Lesson video

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 refine and improve our designs to make them a really successful design solution? I'm going to share with you a whole range of different methods.

Some you might be familiar with, and others that you might not be.

So, hard hats on.

Let's get cracking.

Our outcome for today is we will be able to refine our design based on feedback to improve inclusivity and usability.

We have a few ground rules for our lesson to run smoothly today.

We need to listen to others.

It is okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

When disagreeing, challenge the statement, not the person.

We need to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but do not use names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves.

There is no judgment today.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged.

And we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or join a discussion.

We never put anyone on the spot.

We have five keywords for our lesson today.

Iteration, which is the repeated process of testing, changing, and improving a design.

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

Refinement, which are targeted improvements that make a design more effective.

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

And usability, how easy and efficient a product is to use.

Feel free to come back to this slide at any point today.

We have two learning cycles for our lesson today.

First of all, the role of iteration.

Moving on to using feedback for refinement.

So we're going to start off with the role of iteration.

Let's remind ourselves about the theme of this unit.

The theme of this unit is inclusive design, which we focus in on mental health and wellbeing.

Now, iteration.

Iteration is one of our keywords today.

Let's explore what it is.

Iteration is the repeated process of testing and feedback, identifying design problems, making design decisions.

And then using those design decisions to improve and refine our designs.

But that doesn't just happen once.

This is, as I said, a repeated process.

So we move round and round that process, that cycle repeatedly.

And each cycle makes improvements to design requirements, including, particularly in this unit, inclusivity, usability, and effectiveness.

Let's remind ourselves what a design decision is.

A design decision, one of our keywords, is a deliberate choice to meet a design requirement or solve a problem.

Now, your design requirements were collated during the research stage.

And if we remind ourselves, a design requirement is something which is needed or wanted to make a product successful.

Referring to and measuring against your design requirements ensures that you make the correct design decisions based on facts and not guesses.

Effective design decisions ensure that your product or solution is successful.

Time for a quick check-in.

Referring to or measuring against your something ensures you make the correct something.

These are your options.

We have A, design decisions.

B, iterative journey.

C, design strategies.

Or, D, design requirements.

Have a think, make your decision, and come back to me when you're happy with your choices.

Well done if you got A and D.

Referring to or measuring against your design requirements ensures you make the correct design decisions.

Many design decisions for the iterative development of the vacuum cleaner has created multiple versions.

And it's a great example to show the iterative journey of a product.

So it first started off like this, with a bag and with a cord.

It then moved to a bagless system.

And then, it's moved to cordless.

And there now are robotic versions.

And there's even robotic versions with a mop function integrated too.

Look how many design decisions have been made to move from the first vacuum cleaner to the robotic vacuum cleaner.

So let's take a closer look at the robotic vacuum cleaner, and what design decisions were made for its refinement.

So let's start with inclusivity.

And they have added voice commands for users with limited mobility or vision.

A great idea.

They are now also quieter in their use for users that are sensitive to noise.

I know my daughter hates the sound of the vacuum cleaner.

Let's take a look at usability, design decisions for refinement.

We now have automatic room mapping for simple setup, and we also have ones that are self-emptying.

So rather than you having to empty it out yourself, they have a self emptying bin, which reduces the amount of effort.

I think I might need to invest.

And then lastly, effectiveness.

They have a stronger suction for different floor types, 'cause obviously if it's a carpet in comparison to a vinyl floor, the suction required is very, very different.

And then, extra brushes have been added to clean edges and corners.

Lots and lots of design decisions there for the refinement of a really successful design.

There have been massive iterations when it comes to mindful journals.

So mindful journals have started at very simple paper diaries, to then guided mindfulness and gratitude journals with guided bits inside to help you.

And now, these days you can get digital journaling apps and mood tracking apps that also connect not only to your phone, but also to smart watches too.

Massive changes there through iteration.

Let's take a closer look at the design decisions for refinement for wellbeing journaling apps.

So inclusivity, there is customizable text size and color for accessibility.

There is voice input for users who struggle with typing.

Usability, there's now simple interface with easy navigation.

There's notifications and reminders that encourage daily use.

And effectiveness, there are automated mood graphs and trend analysis.

There are prompts and guided exercise to support mental wellbeing.

Wow, when you look at that in a chart, there are a huge amount of design decisions that have come from the simple paper journal to now make it into an app.

Wow, lots of design decisions and lots and lots of refinement.

We've looked at two lovely examples, real world examples, but the same applies for schools.

