Now that you have finished making your gaming controller we are going to write something called an evaluation.
Think of evaluation like being a detective for your work. After you've designed and made something, evaluation is the process of taking a closer look at it and asking yourself some important questions. It's about figuring out what went well, what could have been better, and what you learned along the way...
Why is evaluation so important? Imagine you built a really cool tower with building blocks. You'd want to see if it's strong, right? Does it wobble? Does it stand up straight? Evaluation is like checking the strengths of your gaming controller. It helps you see if it is doing the job it is supposed to do – you wrote points for success in your Design Specification, so you will want to check your design against that.
Here is why evaluation is super useful:
It helps you get better: Just like practicing a sport helps you improve, evaluation helps you become a better designer and maker. By looking at what you did, you can learn from any mistakes and make your next project even better. Maybe there are some gaps in your pattern pieces or you design was too complex and you found it difficult to cut so many pieces. Now you know that next time, you need to make sure you design more carefully! This shows reflection – thinking carefully about what happened.
It builds resilience: Sometimes, when you evaluate your work, you might find things that didn't go exactly as planned. Maybe you cut a shape wrong, or the wood split a little. That's okay! Evaluation helps you see these as chances to learn and fix things. Instead of getting discouraged, you can think, "Okay, how can I make this better next time?" This is being resilient – bouncing back from challenges and not giving up.
It helps you think globally: When you evaluate your gaming device, you can also think about how it might be used by other people. Is it a good shape for everyone? Is it suitable enough for different kinds of game? Thinking about how your design might affect others, even people in different parts of the world, or from different cultural backgrounds shows you're being globally minded.
So, evaluation isn't about finding fault; it's about being curious, learning, and growing. It is a really important step in any design project because it helps you make things better, become more resilient when things don't go perfectly, and think about how your creations fit into the wider world. Now, let's start evaluating your amazing gaming devices!
Take your photo in in the light box with a clean white background
Adjust the light balance/exposure on the camera app to make your images brighter.
Try to avoid dark shadows and adjust the brightness or exposure of your image
Choose a good angle that makes your model look amazing. Try a low down lens angle so that the camera looks up to the model.
Set up a new canvas and choose your best photo or favourite images
Make sure that you have edited your photo so it looks the best it can be with a clean white background.
make sure that you use layers when adding effects, shadows or including textboxes.
Use Procreate to make an evaluation poster about your completed gaming device. Include (high-quality) photos of your finished product as well as any relevant images or sketches of your project work.
On your evaluation poster you should present the following information:
Write about the process of manufacture; What went well? What did not go well? Use photos of your work and explain your comments.
Critique your own completed gaming device. What do you think of the outcome? Show lots of photos from different angles. It will be best if you can photograph your gaming device in context (someone holding it and playing a game)
Ask someone else their opinions about your gaming device, write down their opinions and reflect yourself about their comments.
Present a sketch or sketches of "Further Improvements" - sketch how would you change your design if you made it again? Use notes to explain your changes.