Choosing a client is one of the most strategic decisions in the IB Design Technology design project. A strong client can make justification, testing, and evaluation clear and manageable. A weak client, however, can quietly limit marks across the entire IA, even if the final solution looks impressive.
In IB Design Technology, the client is not just a name on a page. The client defines who the design is for, how decisions are justified, and how success is evaluated.
What Is a Client in IB Design Technology?
A client is the specific person or organisation experiencing the problem you are designing a solution for. The client provides:
- Real needs and constraints
- Feedback during testing
- Evidence for evaluation
The stronger and more realistic the client, the easier it becomes to demonstrate user-centred design and design thinking.
Why Client Choice Matters for IA Marks
Your client affects:
- The quality of your problem statement
- The relevance of your research
- The effectiveness of testing
- The strength of your evaluation
IB examiners reward projects where the client is clearly involved throughout the process. If the client feels artificial or vague, justification becomes weak and marks suffer.
Characteristics of a Good Client
The Client Is Specific and Real
Strong clients are real people or realistic organisations, not general groups.
Weak:
- “Students”
- “Gym users”
- “Office workers”
