Hello there.

My name is Mrs. Dhami.

Thank you for joining me for your design and technology lesson today.

Now the big question for today is, how can we successfully test our ideas throughout our iterative journey? Now, lots of you may be thinking that testing is only something that happens when we've got a final manufactured product.

Well, that's not the case.

Testing is important throughout our whole iterative journey so that we can continually iterate, make successful design decisions, and create a really successful design solution.

So, hard hats on.

Let's get exploring testing.

Our outcome for today is we will be able to test our design solutions throughout our iterative journey.

We have a lot of keywords today.

So let's start off.

Design requirements are something which is needed or wanted to make a product successful.

Design decisions are a deliberate choice to meet a requirement or solve a problem.

Testing is when we measure against design requirements.

Modifications is when we make changes or adjustments to improve.

And our manufacturing specification outlines the materials, dimensions, and processes required to produce a product accurately and consistently.

We have two learning cycles for our lesson today.

We're gonna start off with the importance of testing and then move on to methods and techniques for testing.

So let's start off with the importance.

The big picture for our iterative journey today is we will understand the importance of testing throughout the whole of your iterative journey.

We will explore how your design requirements and manufacturing specification could possibly be tested.

Now, testing measures against design requirements and manufacturing specifications to identify what could be improved as either a design decision or a suggested final modification after manufacture.

So it depends which stage of the iterative process you are at.

Testing is important throughout the whole iterative journey.

For example, during researching of existing products, design ideas, design development, during manufacture and after manufacture.

Testing is required throughout the iterative journey to ensure that successful design decisions are made, and a successful design solution is developed.

Let's look at this as a diagram.

So we have testing.

Testing informs the design decisions.

Now this can happen multiple times.

It doesn't just happened once throughout your design ideas.

It can happen throughout any of those stages that we've just identified, and you can create multiple, multiple design decisions.

The more design decisions usually that you make often leads to the most successful design solution.

So don't limit yourself to the number of design decisions that you might make.

Testing after manufacture in school informs evaluations and final suggested modifications.

Let's look at this in a diagram.

So you find your design solution that may be a product, that might be a prototype that you have manufactured.

You then test it and I'm gonna share multiple ways of doing that in our second learning cycle, and then that testing informs our evaluations.

and final suggested modifications.

Time for a quick check-in.

Testing after manufacturer in schools leads to, A, design decisions, B, manufacturing specifications, C, final modifications, D, evaluations.

Have a little think.

Come back to me when you've got an idea.

Well done if you've got C and D, testing after manufacturing school leads to final modifications and evaluations.

Testing in industry after manufacture but before a product launch ensures a safe product in compliance with safety regulations, identifies any performance issues, ensures quality standards are met, and ensures all functional requirements are met.

They are not going to want to put a product on shelves for consumers, customers, users, stakeholders to buy without fulfilling all of these points.

Sofia says, "Testing is only carried out once the design solution has been manufactured." Is that true or is that false? Have a think.

Come back to me when you've got an answer.

Well done if you got false.

And why is that? Testing is required throughout the iterative journey to ensure that successful design decisions are made and a successful design solution is developed.

Onto task A.

Part one, I'd like you to identify three suitable stages in your iterative journey where testing is relevant.

Part two, I'd like you to explain the importance of testing final prototypes in schools and then also in industry.

Good luck.

I look forward to hearing some of your answers soon.

Testing is important throughout the whole iterative journey.

For example, during the research of existing products, design ideas, design development, during manufacture, and after manufacture.

Well done if you've got three of those or even more.

Testing after manufacturing school informs evaluations and final modifications.

Testing in industry after manufacture but before a product launch ensures a safe product in compliance with safety regulations, identifies any potential performance issues, ensures quality standards are met, and ensures all functional requirements are also met.

Well done with your answers there.

Onto learning cycle two, testing.

We are going to explore a few techniques for testing throughout your iterative journey.

Now, you are not limited to the techniques we share.

If you've got your own ideas, feel free to use them.

They might be more appropriate to your iterative journey.

Some will be right for your design requirements and manufacturing specification, however others will not.

Now, you may identify a design decision or a potential final modification at any point when testing, depending on where you are in your iterative journey.

So please, please remember to record it.

And we've got that same hand sign with a pencil to remind you to do just so.

Quick check-in, which stages of the iterative design journey can be used to determine what to test.

So A, design development, B, design requirements and specification, C, design decisions, or D, manufacturing specification.

Have a little think.

Come back to me when you've got an answer.

Well done if you got B and D.

So design requirements in specification and your manufacturing specification can be used to determine what you personally need to test for your iterative journey.

