C4: Fully justify changes made to the chosen design and plan when making the solution.

Command Terms

It is normal for changes to be made during the manufacture of the design. Criterion C4 is where you can record changes made during the manufacture.

Any change you make should be justified - You should explain why the change was made.

Any changes you make should be focused on improving the product and user experience; However, changes should not be made to the user, design brief, or overall goal of the design inquiry. If you have strong research in Criteria A, then you should not need to make these kinds of changes. Check with your teacher before making any of these big changes.

Presentation of changes

There are different ways to present your changes: Table, list, or even with illustrations.

Whatever format you choose, though, it is best to include before and after images if possible.

What type of changes should I record?

Any change that is different than the design specifications (B1) or production plan (C1) should be recorded.

For example, if your specification for a stool says that it should be 45cm high, but your final design is 40 cm, you should describe why this change happened.

Types of changes

Depending on the type of change you might justify it in a different way.

1. Availability of materials and tools

Occasionally, a tool, equipment or material will become unavailable. In such a case you should:

describe the reason for it being unavailable,
describe the solution or change you decided to use,
Justify how this new change will still allow the product prototype to perform.

2. Errors or Difficulty

Careful planning and good work habits will reduce errors. However, if a change occurs because of an error or mistake, you should:

describe what caused the error ,
explain why it could not be repaired or fixed,
describe how and if the error will impact the performance of the design, and
discuss how you would prevent the error from happening again.

3. New information or ideas

It is not uncommon for a new idea or inspiration to come to you as you are creating the solution. This is normal. However, we should carefully evaluate whether or not to make the change. In most cases, if the change will improve the product for the user, or create an efficiency, then it is a good change.

In such a case, you should:

describe the change and justify why it will improve the product for the user.

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