Reading: You may take notes if you need to: (Designin, Making, and Evaluative Stages)
DESIGNING A PROBLEM: - WALKING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS
After realizing a problem, the person affected by the problem seeks out a designer to help solve the problem. At the designer’s office, the person with the problem becomes the client or customer of the designer. The client fills out a Design Brief Form with the help of the designer. The Brief consists of 3 important parts, which are:
1) The Problem (what happened that has a pressing effect)
2) The Task (what is to be done to solve the problem. If the solution is made – built – it becomes a Product)
3) Specification (a brief description of the product).
The designer will begin by carefully and thoroughly applying the tasks in the Design Process. He or she will begin the 1st stage by conducting an Investigation into the problem.
A. The first stage - DESIGNING STAGE
A1 Firstly, the designer must investigate the problem. The designer must be able to clarify the problem. He/she must know and be able to identify the real cause of the problem. A designer cannot decide on a design if he/she does not really know what the problem is. In order to know this the designer needs to interview the client thoroughly. If you were the designer helping a client with a P2 problem, some questions you might want to ask the client would be, How many persons are involved? Any children? Any sickly? What type of floor does the bathroom/toilet block have? Does it smell? Is it always wet? After realizing the problem then the designer will fairly know what he/she is up against. Here, his/her mind will start thinking about a solution – but has not yet decided on one.
v Activity: Think up 5 questions that you might want to ask to clarify each of the problems P1, P3, and P4
A2 After realizing the extent of the problem the designer will know what the client expects when the product is completed. Let’s see what the client expects in the problem listed as P2: What the client would expect (client’s expectations about the solution) when the product is finished and utilized is that there will be no more arguments, or cursing, no more toothbrushes lying on dirty and unhygienic floors and there should be an improvement in the general health of the household.
v Activity: What would be the client's expectations be for problems P1, P3, and P4?
A3 The 3rd task will be exploring issues (finding out more) about the problem. Would it help if the toothbrushes were kept separately? Males, females, children, and elderly? Where do they normally keep their toothbrushes collectively? In the outside bathroom, in the main building? Does everyone have their own toothbrush or do they share?
v Activity: State 2 other ways how you would go about exploring issues about each of the problems P1, P3, and P4?
A4 With the above information about the problem the designer is now ready to find a solution. Firstly, he/she needs to collect ideas about a solution. This is called investigating ideas for the solution. In what ways can toothbrushes be kept safely? What would be the best design? What types of material can be used? The method of investigation can involve the following ways:
· Interviewing homeowners, shopkeepers, youths, etc
· Checking library books
· browsing internet
With P2 as the example, 3 possible solutions will range from a ½ plastic bottle to a wooden rack to a plastic model, each with their own design for holding the toothbrushes. See the next page for the results of the research.
The designer will now start making sketches of the 3 possible solutions that he/she has come up with. He/she will continue to research ideas for his designs which he/she will put into his sketches. His sketches should look real, beautiful and appealing. Each design (possible solution) should be sketched beautifully so that a client might be impressed by it. Therefore, in order to produce good sketches the designer must have some knowledge of the Elements and Principles of design (see page 13). These are ways of using lines, shapes, forms, shades, colors, patterns, etc., to produce attractive drawings that would resemble the completed product a designer is hoping to present to a customer.
A5 After collecting ideas (at least 3 possible solutions, for our Design Journal) for a solution the designer will now be able to identify the most likely idea for the solution. How does one identify the most likely idea? Explore issues about each idea. Does a plastic bottle toothbrush holder look beautiful? Can a wooden toothbrush rack perform well in a wet environment? Can a molded plastic toothbrush holder be made locally? What do we know about the characteristics of materials (page 37) such as plastics, wood and, even, metal? Which material would be the most suitable in the chosen locations for keeping the toothbrushes safe? Is the material easily available, and do I have the skills to make a good product? Or can it be made locally by specialists?
v Activity: The designer has come up with 3 possible solutions for P2. Write down the characteristics of the proposed materials and state whether it has strengths or weaknesses.
The designer for the P2 problem has chosen the wooden toothbrush rack as the best possible solution because it can be easily built here as timber are easily available locally and working techniques are easy to apply, using basic carpentry tools, and it can be painted to make it waterproof.
We now understand what the problem is and know what the client expects when the problem is rid of, and have also identified the most likely idea that will solve the problem – a wooden toothbrush rack. Next, we will look at the product (wooden toothbrush rack) itself.
A6 We now know that we will be making a wooden toothbrush rack. Do we just up and start building one? No, we need to develop and refine the idea of a wooden toothbrush rack. What will it look like? What shape will it best serve its purpose? How will the brushes be held? Will aesthetic and ergonomics factors (page 21) even be considered here? Will the toothbrushes be held individually or thrown in as a group? What finish can be used so that it is not only waterproof but looks beautiful too? Or, in general, what form of technology are we’re going to use to make the product?
v Activity: Draw up a Table for aesthetic and ergonomic factors for each of the problems P1, P2, P3, and P4
A7 Now that we have developed and refined the idea, we need to start thinking of ways to make/build it. Here you will require a working drawing or Plan to guide you. This task is called devising the proposed solution. Sometimes, while on the drawing board, you might come up with new ideas and will want to make changes. You can do this as long as it is an Open Brief.
A8 With a working drawing (Plan) we are able to start making the product. But can we make sure that it works really well? How can we know that our design will look beautiful? How can we know that the toothbrushes will fit perfectly? We may want to test our design. How? Make a model and try it out – model or trial the proposal.
A9 We have completed all the tasks in the Designing Stage. We have clarified the problem, know the client's expectations, identified the most likely idea for the solution and refined it, and finally a working drawing. Our last task in this stage is to make a documented evaluation about the carrying out of the tasks involved in this design stage. How well did our investigation of the problem and solution go? Any constraints? Can other methods be used? Did we get to implement as many ideas as possible or were there limitations? Did we investigate the aesthetic factor? What about the ergonomics factor? What do we know about the characteristics of the materials we used and why did we use them? What about our working drawing? Have we used the proper drawing paper? Will other people be able to ‘read’ our working drawings? How can we improve our drawing standard? Etc.
v Activity: Write an evaluative report about the designing tasks that we carried out for P2
A10 To keep a record of all your activities – investigations, sketches, drawings, reports, etc. – you need to compile a Design Journal. This is a large envelope big enough for your largest drawing sheet. Keep all documents and drawings in this journal.
Ø Design a Journal (Envelope, Folder, etc) that you will carry and use throughout the Term.
