MYP Design Selecting and Justifying the Chosen Design Notes

The Matrix Picks, The Justification Explains

1. The matrix produces a total, and the justification is the short piece of writing that says why that total means this idea gets built.
2. Criterion B asks you to present the chosen design and outline the reasons for selecting it, so this writing is assessed work.
3. Roughly 150 to 300 words is plenty, because a long justification is usually padding rather than reasoning.
4. Write it straight after scoring, while you still remember why row 6 got a 2.

Where The Justification Sits

1. It comes after the evaluation matrix and before any development work, since developing the wrong idea wastes weeks.
2. It hands over directly to your development pages, which start from the weaknesses you admit here.
3. Written late, it turns into a story invented to fit whatever you already built.

A Justification Makes Four Moves

1. State the choice by naming the idea and its total, such as the folding tray on 17 out of 20.
2. Give the reasons with two or three specification points it meets better than the rest, each named by number and backed by evidence.
3. Concede the losses by naming the points where it scored low and what you will do about each in development.
4. Bring in the client by quoting or summarising what they said when you showed them the ideas, with a date.
5. Four short paragraphs beat one long one, since a reader can see each move happening.

Refer To The Specification By Number

1. Every claim should carry a point number, so write "meets point 2" rather than "it fits well".
2. Numbers stop the writing drifting into taste, because a reader can check each claim against your own list.
3. Quote the target as well as the number where it helps, such as "point 1 sets a limit of 800 g".
4. Where a claim rests on an estimate rather than a measurement, say so in the same sentence.
5. If you find yourself justifying with a requirement that is not in the specification, you either missed it earlier or are inventing it now.

The Client Gets A Say, In Writing

1. Show your client all the ideas rather than only the one you want, and record what they say about each.
2. Capture the response in a usable form, such as dated notes, a transcribed recording or a signed comment sheet.
3. Ask questions that produce information, so "which of these three would you actually keep on your desk, and why?" rather than "do you like it?".
4. Client feedback can outrank a score, and when it does, your justification must name the point it overrode and explain why.
5. A client who has seen the whole range and chosen is also far less likely to ask for changes halfway through making.

Say What The Chosen Idea Gives Up

1. Every choice is a trade off, and naming yours is what separates a justification from an advert.
2. Write the losses plainly, such as 140 g over the mass target, four more parts to assemble, or 2 US dollars over budget.
3. For each loss say what happens next, whether that is a design change, a tested compromise or a limit accepted with the client.
4. Naming a weakness now also gives you something honest to report when you evaluate the finished product.
5. A justification claiming the chosen idea wins every row contradicts the matrix sitting above it.

Overriding The Matrix Is Allowed If You Show Your Working

1. Sometimes the second placed idea is the right build because of time, workshop access, cost or a client preference the scores never captured.
2. Choosing it is legitimate as long as you state what the matrix said and why you departed from it.
3. Name the constraint precisely, such as eight lessons of workshop time, no vacuum former, or a 15 US dollar budget.
4. Then add the missing consideration to your specification as a new numbered point with a date, so the gap is closed rather than ignored.
5. An unexplained override reads as ignoring your own evidence, which costs far more than the score difference ever would.