HSC Design and Technology study plan

Map the full design process from brief and need identification through research, ideation, development, evaluation and production, writing a one-line definition for each stage

Draft a folio skeleton with labelled sections (brief, research, ideation, development, testing, evaluation) and a page budget for each

Practise writing three short design briefs that state a need, a target user and explicit constraints

Set up a project tracking sheet logging hours, decisions and evidence sources for the folio

Apply ideation techniques (mind mapping, morphological analysis, SCAMPER-style prompts) to one chosen brief and generate at least 20 documented concepts

Justify selection of two concepts against criteria you define yourself, weighting each criterion

Produce annotated concept sketches that label materials, joints and user interaction points

Write a 200-word research summary linking user needs to design criteria

Translate the chosen concept into a development sequence with dimensions, tolerances and a parts list

Identify the manufacturing processes each part would require and note why each was chosen

Build a low-fidelity physical or digital prototype and record three specific failures or issues found

Document testing against the design criteria with measurable results

Compare five material families (timber, metals, polymers, textiles, composites) on strength, weight, cost, workability and sustainability

Match each part of your project to a material and defend the choice in two sentences

Explain three manufacturing methods suitable for small-batch production and their tooling implications

Identify quality-control checks appropriate to your chosen processes

Analyse the social impacts of your project on users, makers and the wider community

Complete a life-cycle assessment sketch covering extraction, manufacture, use and disposal

Evaluate two relevant standards, regulations or codes of practice that constrain the design

Revise at least two design decisions in response to environmental or social findings

Write the folio evaluation section draft linking outcomes back to the original brief

Compare three emerging technologies relevant to your field and assess their maturity and adoption barriers

Explain how innovation diffuses through a market, using one historical and one current example

Assess the commercial viability of your project including estimated unit cost and a simple break-even figure

Identify one enterprise pathway (licensing, direct sale, custom commission) and justify it

Assemble the complete folio and check every section against the marking criteria you listed in week 1

Redraft the evaluation to reference specific test evidence rather than general claims

Produce a concise project summary suitable for a non-specialist audience

Test the finished outcome against all design criteria and record pass or fail for each

Complete two timed practice responses covering process, materials and social/environmental questions

Review every incorrect or weak answer and write the corrected reasoning in your own words

Finalise the folio with corrected cross-references, page numbers and a contents page

Rehearse a five-minute oral explanation of the project covering brief, process, materials and evaluation