QCAA Design key terms

A written statement that sets out the problem to be solved, who it is for, what it must do, and the limits the designer must work within.

A fixed limit on a design, such as budget, materials, time, safety rules or available equipment, that the solution must work within rather than aim for.

Measurable statements describing what a finished design must achieve so that it can later be judged as working or not working.

A detailed list of the requirements, dimensions, materials and performance targets a product or system must meet, used to guide making and checking.

The person or organisation who commissions and pays for a design solution and whose needs shape the brief, often distinct from the end user.

The person who actually operates or lives with the finished design, whose abilities, habits and context must be understood during development.

Any group or individual affected by a design decision, including makers, sellers, neighbours, regulators and the community, not only the buyer.

An approach that repeatedly studies real users' needs, tasks and difficulties, then tests prototypes with them so decisions are driven by evidence rather than assumption.

An organised sequence of investigating, generating, developing, testing and refining that moves a designer from an unclear problem toward a justified solution.

Repeating a design step with changes based on what was learned, so each version improves on the last rather than being produced once and left alone.

Generating many varied and unusual possibilities before judging them, widening the range of options so weaker early ideas are not locked in.

Narrowing a wide set of options down to the strongest few by comparing them against criteria, evidence and constraints.

A group or individual technique for quickly producing many ideas with judgement postponed, encouraging quantity and unusual connections before any screening happens.

A branching diagram that places a central topic in the middle and spreads related ideas outward, showing how concepts connect and where gaps exist.

An early working model built to test particular features or assumptions, deliberately incomplete so that problems can be found cheaply and quickly.

A full-size or scaled model made mainly to check appearance, proportion or fit rather than to function, often from simple materials such as card or foam.

A quick freehand drawing that records and communicates an early idea, emphasising overall form and intent rather than precise dimensions.

A precise drawing using standard conventions such as views, line types and dimensions so that another person can manufacture the item accurately.

A method of showing an object from several straight-on directions, usually front, top and side, arranged so each view lines up with the others.

A three-dimensional pictorial drawing where the three main axes are drawn at equal angles, giving a clear sense of form without perspective distortion.

A physical or digital three-dimensional representation built at a fixed ratio to the real object, used to study proportion, siting or assembly.

Short notes added to a drawing or diagram that explain materials, sizes, functions or design reasoning so the visual can be understood without the author present.

A reasoned explanation linking each significant design decision to evidence, user needs, criteria or constraints, showing why alternatives were rejected.

A table that scores each option against weighted criteria, producing a total that makes comparisons between competing designs visible and defensible.

Systematic judgement of a design against its stated criteria using test data and user evidence, identifying what works, what fails and what should change.

Planned procedures that measure how a design or material performs under defined conditions, generating data that can support or challenge claims about it.

Observing representative users attempting real tasks with a design, recording difficulties, errors and time taken to reveal problems the designer cannot see alone.

A cycle in which information about a design's performance returns to the designer and shapes the next version, allowing steady correction rather than one-off decisions.

The study of how people physically interact with products and workplaces, matching dimensions, forces and reach to human bodies to reduce strain and error.

The measurement of human body sizes and proportions across a population, used to set dimensions such as seat height, handle spacing and reach distances.

A value below which a given share of a measured population falls, used to size designs for a chosen portion of users rather than an average person.

Designing so a product can be made and put together efficiently, reducing part count, handling difficulty and assembly steps while maintaining function.

The permitted amount of variation in a dimension or process, set so parts still fit and function while remaining practical and affordable to produce.

A mass-produced part such as a bolt, bearing or connector made to a published size, chosen instead of a custom part to save cost and time.

The checks and procedures used during and after production to confirm that items meet the specification and that faults are caught before delivery.

Accepting a reduction in one desirable quality to gain another, such as lower weight for higher cost, made explicit so the decision can be defended.

Meeting present needs without exhausting resources or damaging systems that future generations depend on, considering environmental, social and economic effects together.

A structured method that totals the environmental impacts of a product from raw material extraction through manufacture, use and disposal or recovery.

Designing products so materials and components are reused, repaired or recovered at end of life instead of being discarded after a single useful period.

Planning joints, fasteners and material choices so a product can be taken apart cleanly, allowing repair, component reuse and separated recycling.

The total energy consumed in extracting, processing, manufacturing and transporting a material or product, before any energy is used in operation.

Legal rights over creations such as designs, inventions, brands and images, giving owners control over copying and use for a set period.

Automatic legal protection covering original expression such as drawings, text, plans and photographs, preventing unauthorised copying without needing registration.

A legal right protecting the visual appearance of a product, such as its shape, pattern or ornamentation, once the design is registered with the authority.

A granted right over a new and inventive technical solution, giving the holder exclusive use for a limited period in exchange for publishing how it works.

Designing so the widest reasonable range of people can use a product or space, including those with impairments, without needing separate special versions.

Adopting elements of a marginalised culture without understanding, credit or permission, which designers must consider when borrowing visual or material references.