The design cycle

1. THE DESIGN CYCLE MODELLING SUCCESS

2. DESIGNERS are asked to SOLVE A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS

3. The design cycle model

4. The stages of design Each stage has equal importance and can be revisited at any point during the process this is called an iterative design process If a solution fails then the you may need to go back to the initial design idea and work out the problem If your customer doesn’t agree with your ideas you may have to add their criticisms to your criteria list If your testing goes badly you may have to redesign your model Lets look at the stages of the process

5. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM The first stage in design is to identify a suitable problem In your case this problem will be given to you A designer would consider this problem thoroughly before offering a solution

6. IDENTIFY CRITERIA AND CONSTRAINTS W hat are the criteria that your solution must fit These could be simple in the case of a chair the criteria could be that it should be comfortable and stable In this instance the criteria will be based on the products ability to perform the tasks set out in the challenge What are the constraints that will mold your ideas Constraints can linked with cost ,production methods ,time ,materials or skill

7. BRAINSTORM POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS T he criteria and constraints will guide you through this stage where your team will gather together to share ideas and knowledge Brainstorming is known as divergent thinking which means at this stage there is no such thing as a bad idea

8. GENERATE IDEAS At this stage there may be more than one solution which presents itself as workable Sketches and quick model making techniques can be used to formulate solutions

9. EXPLORE POSSIBILITES With a variety of possible ideas it is time to decide on which solution should be developed further This is an essential stage in the design cycle and can have an impact on the success of your solution

10. SELECT AN APPROACH Decide on a strategy for developing your solution All members of the design team should be given a role at this point it could be to attain material, to manage time constraints or to engineer the final design solution

11. BUILD A MODEL OR PROTOTYPE A model can highlight problems that paper based analysis might miss Modelling is used in all design industries from architecture to car design

12. REFINE THE DESIGN Improve your design based on findings from the modelling stage Address any problems that your developed design has encountered Test your design against the criteria Testing is the area of design which ensures a successful product

13. The final design solution After testing and modification your design is ready for trials In design terms this is where the customer or consumer gets to see your ideas If this stage goes well you are on your way to being a successful designer

14. YOUR TASK In teams you are going to go through the first 5 stages of the design cycle You will be given 5 minutes each on the first 5 stages of the design cycle so 25 minutes in total You will have to make quick decisions and work together You will be asked to record the process on the sheet Your design does not have to be realistic, the best ideas come from imagination

15. Choose a problem from the options below You have so many books and heavy equipment to carry to school you are already tired before you get there , design a product that will help you carry your equipment and also help keep you from tiring too easily You are on your way to Mars to start a new life. Design a product that will help you live a happy and healthy life on your new planet You have an elderly relative who finds new technology difficult to understand design a product that will help them keep up with the modern world 4. Your pet looks sad, design a product that will cheer it up and make it happy