Kildare Catholic College Stage 6 Year 12 Design & Technology Unit: Major Design Project 2015

Overview Duration
Focus Area: Designing and Producing Weeks/ Hours: 32 weeks 128 hours
Rationale/Unit Summary Lesson number: 128 lessons
HSC Design and Technology endeavours to provide students with an in-depth exploration of design, both as a theoretical concept
and in an applied context.
By the end of this course we aim to give students as close to a professional design experience as we can. Thus the projects, the
resources and the ways of working will mimic the design industry.
Students are encouraged to use this final year as an opportunity to explore and challenge themselves, to develop high levels of
creative and analytical thinking and to acquire skills in contemporary and traditional technology areas.
At Kildare we look to undertake design briefs that are open ended, require students centred learning and provide career
opportunities for all students. We also recognise our strengths and weaknesses in the identification of design projects and
endeavour to steer students to maximise their strengths.

Catholic Values Skills and Concepts

Big ideas / Key Questions
Throughout the teaching of this unit, students will learn about sustainable
practices in designing and producing. In addition, ethical design and
characteristics of designers who model best practice ethical design will be
studied. Students will learn to use resources efficiently and appreciate
natural resources in the design and production of their major project.
Using market research to identify and respond to contemporary trends in design
and other market needs
Sustainable design from cradle to grave to cradle to cradle.
The impact of emerging technologies on design and production in domestic,
community, industrial and commercial settings.
Generation and communication of design ideas in a variety of contexts.
Commercial production methods and their application across a range of scales
of production

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Outcomes Assessment overview
Component Due date Weighting
Outcomes
Designing & Producing Wk 9 T4 2014 20%
H1.1 critically analyses the factors affecting design and the
development and success of design projects
Designing & producing Exam Wk 9 T1 20%
H1.2 relates the practices and processes of designers and producers to
the major design project
H3.2 uses creative and innovative approaches in designing and Designing & Producing Wk 9 T2 20%
producing
H4.1 identifies a need or opportunity and researches and explores ideas
Designing & producing Trial Exam 20%
for design development and production of the major design project
H4.2 selects and uses resources responsibly and safely to realise a
quality major design project
H4.3 evaluates the processes undertaken and the impacts of the major
design project
H5.1 manages the development of a quality major design project
H5.2 selects and uses appropriate research methods and
communication techniques
H6.1 justifies technological activities undertaken in the major design
project and relates these to industrial and commercial practices.

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 Content and Teaching and Learning Assessment & Feedback Resources Date
Outcomes

H4.1 Requirements for the design project Use design diary to document
Identification idea development and areas of
and Develop a major design project proposal that clearly interest
exploration of outlines:
the need identification and exploration of the need
areas of investigation
criteria to evaluate success
Research and respond to the findings of experimentation
and research, including market research
Introduction to assessment Task 1. Explain task
requirements for parts A & B.
Identification of need must be based around the following
areas:
BOS requirements,
Appropriate scope (students should identify projects
that provide opportunities to exhibit higher order
thinking skills. Projects must also be of a level where
there is enough work to justify a years worth of work)
Available and accessible resources (people, $,
technology)
Interest. This must not be underestimated as students
need to address this project for a year Class discussion
Students skills
Theory: Invention, innovation and emerging technology an
introduction (keynote & worksheet)
Activity: brainstorming & mind mapping (handout). Students
begin a mind map that is workshopped by the whole class.

Exploration of needs requires students to justify their need

and prove it is a valid area of design. This research forms

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Outcomes

part A of task 1. Strategies may include

Direct research with the target market.
o Surveys
o Questionnaires
o Sales/statistical data
Observational analysis of existing designs/site with SWOT
analysis
Exploration of different ways of solving the same identified
need. Analysis of possible
opportunities documented in
Students are encouraged to engage in discussion with
design diary.
design professionals as a source of inspiration.
Contact can be made through family and school.
Formulate final proposal and
Theory: Design Catalysts (keynote & work sheets)
submit draft.

Case study: Designing out crime (keynote & worksheet).

Class discussion
Select and apply appropriate research methods:
H5.2 Preparation and submission of
data collection, analysis, interpretation and application draft.
H4.1 of conclusions
Areas of Develop a major design project proposal that clearly
investigation outlines:
identification and exploration of the need
areas of investigation
Class discussion and analysis of parameters. Include but not
limited to:
Participation in classroom
Time
discussion
Finance
Skills
Resources

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 Content and Teaching and Learning Assessment & Feedback Resources Date
Outcomes

One on one: Ways of researching the needed. Research plans

for part A of Task 1. Needs to include:
The areas need to be justified as to the reason why
these need to be explored and why the method
selected is appropriate.
At least three distinctly different methodologies
must be used.
All areas of research identified must be followed up
on.
A variety of sources and methodologies must be
used including primary/secondary, qualitative and
quantitative.
Class discussion: Areas of investigation
Constructing a research plan for the project. Must be specific
to each project, generic lists are to be avoided. Similar
guidelines to above. Methodologies need to be expanded to
include:
Testing and experimentation
Suppliers of materials
Focus group testing
Useability tests
Examine samples in exemplar folios. Good and poor examples
discuss why they are considered a good or poor example.
Brainstorm what needs to be researched.

