MYP Design Writing a Design Specification

What design is and what designers do

The MYP design cycle

Key concepts in design

Related concepts in design

Global contexts in design

Command terms in design

Academic integrity and citing sources

Identifying a design problem

Explaining and justifying the need for a solution

Clients and target audiences

Primary research methods

Secondary research methods

Analysing existing products

Evaluating the relevance of research

Writing a design brief

Success criteria and testing methods

Generating design ideas

Annotating and presenting design ideas

Evaluating ideas against the specification

Selecting and justifying the chosen design

Developing the chosen design

Planning drawings and working diagrams

Breaking the making process into logical steps

Planning resources, time and cost

Following and adapting a plan

Recording the making process

Justifying changes to the design

Presenting the finished solution

Designing tests for a solution

Collecting and interpreting test data

Evaluating a solution against the specification

Client and user feedback

Explaining improvements to the solution

Impact of a solution on the client and audience

Freehand sketching

Isometric drawing

Perspective drawing

Orthographic projection and dimensioning

Exploded and assembly drawings

Scale and proportion

Rendering, shading and texture

Presentation boards and portfolios

Vector and raster graphics

3D CAD modelling

Rendering and visualisation

3D printing

Laser cutting and CNC machining

File formats and version control

Virtual testing and simulation

Classifying materials

Woods and timber

Metals and alloys

Polymers and plastics

Textiles and fibres

Composites and smart materials

Physical and mechanical properties

Selecting and testing materials

Measuring and marking out

Cutting and shaping

Forming and bending

Joining and fastening

Moulding and casting

Surface finishing

Jigs, templates and quality control

Scales of production

Workshop safety and risk assessment

Forces in structures

Stability and strength

Levers and linkages

Gears, pulleys and cams

Electronic circuits and components

Sensors, inputs and outputs

Power sources and energy efficiency

Anthropometric data and percentiles

Ergonomics and comfort

Inclusive and accessible design

User centred design methods

Aesthetics and form

Product safety and standards

The digital design process

User personas and scenarios

Information architecture and navigation

Wireframing and storyboarding

Interface layout and visual hierarchy

Typography and colour in interfaces

Usability testing

Accessibility in digital products

Structuring a web page with HTML

Styling and layout with CSS

Responsive and mobile design

Digital image editing and optimisation

Audio and video production

Animation and motion graphics

Game design fundamentals

Decomposition, patterns and abstraction

Flowcharts and pseudocode

Variables, data types and operators

Selection and iteration

Functions and modular design

Debugging and testing code

Physical computing and microcontrollers

Databases and data handling

Input, process, output and feedback systems

Hardware and software

Networks and the internet

Collecting, storing and presenting data

Data privacy and cybersecurity

Intellectual property, copyright and licensing

Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies

Past, present and emerging design

Markets, trends and consumer needs

Branding, packaging and marketing

Sustainable design strategies

Life cycle analysis

The circular economy and waste

Social, cultural and ethical impact of design

Structure of the design folder

Responding to a design situation

Evidencing the design cycle

Presenting research and testing evidence

Referencing and acknowledging sources