L2 - Design Ideas

L2 Design Overview

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L2 Design Refinement

I orea te tuatara ka patu ki waho

A problem is solved by continuing to find solutions

Why Design Ideas Matter

Design ideas are where your thinking becomes visible. Instead of going straight to building, this stage is about exploring different ways your outcome could work and look before committing to one direction.

Generating a range of ideas helps you:

explore different possibilities rather than settling on your first thought
make informed decisions based on your requirements, research, and conventions
identify strengths and limitations early
gather useful feedback to improve your design

Strong design ideas lead to stronger outcomes. Taking the time to develop and compare ideas means your final design is more considered, more effective, and easier to build successfully.

I don’t know how to draw / where to start....

When you’re generating design ideas, the goal is not polished artwork — it’s to get your thinking down quickly so you can explore options.

Start by breaking things into basic shapes (circles, rectangles, triangles, and lines). Sketch with light, rough linework to show the main layout/parts and how the idea might work. You can refine proportions and details later once you choose a direction.

At this stage, keep it simple. Clean lines, shading, and colour can come later when you’re refining a selected design.

Quick Drawing Task to get ideas flowing....

1) Mash-up Ideas

Choose two random things (e.g. animal + object, place + game, food + app).
Combine them into one idea.
Sketch 2 quick ideas (keep them simple).
Add 1 short label to explain what it is.

Examples: cat + phone, skate park + game, pizza + app

Focus: quick thinking, not detailed drawings

2) Bad Ideas → Better Idea

Set a timer for 2 minutes.
Write 3 bad ideas (funny or unrealistic is fine).
Pick one.
Change it so it becomes a better, more useful idea.
Write 1 sentence explaining your improved idea.

Focus: improving ideas, not getting it perfect first time

3) Shape Challenge

You’ll be given simple shapes (or draw your own: circles, squares, lines).
Turn them into objects, icons, or characters.
Try to create at least 3 different ideas.
Add 1 label per idea.

Focus: seeing how simple shapes can become ideas

4) Simple Character or Product Idea

Create 2 different ideas for a product, character, or app.
For each idea, include:
- A name
- 2–3 details about what it looks like or does
Do a quick sketch (rough is fine)
Add 1–2 labels

Focus: communicating an idea clearly

What do Design Ideas Look Like?

Games / Interactive Experiences

Design ideas might include:

level layouts or maps
sketches of characters or environments
gameplay mechanics (e.g. jumping, scoring, enemies)
UI layout (menus, HUD, controls)
simple flow of how the game works

Focus on:

how it plays
what the player sees
how interaction works

Websites / Apps

Design ideas might include:

simple wireframes (page layout)
navigation structure (how users move through pages)
homepage and key page designs
UI elements (buttons, menus, forms)
colour schemes and typography ideas

Focus on:

layout
usability
user journey

Animation / Video

Design ideas might include:

storyboards (key scenes)
character designs
environment/background sketches
camera shots and transitions
style and visual direction

Focus on:

storytelling
visual style
sequence of events

3D Modelling / Product / DFM

Design ideas might include:

concept sketches (different shapes/forms)
orthographic or isometric drawings
exploded diagrams
layout of parts/components
materials or construction ideas

Focus on:

structure
form
how it will be made

Electronics / Programming Systems

Design ideas might include:

system block diagrams
circuit layouts
input/output flow
user interaction flow
structure of how the system works

Focus on:

how it functions
how parts connect
user interaction

Generating A RANGE OF Ideas

Now it is time to start sketching out your design ideas.

At this stage, you should explore a range of possible directions rather than jumping straight to one final solution. The goal is to generate enough ideas that you can compare them, get feedback, and decide which direction is strongest.

You should create at least three design ideas. For some projects, this might mean three clearly different overall ideas. For other projects, it might mean exploring different parts of the outcome, such as layouts, features, characters, scenes, or visual styles.

Your sketches do not need to be polished or perfect. They are simply a way to communicate your thinking. Short annotations can also be very helpful, especially if they explain what the idea is, how it works, or why it could be suitable.

Specific examples of what you might need to include are provided in the slides on the right.