C4S developed and documented

H4.3 Clearly establish functional and aesthetic criteria of the major
in line with MDP marking criteria
design project.
Criteria to
evaluate At the start of the MDP students will need to set down the
success criteria that will indicate to the markers the success of the
students project. In setting the criteria out the student will
Submission of draft
need to provide a one to two sentence outline of the criteria,

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Outcomes
followed by a summary paragraph stating the rationale behind
this criteria. This rationale may be supported with evidence
such as photos, statistics or market research.
Identify criteria under the following headings.
Functional based criteria
Aesthetic based criteria
Environmental criteria
Students should propose a method of testing or measuring
the identified criteria.

H5.1 Project management Plans developed, implemented

documented in line with MDP
Action, time including methods of managing action, time and marking criteria
and finance finance appropriate to the nature of individual design
plans and their projects
application documentation procedures for developing
management plans
Action plans can be developed as Gantt charts, flow charts
or tables. Each task should identify resources required to
complete it. Tasks should be arranged so as to illustrate
dependent and non-dependent tasks.
http://www.ganttchart.com Submission of Task 1 draft by
end week 6 term 4. Students
given written feedback and
Students have completed relevant theory in previous units opportunity to integrate this
revise using examples. feedback into their final
submission.
Time plans must identify the tasks identified in the Action
plan and map these against time.
Finance plans should look to identify key areas of
expenditure.
Use exemplar folios to examine ways to construct finance plan
.

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Outcomes

Discuss ways in which costs can be predicted.

Students undertake research to construct own finance plan.
Students must provide evidence that these have been
applied and amended throughout the process.
Students submit Task 1

H3.2 Research and methods of experimentation to generate ideas Creative techniques adopted
in the development of the MDP. and implemented to develop
H4.1
MDP.
Creativity as a concept differs from project to project. Some
Evidence of
key methodologies are outline here: Documented in line with MDP
creativity
marking criteria
ideas 1. Analysis of existing designs
generation, 2. A specific design philosophy (eg Art Deco, Modernism)
degree of drives the project
Students use design diary to
difference and 3. Inspiration as a source of ideas
manage information before
exploration of 4. Technology push/pull.
Documenting in folio.
existing ideas 5. Biomimetic
6. Market demands

Read relevant chapter in text (Glover Chapt. 4)

Discuss different methods of idea generation. Worksheet to
include:
Cognitive organisers
o Venn diagrams
o Fishbone
o PMI
o Think pair share
o Hierarchy diagrams
Mind maps
Thumbnail sketching

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 Content and Teaching and Learning Assessment & Feedback Resources Date
Outcomes

Students seek out inspiration and begin documentation of

design ideas.
Teacher to assist students in selecting appropriate methods.

H1.1 Applying factors affecting design in the development of a Design factors Documented in
Consideration design project line with MDP marking criteria
of design
factors appropriateness of the design solution
relevant to the needs
major design function
project aesthetics
finance
ergonomics Submission of draft in order to
OH&S provide written feedback.
sustainability
long and short term environmental consequences
quality
obsolescence
life cycle analysis
Review Design Factors worksheet for outline of key factors.
What factors need to be addressed? The Syllabus outlines a
number of factors. This is not an exclusive list. Some markers
look for all of these to be addressed and so even if they are
not relevant they need to be addressed by showing how they
are not relevant.

Discuss with individual students the factors relevant to

their project and ways in which they can be addressed.
During the Project Development and Realisation phase of the
project the design factors need to be explicitly addressed.
The design solution must focus on each identified factor and

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Outcomes

ensure that the key issues are solved.

H5.2 Research methods relevant to individual projects Research documented in line

with MDP marking criteria.
Documentation Data collection
of research,
experimentatio Qualitative & quantitative
n and testing Questionnaires
of Surveys
Interviews
design Tests and experimentation
Observation
ideas
Tests and experiments
materials
Statistical analysis
tools
techniques
analysis, interpretation and application of conclusions.
MDP research consists of a variety of areas. The significant
addition to previous work is the depth of experimentation and
testing required with materials, tools and techniques. Submission of draft for written
feedback.
Model making to visualise design solution.
Experiment = To examine options, to develop. Thus we
experiment with resin to see what the material will/wont do.
Tests = To try something to see if it works, performs. Thus
we test resin to see if it will mould to a particular form.
These experiments and tests should either reflect the
resources identified in the Project Proposal and Management
section and/ or test the design ideas generated. They can be
undertaken in the form of scientific experiments, test pieces, One on one discussion on
prototypes, working models and so on. relevant research methods.

