Design Processes and Problem Solving
This domain tests whether you can reason through a design process rather than recite one. Understand the iterative, non-linear nature of design: investigating, defining, ideating, prototyping, testing, and refining loop back on each other. Be able to contrast divergent thinking (generating many possibilities) with convergent thinking (selecting and refining), and explain where each belongs. Know common problem-solving tools - brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER-style prompts, morphological analysis, and decision matrices - and, importantly, when each is appropriate.
A frequent trap is treating the process as a fixed sequence: questions that ask what a designer should do next often reward revisiting an earlier stage when testing reveals a new constraint. Another trap is confusing a prototype (a physical or digital model to test an idea) with a model (a representation to communicate) or a mock-up (scale or appearance test). Read the purpose stated in the question.
Worked example / rule of thumb: A student must choose the best of four phone-stand concepts against weighted criteria. Build a decision matrix: list criteria (stability, cost, ease of manufacture, ergonomics), assign weights summing to 1, score each concept out of 5, multiply and total. The highest weighted score wins - but state the limitation: results depend on the criteria and weights chosen, so justify them. Rule of thumb: diverge before you converge, and test before you commit. Always name the evidence that would change your decision.