Design briefs and better products
Investigate and analyse existing products: work out who a product is for, what it does well and badly, how it works and what it is made from; use the analysis to write a design brief and criteria for a better version
What a learner can do afterwards
- Take a product (e.g. a lunchbox or a torch) and explain who it is for, how it works and what it is made from
- Point out strengths and weaknesses of a product against its purpose (e.g. 'the zip is fiddly for small hands')
- Turn findings into a brief and criteria for an improved design (e.g. 'must open one-handed')
1 · Read
You know a design needs a user and a job. To investigate an existing product, find out who uses it, how it works and what it is made from.
A camper's torch uses a battery to supply electricity to a bulb or LED. Its clear lens lets light through. The case protects the parts inside. Hard plastic alone does not prove drop resistance. An adult can carry out a planned drop test in a safe test area to check whether the case protects the parts.
Judge a product against its user's needs. A lunchbox handle that makes carrying comfortable is a strength. A zip that small hands struggle to open is a weakness. Observations or tests help you explain how a feature helps or hinders the user.
A design brief says who an improved product is for and what problem it should solve. Criteria say what it must meet. For a hard-to-open lunchbox, try 'the child can open it with one hand'. 'Nice' needs a clearer meaning before you can check it. You can investigate appearance by asking intended users a specific question about it.
Investigate a product, weigh its strengths against its weaknesses, then turn what you found into a brief with clear, testable criteria.
Lesson and assessment material written for this dataset.
2 · Watch
به انگلیسیTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Optional connections
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.