Feedback is an absolutely great way to test your ideas, your prototypes, and your final manufactured products.

It's great because you can get your actual primary user, stakeholder, or expert opinions.

What do they think? What do they feel? What do they think about your product or your idea? It's great 'cause it can also identify inclusivity and accessibility considerations, and it can also identify moral or social considerations.

So how could you do that? You could do questionnaires, user reviews, product testing, observations, and focus groups.

There's lots of other ways too, but some of these might spark off an idea for your design solution.

Please don't forget though, record any design decisions or modifications as you test.

Prototype testing is a great way for you to try out ideas, solutions, and products.

So you could try them out yourselves, but you could also get your primary user, your stakeholders or your experts to also try out your prototypes and give you their opinions.

It's great for identifying ergonomic considerations, so thinking about how would your primary user actually use the product.

Would it work? Would it be comfortable? Would they enjoy using it? Don't forget, record any design decisions or modifications as you test.

It's a great idea to test the functionality of your prototypes and products.

This is good because it identifies, does it work as it's intended to work.

You could also test it again with your primary user, stakeholder, and experts so that you can get their opinions, not just your own.

And it enables you to consider the way that something is used.

So if we take the example in the photos, that is something that enables users to be able to open jar lids more easily.

Now, rather than just testing it on one type of jar lid.

This student has tested it on three completely different sized jar lids, but also they're made from different materials.

So he's testing that out to see does it work on a range of products? Now, that was quite easy for him to be able to do because it was full size.

However, some of you may have made scaled prototypes.

And if you have, that's absolutely fine.

Have a think about what you could use.

Could you get an ergonome to use as a scaled version of a person to test it out? Could you create your own ergonome? This young person here has created their own by using wire and manipulating that into the shape of a person.

That works really well.

You could use some dolls.

You could use.

Well, have a little look around your house.

Perhaps you might find something that might be suitable for your iterative journey.

But please remember to record any design decisions or modifications along the way.

I cannot test my prototype as it is a scale version.

Is this statement true or is it false? Have a think.

Come back to me when you've got an idea.

Well done if you got false.

And why is that? Well, scale prototypes can be tested using a variety of methods, such as using ergonomes and primary user stakeholder or expert feedback too.

It doesn't get you out of it.

Measurements are a great way of testing prototypes and final manufactured products.

So it's a good idea perhaps if you need to test if a solution fits into a particular sized space or a particular particularised area.

It provides us with really objective data, and it avoids guesswork, which is great.

Now, just like in science, if you repeat some of these measurements, you're more likely to make the measurements that you record more reliable.

Think back to your science experiments and use that knowledge, use that experience in the testing of your product and prototypes.

And don't forget, you're likely to make some design decisions or ideas for modifications.

So please record those before you forget them.

Quality checks are a really important part of the testing process throughout the iterative journey, but also with the end final manufacture products.

So examples include desired surface finishes, functionality, meeting health and safety requirements, meeting manufacturing specifications.

So let's have a little look at how this might look for your iterative journey.

You could be checking the surface finishes, perhaps the removal of burrs.

And what I mean by that, you can see in that picture on the right, that piece of metal, it's been filed and those burrs have gone over the edge.

Removing those is important for safety, but also for quality.

You might be using specialist measuring equipment, such as vernier callipers to check that your manufacture was absolutely accurate to what it needed to be.

You might check the functionality by plugging something into a computer or adding a battery to test electronics.

Checking that parts fit together is also a test.

In this product here, a student has die cut a thread, which means they put a screw thread onto that piece of brass rod.

They've then attached their flower petals and a little nut onto it, and not everybody's nut fitted onto that die cut thread.

So that was an important testing part of that product.

Remember, record any design decisions or modifications as you test.

Visual inspections are another great way of testing.

They're really good for identifying early flaws in development, aesthetic checks, instant feedback, and quality checks such as surface finish.

And you can see Lucas's page, he has clearly annotated his design decision.

So please remember to record your design decisions or modifications.

One way that Lucas has done it is through annotations.

Safety tests are a great idea to ensure that the product or solution does not pose any threats and that it complies with any regulations.

Now, you might not be able to carry out all of the safety tests.

But for example, with age restrictions, perhaps you might need to make sure that there's no small parts that a small child could swallow, or perhaps if it's got to be compatible with existing safety products.

If you are designing something with a child's car seat, it mustn't compromise the safety of that product.

So as you're testing, as you're thinking, record any design decisions or modifications.

Experiments are a great way to test out your ideas, your prototypes, and your products.

So for example, recreating conditions that it might actually be used in.

So if it contains a liquid, does it spill? If it's to be used outside, will it provide warmth or protection from the wind? If it should support a certain weight, can it actually do that? So experiment.

