Many IB Design Technology students work hard on their projects yet still achieve lower marks than expected. In most cases, this is not due to weak ideas or lack of effort, but because of avoidable mistakes that conflict with how the IB assesses the design project.
Understanding these mistakes early helps students protect marks across multiple criteria and avoid last-minute panic.
Treating the Project Like a Product, Not a Process
One of the biggest mistakes students make is focusing too heavily on the final product.
IB Design Technology does not reward:
- Visual polish alone
- Complex manufacturing
- A “perfect” final outcome
Instead, marks are awarded for design thinking, justification, testing, and evaluation. A simple product with strong reasoning will always outperform a complex product with weak explanation.
Writing Descriptively Instead of Analytically
Many students describe what they did without explaining why they did it.
For example:
- “The prototype was tested with the user.”
- “The material was chosen because it is strong.”
These statements earn very few marks unless followed by:
- Evidence
- Justification
- Evaluation
IB examiners reward analysis, not narration.
Weak or Vague Problem Statements
A poor problem statement quietly limits the entire project.
Common issues include:
- Problems that are too broad
