Instructions:

In this project, your target audience is a member of your family.

1. Go home and ask your family members what problem might be solved with an item that you can design and create using the available materials:
   • plywood (3mm - 15mm)
   • multi-colored acrylic
   • wood glue
   • scroll saw
   • band saw
   • hand drill
   • belt sander
2. Use the below template to answer the questions

Example Products:

• Phone, wallet, glasses, etc organizer
• Bird House
• Key Organizer

Instructions:

Now that you know what problem you would like to solve, it's time to think about research. Here are some examples of questions you might want to consider in your inquiry and how they can be prioritized and categorized into primary and secondary research.

Content Research...

1. What product can I create to solve my problem. (Primary)
2. What will I have to measure to create my product? (Primary)
   • What are the measurements of those items? (Primary)

Skills Research...

1. What skills do I need to learn or use to create my product? (Primary)
2. How can I learn these skills?

Instructions:

Research and analyze 4 - 5 (range) existing products and use the following technique:

SWOT Analysis

1. Strengths
   • List positive aspects about the product.
2. Weaknesses
   • List negative aspects of a product.
3. Opportunities
   • List ways to improve the product to make it more relevant to your target audience.
4. Threats
   • List things you don't control that could limit the success of your product.

Instructions:

Summarize what you have learned in your research. What's important to remember and how will you get started with your design process?

How does a Design Brief look?

• present key information concisely
• explain how and why the information is relevant to solving the problem
• evaluate the validity of the data

Now that you have completed your research, let's make sure you are on the right track to create a successful product or solution.

Instructions:

1. Review the comments on Seesaw so far. Is there anything you could do to improve?
   • 0 - 3: Comment detailing major issues
   • 4 - 6: Comment for small improvements and liked
   • 7 - 8: Liked
2. Ask the teacher for any clarification and improve your work.
3. Your predicted progress is listed in your feedback on Veracross.

Explanation:

Design specifications is a design document that explains the details for how your product is to be put together. Each design specification document must include the following 3 items:

1. Specifications - What design specifications, or detailed descriptions, will make your final product successful?
2. Success Criteria - What will you do to make sure your design specifications turn out the way you want them to?
3. Testing Method - How will you check to see if your idea works?

In other words, design specification may explain in detail what your product must do or has to include in order to work or be successful.

Instructions:

1. First, identify at least 5 specifications for your product and write your 5 ideas down in the imperative form. For example, you can say something like "My dog house must not contain any sharp edges because someone or something may get hurt by the edges," or "My dog house has to include a roof so my dog is not wet when it rains," or "My parents (target audience) must find the object I create safe for use."
2. Next, think about your success criteria for each specification and write down you can make sure each of your specification is achieved. For example, you can say something like "My final product will have smooth edges that are sanded down," or "My dog house will have a roof that is water proof."
3. Then, consider your testing method for each specification and write down how you plan to test your product to make sure it is successful. For example, you can say something like "I will test the object myself and ask peers and my teacher to judge the safety of the object before giving it to my parents."
4. Last, submit your design specification into the activity labeled B1 in Seesaw.

Explanation:

Concept sketching is an integral, or necessary, part of the design process. Concept sketching allows you to have a visual example of your product. This is a good way to explore ideas about your product and find out what may or may not work.

Concept sketching must also include important notes, or annotations, about your product to help you and others get a better understanding of what materials you may need to create your product. Annotations will also allow you and others to have a better sense of what your final product may look like.

Instructions:

Based on your design specifications and the opportunities you identified during your SWOT analysis of existing products, begin to sketch out at least 4 different ideas.

1. Take an A4 paper and fold it in the middle horizontally and vertically so that there are 4 boxes.
2. Concept sketch 4 different ideas of what your product can look like using a ruler and pencil. For example,...
   • Desk Organizer
   • Chord Organizer
   • Jewelry Box
   • Bird House
3. Now annotate, or add notes, to your design by identifying key features such as the materials you'll use, the colors of your product, the measurements of your product, etc.

Explanation:

Choosing a concept sketch is a major step in the design process. Equally as important is being able to justify, or give reasons, for choosing that particular concept sketch.

Instructions:

Which concept sketch gets the most points based on your design specifications? Once you know which sketch has the best chance of meeting most of the specifications, justify why it will best suit the needs of your target audience. If you have trouble choosing, consider surveying your peers using the same template.

Instructions:

Now that you have chosen your final design drawing, develop your it further by adding more detail (measurements, color, etc).

Outline what you will need to create your product by creating a cutting list.

Now that you have completed your design, reflect on your progress with this self assessment.

Instructions:

Complete the questions below using the template provided:

1. During this term I was successful at...
2. One area for improvement could be...
3. Three steps I could to take to be more successful are:
   • a)
   • b)
   • c)

Instructions:

While you are creating your product, you must document the process that you have gone through to demonstrate the technical skills you are learning. This can later serve as a roadmap to create similar products or solutions.

Write or record the following:

1. STEPS TAKEN: Simple documentation of what step you are taking in the process (i.e. concept sketching).
2. ~ TIME: Approximate (~) time needed to complete the step.
3. RESOURCES: List resources needed to complete the step (i.e. A4 paper, pencil and ruler)
4. PROCESS: Brief description of the process you will go through.
5. PROGRESS / CHANGES: Document actual time and any changes you made to the process.

Instructions:

Present your final design and document whether or not you met your key dates or had to change your plans. This can also be a link to your final product or solution.

Instructions:

During the design cycle, it is rare that everything goes to plan. Measurements need to be adjusted, unforeseen events interfere with key dates.

Document any challenges that you encountered while making your product or solution and describe what changes you made to your design and plan as a result.

Example:

Challenges: I couldn't get the product finished in time for my due date because I missed 2 classes due to a sports tournament abroad.

Justification for any changes made to your design and plan: My plan had to be adjusted by pushing back my key date by 1 day since I had to use academic prep time to finish sanding my product. My design changed a little bit because I didn't have time to paint my product.

Now that you have completed your product or solution, help out a peer in reviewing their work. Use the template provided to give them constructive feedback.

Instructions:

Complete the questions below using the template provided:

1. During this term, (write peer name here) was successful at __________.
2. One area for improvement could be...
3. Three steps (write peer name here) could to take to be more successful are:
   • a)
   • b)
   • c)

Instructions:

Go back to the design specifications that you created in B1. Look at the testing methods that you considered using to test if those specifications would be successful. Design and carry out those methods.

Typical testing methods include:

• Survey of people’s opinion’s - what questions would be asked, set up the form or template (subjective)
• Timing how long an operation takes - what data would be collected and how to record it (objective)
• Checklist for Visually or aurally inspecting final product - Spreadsheet with list of what is to be observed etc (subjective)
• Observation of users to see how quickly they learn to use the new system, how often they need help or make errors (subjective)
• Stress-testing: Use the product or solution in ways that would be expected in real-life operation (objective or subjective)
• Inspection: Weigh it or measure it - Specification table with tolerances (objective)
• Comparison: Comparing the product with existing products in the marketplace noting strengths and weaknesses (objective or subjective)

Instructions:

Go back to the design specifications that you created in B1. Paste these specifications into the first column in the template provided. Based on the tests you conducted in D1, paste in the link to the results of this testing in the Testing Results column. Evaluate the success of the testing. Were your design specifications met?

Instructions:

Identify improvements that you believe your product or solution would benefit from to positively impact your target audience. Detail the reason or cause that you believe justify that improvement.

Instructions:

Think about how your product or solution impacted your target audience. Include reasons or causes.