In Objective B, you will:
- Create A Design Specification
- Create a range of (several) ideas for your product
- Present The Chosen Design
- Develop Planning Drawings or Diagrams
Design Specification
Read the examples below to get an idea about how to write your specification
A specification is a set of requirements for your product and what it must or must not have to be successful.
All parts of a specification must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and testable (SMART).
The table below lists all elements
Aesthetics |
Consider appearance, style, colour, shape/form, texture, pattern, finish, layout. |
|---|---|
Cost |
Is there a maximum cost? Is this a material cost/time cost/selling cost? |
Customer |
Who it is for? What is the target user’s age, gender, socio-economic background? |
Environmental considerations |
Where will the solution be used? How will the design directly or indirectly affect the environment? |
Function |
What it must do? What is its purpose? Where will the product be stored? How easily can it be used/maintained? |
Manufacturing |
What resources are available? Are there limitations as to how this can be created? How much time is needed to create the design? |
Materials |
What materials are available? What properties do the materials need to have? |
Safety |
What safety factors need to be incorporated into the design? |
Size |
Are there any specific sizes that need to be considered? What “human factors” need to be considered? What anthropometric data needs to be considered? |
Poor examples of a design specification |
Good examples of a design specification |
My storage device must look good/nice. The interface must look attractive. |
The storage device must contrast with the furnishings of the room; so bright colors such as red, yellow and orange would work really well. The interface must appeal to my target audience; whose favorite colors are hot pink and deep purple. |
It must work well.It must function correctly. |
The clock must display the time accurately.The clock must have a method to hang it on the wall.The storage device must store my jewellery collection (list the specific types of jewellery and quantity) 10 rings, 5 bracelets and 10 pendants.All information on the web page must be accessible using 3 clicks or less. |
My storage device must be the right size. |
My storage device must be able to hold 20 pencils that are 170mm long and 8mm in diameter.The images on the web page must be clear and visible when viewing from 50cm from the screen. |
My animation should be fun. |
My Flash animation should contain animated graphics that carry the meaning of the song included, sing-along with bouncing dots and appropriate typography (Sassoon Primary or similar.) |
My video must include music. |
My video must include up-beat, hip-hop style music. |
My video must not be too long. |
My video must be last at least 1 minute and no more than 2 minutes. |
Develop Design Ideas
When developing design ideas, you will create several possible solution to the problem. This can be in the form of drawings, prototypes, storyboards, etc. The type of design idea created depends on whether you are creating a digital or product design.
Annotations
You will also need to include annotations. These help understand your design idea and can include colors, fonts, themes, types of images that will be used, etc. Below is a design idea for the home page to an e portfolio. Annotations are used in the margin to explain the design elements in more detail.
Present Chosen Design
Once you have developed a range of possible ideas, you will need to present the chosen idea. You will also need to present any details related to the design such as color, features, function, You should also include reasons the design was chosen in reference to the design specification.
Develop Planning Drawings or Diagrams
Now that you have chosen your final design, you should include a more detailed plan for a manufacturer to create a final prototype/sample/model. To get the correct solution created to the correct specification, designers must communicate their final chosen solution to a manufacturer very clearly. Planning diagrams and drawings are communication tools that are essential for good design.
The bridge diagram example below details the bridge design in more detail. It labels the key elements of the bridge and color codes them as well. Additional details should be added for the bridge dimensions as well as the materials that it will be made from.
