WACE ATAR Design case studies
WACE ATAR Design · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) ATAR Design course is a senior-secondary subject for Year 11 and 12 students in Western Australian schools who are working towards an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank and an interest in design practice. It is administered within the WACE framework by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority, the statutory body responsible for curriculum, assessment, standards and certification in Western Australia. The WACE ATAR Design case studies are 5 cases and about 2,695 words.
1The Sinking Shelf: Tolerances in a Flat-Pack Display Unit
A student is building a flat-pack retail display shelf from 12 mm MDF for a school exhibition. The design uses interlocking slots: the vertical panels have 12.4 mm slots so the horizontal shelves slide in with a friction fit.
585 words, about 3 min2Wayfinding for a Low-Literacy Clinic Waiting Room
A design student is developing a wayfinding system for a community health clinic waiting room that serves a neighbourhood where about 35 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home and roughly 15 percent have limited literacy in any language. The room is 8 m by 5 m, with four service counters, two corridors leading off it, and a single reception desk.
510 words, about 3 min3The Recycled-Content Brief That Cannot Be Met
A Year 12 student is designing a protective case for a portable speaker. The client brief specifies that the case must use at least 70 percent recycled content by mass, survive a 1.2 m drop onto concrete, and retail for under 25.
543 words, about 3 min4When the Client's Favourite Colour Fails the Accessibility Test
A student is designing a mobile app interface for a local youth mentoring service. The client has supplied a brand palette: a mid-tone teal primary button (#3AAFA9) with white label text, a light grey secondary button, and a coral accent.
526 words, about 3 min5Scope Creep in a Six-Week Furniture Project
A student has six weeks and 18 workshop hours to design and make a small side table for a school cafe area. The brief requires a stable table 450 mm high with a 400 mm square top, made from a single 2400 x 1200 mm sheet of 18 mm plywood, with a finish suitable for daily use.
531 words, about 3 min