Examine exemplar folios. Use them to generate discussion

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 Content and Teaching and Learning Assessment & Feedback Resources Date
Outcomes

around the tests undertaken and their purpose/relevance.

Why was it important to test these materials/tools/techniques.
Reference: MDP handbook.

From the Research, Experimentation and Testing phase of the

process students need to show evidence in their prac work,
choice of resources and design directions.

Discuss conclusions with teacher

and document findings and
research in folio.

Application
of
conclusion
s

H4.2 Factors to be considered when selecting resources including: Resources identified and
selected. Documented in line
Identification Safety with MDP marking criteria
and Ethical issues
justification of Environmental issues
ideas and
Draft submission for written
resources
feedback.
Identify, select, use and justify the use of resources based on

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 Content and Teaching and Learning Assessment & Feedback Resources Date
Outcomes

the results and analysis of research

Following on from the identification section in the Project

Proposal and Management section and the testing and
experimentation phase of the research process a short
evaluation of final materials/tools should occur. This provides
the final check before production.

Students produce a summary of OH&S requirements for

project realisation.

H5.2 Evidence of the testing of design solutions and application of Tests designed and undertaken.
conclusions
Evidence of
the testing of
Documented in line with MDP
design
Justify decisions made based on analysis of research. marking criteria, supported with
solutions and
test samples, models,
application of Students undertake design solution testing.
photographs.
conclusions
Types of design solution tests:
Prototype or working model
Sketch Model or mock up that simulates the design
solution
Component testing
For virtual projects such as web pages and video a
storyboard or layout mock up can be viewed.
Areas for consideration
Performance
Ease of manufacture
Resource availability
Target markets response to the design.

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 Content and Teaching and Learning Assessment & Feedback Resources Date
Outcomes

Conclusions reached may require a revisit to the idea

generation process.
At this point in their process students can also begin to
examine the lifecycle environmental impact of their solution.

H4.2 Evidence and application of practical skills to produce a Students work safely, produce a
quality project model, prototype or a final
Evidence and
product in line with MDP marking
application of
criteria
practical skills
Explain the principles underlying safe working practices and
to produce a
environments
quality project
Photos of process from start to
identify, select, use and justify the use of resources finish.
based on the results and analysis of research to ensure
safe working practices and safe design solution.
Students construct the PSE. Teacher to monitor all practical
work and give feedback as
Appropriate OH&S procedures are adhered to. appropriate

Individual teacher supervision of students projects in the

workshop.

Students prepare a table of OH&S requirements for the

portfolio prior to beginning construction.

H1.2 The work of designers Implementation of theory of

Industrial practices to their MDP.
Relates the design practice
practices and processes used by designers
processes of
Draft submission to receive
designers and
Emulate, where appropriate, the practices and processes used feedback.
producers to

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Outcomes

the major by designers to assist in the development of the major design

design project project
Work with design professionals and to seek professional
feedback from people in the industry.
Students research industrial/commercial techniques and
processes in the relevant field as a part of the research and
investigation phase of the project
Students submit Task 4

H4.3 Project evaluation Throughout the portfolio the key

question is addressed. Later
Record and ongoing evaluation throughout the MDP stages should be fed from
application of test possible solutions conclusions drawn.
evaluation implementation of design solutions
procedures
throughout the Key question that students must address in all of their
ongoing evaluation is..What does this mean to later Verbal feedback
design project
sections of my MDP?
Methods
Notes, formal end of section notes.

H4.3 Evaluate the major design project in terms of the identified Formal evaluation Documented
criteria for success in line with MDP marking
Analysis and
criteria.
evaluation of Areas to consider
functional and
aesthetic Target market
Outside expert Verbal feedback
aspects of
design Functional testing
Reference to Design Factors
All evaluation needs to be related back to the criteria for
success analysed in the design proposal.
Evaluate Make a judgment based on criteria; determine the

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Outcomes

value of

Final Evaluate the impact of the major design project on the Submit draft for feedback.
evaluation
with respect to Individual
the project society Written feedback on draft.
proposal and Environment (local and global) in relation to potential
the project's social or environmental costs or benefits.
impact on Test possible solutions of the major design project
society and
the Work through scaffold as class. Students then produce
environment drafts of evaluation section specific to their project.
Draft submitted for written
Refer to handout and MDP handbook. feedback

Students examine the success of the MDP in terms of their

individual Project Proposal.

Analysis of how well they met their identified need.

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 KILDARE CATHOLIC COLLEGE UNIT EVALUATION

Reflective Evaluation What Worked Well? Recommendations for Modification

How Do You Know?
Effectiveness of Learning and
Teaching Strategies:

Effectiveness of Assessment
Activities (Formative and
Summative):

How did data and feedback inform

my practice and student learning?

How effectively were cross curricula

priorities integrated into this unit?

What targeted areas/ skills have I

identified to include in future units?

Adjustments and Considerations for Specific Students:

Name:

Start of Unit: Completion of Unit: Class:

Coordinator: Date:
Teacher:

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