The product in this picture, This was a product to keep people's hands warm when using a walking aid.

So this person tested it inside, tested it outside in different types of weather and different temperatures to see what their primary user thought.

This student made a prototype for a product to create shade in bright sunshine for their pet.

So this student tested it outside, but also tested it in windy weather to check that it wouldn't blow away.

One of his modifications was actually to add little loops that could easily put tent pegs through to attach it to the ground.

What a great modification.

They also tested whether it would fit into a backpack and whether it would still be durable if carried in a backpack full of lots of different things.

Have a think.

What condition could you recreate for your prototype or product that could test and experiment yours? And remember, record any design decisions or modifications as you test.

You may want to test the sustainability of your prototypes or products, and you could use the circular economy diagram to help you with that.

So perhaps you could carry out lifecycle assessment.

Now, let's just recap.

Lifecycle assessment is where every stage of the product lifecycle is tested to see its environmental impact.

So that could be the energies used or the carbon footprint that it creates.

And then after it's assessed that, it looks at ways of how to reduce the effect on the environment.

So think about your product.

Perhaps do follow the circular economy of your product and think about how energy is used and carbon emissions could be released with your idea.

You could also assess how it could be repaired or dismantled and recycled.

Lots to think about and potentially lots of design decisions and modifications.

Don't forget to record them.

Testing is most effective when measured against your design requirements and manufacturing specification.

Lucas used both of his design requirements on the left and his manufacturing specification on the right to identify what he needed to test that was specific for his iterative journey.

Take a look at yours and see what you might like to test.

Zooming into Lucas's design requirements.

The first one, well, one of them, said the design solution should be able to open a range of sized jar lids.

He said, "I'm gonna test it by trying the jar opener with a range of different sized jar lids." And we actually saw that a few slides earlier.

Another design requirement of his was the design solution must grip and not slip if used when wet in the kitchen.

So Lucas said he's gonna pour some water over the jar opener and attempt to open it when wet, and he could get his primary user and his stakeholders to do the same to create more reliable results.

Great idea there, Lucas.

Time for a quick check-in.

To ensure the reliability of your testing, you could, A, stick to one method of testing, B, gather feedback from a range of primary users and stakeholders, C, test using similar conditions as to the intended use, D, repeat experiments and record results.

Have a little think.

Come back to me when you've got an idea.

Well done if you've got B, C, and D.

To ensure the reliability of your testing, you should gather feedback from a range of primary users and stakeholders, test using similar conditions as to what the intended use is meant to be, and repeat experiments and record results.

Well done if you got those right.

Onto task B.

Part one, I'd like you to identify suitable testing methods throughout your iterative journey and for your final prototype, considering design requirements and your manufacturing specification.

Part two, I'd like you to test your final prototype.

You could consider using your design requirements and manufacturing specification to shape your testing, asking a variety of primary users, stakeholders, and experts to gain a wide selection of opinions, use a selection of testing methods to provide realistic results, and repeat experiments or measurements to ensure reliability.

Good luck and enjoy your testing.

So part one, I asked you to identify suitable testing methods throughout your iterative journey and for your final prototype, considering design requirements and your manufacturing specification.

So Alex says, "My prototype needs to be used outside to provide shade for a dog.

I will test mine on a sunny day and also a windy day to see if the elastic for the pegs allow it not to be blown away." Great idea, Alex.

Laura says, "My prototype needs to detect moisture.

I will fill three plant pots with compost and slowly fill them with water at 25 millilitre increments to see when moisture is detected.

I will use three plant pots to ensure my results are reliable." Great point there about reliability, Laura.

Well done.

Part two, I asked you to test your final prototype.

Hopefully you used your design requirements and manufacturing specification to shape your testing.

Hopefully you asked a variety of primary users, stakeholders, and experts to gain a wide selection of opinions.

Hopefully you used a selection of testing methods to provide realistic results, and hopefully you considered repeating experiments or measurements to ensure their reliability.

Well done with all of your hard work.

This brings us to the end of our lesson today.

Let's summarise what we have found out.

Testing is required throughout the iterative journey to ensure that successful design decisions are made and a successful design solution is developed.

Testing after manufacturer in schools informs evaluations and final modifications.

There are a variety of methods and techniques to test prototypes, including primary users, stakeholder, expert feedback, functionality testing, safety testing, and visual inspections.

Now, whilst testing, remember design decisions or modifications, depending which stage of the iterative journey you are at, may be identified.

Do not forget.

You need to remember to record them.

Well done with all your hard work.

Hopefully you are enjoying your iterative design journey and hopefully I will see you in another lesson soon.

Take good care.

Bye-bye.