Developing early ideas
When you have created some initial ideas, you should look over those ideas in detail. Use annotationA note written to explain or comment on an image or other piece of work to determine which ideas might have solved some of the specification and design issues.
Some of these ideas may feature something that you can explain efficiently and graphically with annotations. Every idea has the potential to solve one or more aspects of the design brief. From early on in the process you should be filtering your ideas down to a possible solution.
Focusing on creating a solution
Once you have a potential solution you should now be looking to eradicate any of the issues that the design doesn't potential solve. This can be refining the whole idea or small aspects of the idea. This can also be using other parts of previous ideas or looking at new solutions from elsewhere.
Understanding the issues
There are several different elements to consider before settling on a final design.
| Factors | Considerations |
| Aesthetics | Look at the shape, colour, contrast, and proportion. This is great way of graphically looking at developing of an idea |
| Function | Look at how it is being used, where it is being used. This will help inform ergonomic and material considerations. This factor can also help inform modelling |
| Ergonomics | Who is using it, when they are using it, where they are using, and how they are using it. This will be a good way of covering the anthropometric (meaning relating to the proportions of the human body), psychological and physiological aspects of the design issues. This is also a really good design factor to use modelling to explore |
| Materials | Explore the different materials a design could use, research the suitability of the material for the environment it will be used in, research the material's suitability for construction with regards to cost. How the material is to touch, and its aesthetic qualities, will help demonstrate your understanding of design issues |
| Factors | Aesthetics |
|---|---|
| Considerations | Look at the shape, colour, contrast, and proportion. This is great way of graphically looking at developing of an idea |
| Factors | Function |
|---|---|
| Considerations | Look at how it is being used, where it is being used. This will help inform ergonomic and material considerations. This factor can also help inform modelling |
| Factors | Ergonomics |
|---|---|
| Considerations | Who is using it, when they are using it, where they are using, and how they are using it. This will be a good way of covering the anthropometric (meaning relating to the proportions of the human body), psychological and physiological aspects of the design issues. This is also a really good design factor to use modelling to explore |
| Factors | Materials |
|---|---|
| Considerations | Explore the different materials a design could use, research the suitability of the material for the environment it will be used in, research the material's suitability for construction with regards to cost. How the material is to touch, and its aesthetic qualities, will help demonstrate your understanding of design issues |
Making decisions and reviewing your work
Throughout your work you should be demonstrating use of graphics and annotation to document your thought process and the continual evaluation your ideas. Your thoughts should be recorded and clearly indicate where decisions are made. This makes it easier for you and your teacher to understand your thought processes and design choices.
Reviewing your ideas also helps give the opportunity to comment and show your understanding of the design issues.
This is done effectively by referring to the specification and clearly indicating choices that are either being disregarded or taken forward: -
- comment on how the design will look
- break aesthetics down to their different parts such colour, shape etc
- refer to how things work, how they are put together, how they move, what are they made from
- comment on what finish, if any, has been applied to the final product