---
title: "Design Briefs and Better Products"
description: "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 "
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/design-briefs-and-better-products-mt_QeNClHE0EG
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/design-briefs-and-better-products-mt_QeNClHE0EG.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

> **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants.
> When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md
> API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md
> Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt
> Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json
> Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`.

# 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

Subject: Design & Technology · Area: Designing & Making · Ages 8 to 11
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/design-briefs-and-better-products-mt_QeNClHE0EG

## Ready when they can

- 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')

## Lesson: From Studying a Product to a Design Brief

Before you design something new, look closely at something that already exists. Investigate it: find out who it is for, how it works, and what it is made from.

**Example.** Look at a torch. It is for campers who need light at night. Inside, a battery pushes electricity through a bulb or LED to make light. The case is hard plastic, so it survives being dropped, and the lens is clear plastic.

*(drawing: Every good brief starts with looking closely at what already exists.)*

**Example.** Now look for strengths and weaknesses. A lunchbox keeps food fresh and is easy to carry, so those are strengths. But if the zip is fiddly for small hands, that is a weakness, because it makes the lunchbox harder to use.

**Tip.** When you write your criteria, be specific enough that someone could check them. 'Must open one-handed' can be tested. 'Should look nice' cannot.

**Recap.** Investigate a product, weigh its strengths against its weaknesses, then turn what you found into a brief with clear, testable criteria.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Designing Products](https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/designing-products-mt_fZo-OWjM-T)
- [Comparing Design Solutions](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/comparing-design-solutions-mt_nNYo5A-7Bl)

## Opens up

- [Drawing a Design So Someone Else Can Build It](https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/drawing-a-design-so-someone-else-can-build-it-mt_8ezErqUhZw)
- [Iterative Design and Prototyping](https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/iterative-design-and-prototyping-mt_fYD3KaViOZ)
- [Designing for the People Who Use It](https://lightmysky.com/learn/design-and-technology/designing-for-the-people-who-use-it-mt_QPznzhuBNI)