Time 4 Design
i. develops detailed design specifications, which explain the success criteria for the design of a solution based on the analysis of the research
By the end of year 5 students should be able to:
i) What is a design specification?
A specification is a set of constraints, requirements and considerations for a solution: what the solution must or must not have to be successful. A specification is not a description of the outcome. It should demonstrate that you understand the needs of the problem that you have identified. Every aspect of a specification must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and testable (SMART).
The specification should be directly connected to your design brief. Writing a specification can be a difficult job if the design brief is not well researched and written. If a solution or design fails to meet an aspect of the specification, it can be considered that it has not met the criteria for success.
You will need to refer back to your specification throughout the project, particularly when developing ideas and evaluating the solution.
The table below demonstrates poor and good examples of design specifications. Remember that these should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and testable.
Poor and good design specification sentence examples
Aspects to consider in a design specification
Possible aspects to consider are listed below. (Design Teacher Support Material)
Changing specifications during a unit of work
You may have opportunities to develop your specification further as you continue through the unit of work. Changes in a specification should be justified through additional research that you may need to conduct as a result of finding that an aspect of a specification is not appropriate.
*This page has been adapted from the Design Teacher Support Material (see works cited)
Works Cited
“Design Teacher Support Material.” Ibo.org, 2023, resources.ibo.org/publishing/tsm.xql?chapter=5&doc=m_8_techn_tsm_1406_1_e&part=3. Accessed 5 Apr. 2023.
Kent Saunders, “Design Specifications.” Google Docs, 2019, docs.google.com/document/d/1-pG6_WuO2VhY_sUZyBb_R87fZGbF_UCIfMhdvR-Ddxw/edit#. Accessed 5 Apr. 2023.
More on SPECIFICATIONS from Aiden Hammond HERE
When you get the specs wrong you end up with Useless Designs