L2&3 DT | Design Ideas

Task 1: Generate Ideas

For each idea, you should show:

what the idea is
how it will function
how it will look
key features or components

Now you should start sketching out your designs. This could include a wide range of possible solutions and make enough designs that you can get effective feedback. At a minimum you should have three designs of what you can make. Some projects can be broken down into smaller elements so for these you may have multiple designs for these instead. Some examples of things that you could design are:

Name of your product
Colours your product could be
Layouts of elements in games and websites

When you are sketching out your designs they do not have to be perfect. It is simply trying to get an idea across to possible end users. It can also be highly valuable to put annotations (written descriptions) on your drawings.

Feedback

At this point, you need to get feedback — especially if you have a few options and you’re not yet sure which direction to develop.

Giving and receiving design feedback can feel awkward, but good feedback should:

help you improve the work
move the design forward
help you make decisions with more confidence

We’ll use a simple tool called the Feedback Matrix to keep feedback constructive and useful.

Feedback needs to be constructive… and honest

When giving feedback use the matrix headings:

Something you like
Didn’t like (or something that’s missing)
Ideas
A question

The Feedback Matrix.pdf

Task 2: Feedback Carousel (speed-dating style)

In the classroom

You are going to speak with 3 people, one at a time, in short timed rounds.

How it works

Each round is 5 minutes
Person A talks through their design for 2.5 minutes
Then swap: Person B talks for 2.5 minutes
Use the Feedback Matrix to keep comments focused and useful

The Three People

The aim is to talk to a range of people so you get different perspectives and types of feedback:

Person 1: Encourager → highlights what’s working and what to keep

A supportive classmate, often someone you sit near or feel comfortable talking to. They tend to give warm, positive feedback and help you notice what is already working well.

Person 2: Feasibility checker → helps you simplify and make the build realistic

Someone making a similar type of outcome, or someone confident with the tools and skills you are using. They can help with practical feedback about what is realistic, what might be too complex, and what could be simplified.

Person 3: Fresh eyes → tests clarity and reveals gaps in explanation

Someone you do not usually talk to about your work. They bring a different perspective and will often ask lots of questions, especially if parts of your design are unclear or underdeveloped.

Goal: Get feedback on clarity, user fit, and feasibility - not just “do you like it?”

What to show during your 2.5 minutes

Keep it short and clear:

your purpose + who the outcome is for
your three design ideas or directions
what you’re leaning towards and why
what you want feedback on (e.g., “Which direction is strongest?” “What’s confusing?” “What would you simplify?”)

After each round (30sec)

Before you move to the next person, quickly think about:

What they thought should stay the same (what feedback confirms is working)
What they thought needs changing (what is unclear, unrealistic, or not meeting user needs)
What question you still need to answer (what you must test or check during refinement)

Why: If you don’t make decisions as you go, feedback becomes a list of opinions instead of evidence you can use to improve your design.

Outside the classroom

Strong projects usually include feedback from:

your end users (or people similar to them)
people with relevant experience (teachers, whānau, coaches, peers with expertise)

You may need to seek these people out.

Task 3: Record your feedback

In your doc record the feedback you received for each person you spoke to:

Who & role

they might be your classmate but are they an end user? or an expert in the area/software?

Feedback they gave (use the matrix headings if needec):

Something they liked
Didn’t like / missing
Ideas
Any questions

What I will do next (and why)

Decision: I will keep / change / remove …
Reason: because it affects user needs / clarity / feasibility / quality / implications
Next step: what I will focus on in refinement (e.g., redraw layout, simplify mechanic, test with users)

Selected Idea(s) for further Development

Choose the idea (or combination of ideas) you will take forward. This matters because it sets your direction for refinement, helps you focus your time, and makes it clear how your decision links to end user requirements, feedback, and feasibility.

Task 4: Your selected ideas

After your feedback table, explain which idea(s) you will develop and why this is the most suitable direction. Use your end user requirements, the feedback you received, and the strengths/limitations you identified to justify your decision. This will guide what you focus on during refinement.

Here is a structure you can use (copy & paste) to write this:

am taking forward idea _____ / a combination of ideas _____
I am combining these features/parts from my ideas: …
This is the strongest direction because…
It best meets these end user requirements: …
Relevant implications I need to consider as I refine: accessibility / inclusion / privacy-IP / safety (as applicable)
Based on feedback, I will keep… / change… / remove… because…
Next step for refinement: the first thing I will improve/test is…

Further Sketching Help

◀️ How to draw anything guide by Julia Bausenhardt

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