More design and making

Question 1

what are design strategies used for

Answer 1

to come up with initial design idea’s without getting stuck on a bad one

Question 2

what is a systems approach

Answer 2

• breaking down the design process into a number of different stages, and doing each in turn. very orderly and reliable

Question 3

what is user centred design

Answer 3

• in this strategy, the wants and needs of the user are prioritised - their thoughts are given lots of attention at each and every stage of the design process

Question 4

what is iterative design

Answer 4

the design strategy used to make a prototype. centred around a constant process of evaluation and improvement

Question 5

describe the process of iterative design in depth

Answer 5

1. develop a design brief and specification
2. sketch and model ideas
3. make a prototype
4. hold a focus group for the prototype to be tested by the target market
5. evaluate the design
6. improve the design to fix any problems
7. repeat stages 3 to 6

Question 6

what is collaboration

Answer 6

working with other people and is a key part of the design process

Question 7

advantages of collaboration

Answer 7

allows you to gain specialist knowledge from a variety of subject areas

Question 8

why would client involvement be helpful

Answer 8

• helpful to show them your designs, models and prototypes early on in the design process, to make sure it fits the image they had in mind
• allows them to give feedback to improve future iterations of the design

Question 9

why would user involvement be helpful

Answer 9

• involves asking a sample of the target market for input in the design process
• sims to get feedback from potential users on your design ideas, models and prototypes, and make improve this so that the end product is more appealing to the target market

Question 10

why are expert opinions helpful

Answer 10

• they are professionals in the industry
• you can benefit from their experience by asking them to look at your design and suggest improvements

Question 11

what is design fixation

Answer 11

getting stuck on a particular idea when designing a product
- stops you from thinking creatively and coming up with an innovative design

Question 12

why would following a design strategy stop design fixation

Answer 12

because it encourages you to look at your design in a critical way and make improvements where necessary

Question 13

other ways to avoid design fixation

Answer 13

• collaboration - brainstorming ideas with others and getting honest feedback could stop fixation
• focusing on new solutions to the design brief

Question 14

summarise the drawing part of making a design

Answer 14

• your initial sketches would be rough and freehand pencil drawings
• the next stage is trying out some more detailed sketches
• helps you see what will actually work in practice

Question 15

summarise the modelling part of designing

Answer 15

• modelling is making practice versions of your design
  -can make models using materials that are easy and quick to work with such as cardboard,balsa, jelutong
• it’s a good way to visualise your design in 3D and spot any problems
• you can use the modelling stage to try out different materials and joining techniques, and think whether you could reduce the number of parts to make construction easier

Question 16

different types of modelling

Answer 16

toile and breadboards

Question 17

summarise toiles

Answer 17

• they are early versions of a clothing design
• worn by a model or mannequin
• used to work out the proportions and fit of the garment

Question 18

what properties should the fabric used to make the toile have

Answer 18

• cheap, so that the design can be experimented with and improved
• be lightly coloured, so you can mark up any changes needed onto it
• have similar properties to the real fabric you’re planning to use, so that the drape of the garment can be perfected too

Question 19

what are breadboards used for

Answer 19

to test whether a circuit design works

Question 20

describe breadboards

Answer 20

• theyre boards with rows of holes that electronic components can be pushed through
• useful as they don’t require soldering , so components can be easily removed and the circuit can be easily changed

Question 21

how can CAD help with modelling

Answer 21

• CAD can be used to draw a detailed 3D design and CAM machines such as 3D printers can print a model

Question 22

summarise the testing and evaluating part of designing a product

Answer 22

• after making the first model, run a few tests to check that its how it should be
• spot any potential problems
• write down what the problem is and suggest how to fix it
• evaluate the model against the design specification
• modify your specification if necessary

Question 23

after you have a final design, what’s the next step

Answer 23

developing a prototype

Question 24

when starting to develop a prototype,what do you need to have an idea of

Answer 24

• the best materials, tools and other equipment to use
• the assembly process
• how much it should cost to manufacture each product