Design, Planning and Project Realisation
Design, Planning and Project Realisation
The coursework domain tests a full design cycle: brief, research, specification, ideas, selection, planning, making, testing and evaluation.
Core rules
- A specification must be measurable: size, strength, cost, finish, safety and environmental impact. Vague aims such as 'make it good' cannot be tested.
- Generate more than one idea, compare against the specification, and justify the chosen solution. Record rejected ideas and reasons.
- Planning uses a flow chart or Gantt chart with stages, times, materials, tools and risk controls. Identify dependencies and inspection points.
- Making evidence includes cutting lists, CAD drawings, photographs of stages, quality checks and records of modifications.
- Evaluation compares the finished outcome with the original specification, not with personal opinion alone.
Worked example
A desk tidy is specified as: holds at least 20 pens, footprint under 150 mm × 100 mm, stable when tilted 10°, made from recycled material, cost under €5. The chosen design is tested by loading 20 pens and tilting it; the result is recorded against each criterion. If it tips at 8°, the design is modified or the specification is reconsidered with justification.
Traps
Writing untestable requirements; skipping initial ideas; producing a plan with no risk controls; testing without recording results; evaluating against a changed specification without saying so.