Topic outline

  • Welcome to the 9th grade Product Design Moodle

    This Moodle contains useful resources and examples of students work to help you understand what is expected of you at each stage of the design cycle. 

    Course Requirements

    You are required to design and manufacture a project that successfully meets the design situation.  A full design folio is mandatory. The product/solution must be able to be created by you with the tools and facilities available to you within the school, with minimal support.  School policy applies for meeting deadlines of each of the individual sections: Criterion A: Inquiring and analyzing, B: Developing ideas, C: Creating the solution, and D: Evaluating. The school 'Academic Honesty Policy' applies to any work submitted for assessment.  Workshop rules and safe working practices must be employed at all times.

    Assessment Due Dates

    Criterion A Due February 19th 

    S1 - January 29th  - 1 week

    S2 - February 5th - 1 week

    S3 - February 12th - 1 week

    S4 - February 19th - 1 week

    Criterion B Due April 1st

    S1 - February 26 - 1 week

    S2 - March 18 - 2 weeks

    S3 - March 25 - 1 week

    S4 - April 1 - 1 week

    Criterion C Due May 13th 

    S1 - April 8 - 1 week

    S2/3 - May 6 - 4 weeks

    S4 - May 13 - 1 week

    Criterion D Due May 27th 

    S1/2 - May 20 - 1 week

    S3/4 - May 27 - 1 week

  • Topic 1

    The Design Folio

    I will share 4 Google documents with you over the course of the semester, which you must use to record your work for criteria A, B, C, and D.  These documents will be distributed via email.

    Please don't make a copy of the document or share it with me, as I am already the owner of the Google document, so there is no need to share it with me. 

    Your folio of work may include text, tables, charts, images (drawings or photographs). 

    When you create your design ideas and planning drawings, you will need to either scan or take good quality photographs of your drawings, which must be included on the appropriate Google document if the work is to be assessed. 

    Photographs of your drawings must be clear enough to interpret the drawings, and any annotation must be clear to read and legible.  If these images are unclear they will not be assessed.

    Please work directly onto the Google document, and ensure any drawings are included in the document as soon as they are finished, so that there are no issues when meeting deadlines!

  • Topic 2

    Design Situation

    There are a vast array of lighting solutions on the market to fulfill the many lighting needs vital to our lives, whether it be creating a mood in a room, or illuminating a cyclist to keep them safe at night.

    For this project you will need to identify a client or target market, and work with them to develop a solution for a specific type of lighting they have highlighted as something that would benefit their lives.

    Design Guidelines

    There are a range of pre-wired and battery operated lights you could modify or repurpose, to ensure that your light source is safe.  You MUST NOT hack a 110v lighting circuit, as this could be fatal!

  • Topic 3

    • URLIKEA Hackers URL

      This website contains lots of examples of how other people have created lights out of Ikea products.  A great source of inspiration!

    • URL10 Illuminating IKEA Lighting Hacks URL

      The Brit+Co website showcases 10 great Ikea lighting hacks. 

    • URL14 Brilliant Ways to Light Up Your Workspace URL

      This Brit & Co article showcases 14 quirky lights.

    • URLInstructables URL

      This is a great website for technical information.

    • URLHow to write a survey URL

      Many students struggle to write survey questions to help them gather information on their target audiences needs and wants.  So to help you write a great survey, SurveyMonkey have created a great resource.  Please click on the link and read this resource before writing your own survey.

  • Topic 4

    Criterion A Inquiring and Analyzing 8 Marks

    Due Date: The week ending Friday September 11th

    1)  Explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience

    For this strand you will need to define the following:

    • What is the problem?
    • Whose problem is it? (Identify the client/target market.)
    • Where is the problem occurring? (Identify the situation.)
    • What is the cause of the problem?
    • What effect is it having?

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

    3)  Analyze a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem

    4)  Develop a detailed design brief, which summarizes the analysis of relevant research. 

    Notes from the IB about writing a design brief: 

    The student’s response to the design situation, based on his or her research, detailing how he or she intends to solve the problem. This will summarize the relevant findings from his or her research, and inform the development of his or her design specification. (IB Design Pilot Subject Guide)

    When developing the design brief, students should concisely summarize only the useful and relevant information they have found through their research. They will present this information in their own words. Students should not copy and paste information from sources without analysis or indicating relevance. (IB Design Pilot Subject Guide)

  • Topic 5

    Criterion B Developing Ideas      8 Marks 

    Due date: The week ending Friday October 30th

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

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

    3)  Present the final chosen design and justify its selection

    4)  Develop accurate and detailed planning drawings/diagrams and outline the requirements for the creation of the chosen solution. 

  • Topic 6

    Criterion C Creating the Solution 8 Marks  

    Due date: The week ending Friday December 16th

    1)  Construct a logical plan, which describes the efficient use of time and resources, sufficient for peers to be able to follow to create the solution

    2)  Demonstrate excellent technical skills when making the solution

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

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

    Present the solution as a whole, 
through photographs of the solution from different angles, showing details.

  • Topic 7

    Criterion D Evaluating 8 Marks

    Due Date: The week ending Friday January 15th

    1)  Product Testing:  Design detailed and relevant testing methods, which generate data, to measure the success of the solution

    2)  Product Evaluation:  Critically evaluate the success of the solution against the design specification

    3)  Product Improvements:  Explain how the solution could be improved


    4)  Impact of my Solution:  Explain the impact of the solution on the client/target audience.

    Notes for criterion D

    Product testing: This is a stage in the design process where versions of products (for example, prototypes) are tested against the design need (specification), applied to the context and presented to the end-user or target audience. These tests may include the collection and analysis of data. Types of testing include user trial and observation: (usability and intuitiveness), field/performance test: (functionality and performance), expert appraisal: (beta testing, consumer testing)

    Authentic tests: The tests are relevant to the project and are completed by appropriate testers to gain high-quality quantitative and qualitative feedback.