforward, cylindrical piece. However, have you ever paid attention to how the napkins are folded within? They're not equally halved but intriguingly lopsided.

This design choice becomes apparent when the napkins are placed in the holder, the shorter end facing outward in a convex shape. When you reach out to grab a napkin, something remarkable occurs. Your index finger naturally pushes against the longer end of the fold, creating a gap. Then, effortlessly, your thumb pinches and extracts the napkin.

It's a subtle yet clever design. Did you ever notice this simple but effective mechanism?

#Design Innovation #EverydayErgonomics #FunctionalDesign #NapkinHolder #UserFriendlyProducts

Human-Centered Design: A Collaborative Exploration for Educators

In the exploration of human-centered design, educators often grapple with the fundamental question: what constitutes a 'problem' in design? This introspective journey challenges us to see beyond immediate flaws and to recognize that issues may lie as much in user expectations as in the products themselves.

When we delve into design thinking, we uncover that these challenges frequently originate from our psychological interactions with products, rather than their physical functionalities. 

This realization opens up a broader dialogue on the essence of problem-solving in design, emphasizing the need for a mindful approach that goes beyond the superficial.

The role of a design educator is to foster an environment where students can discern between necessity and desire in their creations. It's about striking a harmonious balance that nurtures innovation for addressing real-world needs while remaining conscious of not merely amplifying consumer wants.

Incorporating creative problem-solving and innovation with critical thinking is essential. These skills are the driving force behind progress and the development of meaningful solutions that resonate on a societal level. Yet, it is equally important to question: are these innovations addressing fundamental needs?

As we navigate the path of teaching design, we do not claim to hold all the answers but rather seek to engage in a collaborative journey. Our classrooms become incubators for innovative teaching, where we collectively harness the potential of design to enact positive change.

This commitment to a shared exploration redefines our role as educators. We are not just imparting knowledge but facilitating a rich dialogue that influences how future designers will approach their craft in this complex and ever-evolving world.

#DesignEducation #ThoughtfulDesign #UserExperience #InclusiveInnovation #DesignProcess #Expectations #EducationalPsychology 

#DesignThinking #DesignEducation #UserExperienceDesign #InnovativeTeaching #CreativeProblemSolving

The Illusion of Design Processes: Rediscovering Genuine Creativity

Understanding the Design Process

The term “design process” is a multifaceted concept that encompasses the steps, methods, and approaches fundamental to creativity in design. 

There are numerous established methods or approaches, each promising innovation in their execution, some of which have become famous and others that are considered the classics, or ‘outdated’ when compared to some of the more flashy ones. 

And then there's the one we faithfully etch in our brains as coursework students, the design process that defines our design education and appears in your syllabus for the examination.

The Quest for the Ultimate Design Method

Whichever big-name design process you like or subscribe to, or believe to be the best or the most comprehensive, or one that fits your inclination or needs, have you ever thought deeper and wondered if they are all different and unique, or are they actually the same? 

The same, meaning fundamentally, with some nuances and particular emphasis, compared with the ‘competitors’ or the older ones. Will there ever be a conclusion as to which is the best or the worst? What you like or not is subjective, isn’t it?

The Paralysis of Choice in Design Education

If you are my student and you come to me, and I say to you, “Throw everything away; every ding dong technique that you have been taught or heard, or from your own research, ditch all of them and begin from nothing."

Now you have a situation, and you see a problem. Now what? What are you going to do?

Most students may suddenly feel totally lost. Like a frightened bird frozen on the branch. You don’t know what to do, where to start, or how to start. 

Most people begin to find a crutch, a way out, so one can start moving or get themselves unstuck. And you cry out, “Someone help me! Where is the GURU!!!!”, or “Tell me what to do.”

Fundamentals Over Formulas Do you know why? Why are you so helpless? However, knowing that some form of framework certainly helps. Certain fundamental principles already exist. They are nature’s template. They are the most basic denominator of life. That is how you begin when you think, how other people think, and how everybody else thinks. 

The problem arises when someone finds a way that works and says this method is mine. And he puts in tremendous effort, goes through a prestigious university, and finishes a Ph.D. perhaps, starts a company, then puts a trademark on it. Goes to some TV shows and gets endorsed maybe. And then he sells you his program, and says it is slightly different from the others, and it is better for you. One that you already know if you bothered to use your brain a little bit more.

The Pitfalls of Prescriptive Processes

But dependence on a method given to you means what? You do not think. Or you no longer need to. Isn’t it? 

You depend on some authority, your teacher, your syllabus. And so you simply follow one faithful framework or hop from one to the other, or you may get lost in the never-ending search for the latest or hippest approach; and once you (think you) got it, you say “Ah, that is the way to do things.” 

And you become comfortable and you repeat the process over and over again. You become very proficient and perhaps, with some diligent effort, you may become one of the top design students. You may have conjured up one of the most innovative prototypes and probably won some awards. But you are not thinking. You are only conforming, following. You have become dull. That is not creation in the deepest sense. 

To create, to be creative, there must be freedom from the known.

Creativity and the Freedom from the Known

Back to the story about you being my student, without any background on how to do this and that, what next? Have you thought about that? Try it. When you start moving, and you start making things happen, and when you end it, see how much more significant that journey has been compared with one where you are simply being led along.

Next, you may ask, "What is my teacher for?" I cannot say anything for the other teachers, but I say this for the person who is writing this, which you are reading right now; this writer may be speaking to you. Let what is spoken become a mirror that you will use as a reflection to understand yourself. 

It is not for you to agree or disagree, or say intellectually, conceptually I understand. See it for yourself, the necessity for you to depend on yourself for your own learning and not on others. Use existing resources as they are needed, but do not elevate them to great importance, one that either becomes yours or that others must follow. 

If you do that, you have limited yourself. And there will not be creation.

1. #DesignThinking #CreativeProcess #Innovation #DesignEducation #CriticalThinking #CreativeFreedom #DesignPhilosophy #BeyondConformity #DesignThoughtLeaders #AuthenticCreativity