A product rarely goes from a sketch design to a final product.

Some do, but often they are unsuccessful.

Jacob says, why might they be unsuccessful if they go from a drawn idea to a final product? I'd like you to pause the video and have a little think about what you would reply to Jacob.

Come back to me when you've had that chance to think.

Hopefully you have discussed a fair few things there.

Now, as a teacher, quite often, if it goes from paper to a final product, it means that that pupil hasn't necessarily thought about all of their design requirements, their whole design brief.

And what their primary user really, really wants.

It's that process of iteration, that process of refining, that makes a really successful product that you've ironed out all of those design problems by solving them with refinement and iteration.

Take a little look at Lucas' iterative journey.

You can see he started off with a sketch of his product.

And he moved round into cardboard prototype, CAD prototyping, prototyping out of a variety of materials until he moves into his final product.

Now, to be successful, a design needs to fulfill its design requirements.

And that is often only done by lots and lots of refinements.

So to achieve this, there are likely to be many design decisions during the iterative journey.

And you can clearly see that by the way that Lucas's product changes throughout his iterative journey.

Andeep says, I have changed the fabric of my design from a linen blend to a soft fleece material.

Therefore, I have iterated and I am ready to make.

Is this statement true or is this statement false? Have a little think, decide which one with a reason why.

Well done if you identified that this statement is false.

And why is that? Design decisions for materials such as fabrics is one fantastic part of iterative design.

But iterative design is the repeated process of testing, changing, and improving a design.

Andeep should consider usability, inclusiveness, and effectiveness, before saying he's ready to make.

Onto task A, part one, I'd like you to define iteration.

Part two, define design decision.

And lastly, part three, stress balls have developed into a range of fidget tools.

Take a little look at the picture below.

You've got the stress ball moving a range of fidget tools.

What I'd like you to do is identify design decisions made through this iterative journey.

Pause the video, come back to me when you have some wonderful answers, good luck.

Part one, welcome back.

Iteration is the repeated process of testing, changing, and improving a design.

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

Part three, I asked you to identify design decisions made through the iterative journey of a stress ball into a range of fidget tools.

So let's take a little look firstly at inclusivity.

So the design decisions for refinement were that they are designed in different sizes and textures for varying sensory needs.

And they're also easy to use for people with limited hand strength or mobility.

Next one, usability.

Design decisions for requirement include making them portable and wearable for use anytime, anywhere.

And then, simple mechanisms that don't require setup or instructions.

And lastly, effectiveness.

So design decisions for requirement include multiple functions such as clicking, spinning, rolling to relieve stress.

And then, durable materials for long-lasting, repetitive use.

Well done with all your hard work on task A.

Onto learning cycle two, using feedback for refinement.

Feedback provides evidence for what to refine.

Methods to gather feedback include primary user or stakeholder feedback.

Prototype testing including ergonomic considerations, obtaining specific measurements, visual inspections, safety checks, simulations.

Outcomes from continuous testing and feedback enable you to decide what to develop.

And, therefore, make effective design decisions to take the design forward.

Aisha chose to ask her stakeholders what they thought she could develop on her chosen design idea.

So what she did was she gave all of her stakeholders little bits of pink paper, and she asked them to write down their thoughts.

What a lovely idea, Aisha.

Let's zoom into one of them.

So one of them says, how will you prevent the jar from spinning? Now, this is specific to Aisha, but you could do a similar thing with your designs.

It gives Aisha now a starting point.

Aisha then used her findings to identify her next steps for development and sketched a few ideas.

This will help her to research, choose the right method to develop, and make successful design decisions.

So if we zoom in, she has taken one of those pink slips and she has answered what she could do, a design decision she could make.

And in this one, she says, a gradual change in depth.

This will help her to make some really successful design decisions.

As you develop your designs, you must remember to record your design decisions.

They're all going on in your mind, but you need to make sure that you actually record them too.

This will therefore help you to stay focused on your design requirements, but also help ensure that you develop a successful design solution.

So take these drawings for example.

You can see the product developing, but you can't see what design decisions were made.

So Lucas says this was his design.

He said external and internal ribs.

Yeah, we can see that in the diagram.

Those ribs that go around it enhance structural integrity, allowing reduced wall thickness to meet the lightweight design requirements.

We now understand that design decision.

It comes from the design requirement, and it shows how and why the design has developed.

Don't forget to record them.

Time for a quick check-in.

Which statements are correct about design decisions? A, they can only be made by the primary user.

B, they can be made throughout the iterative design journey.

C, collated, they make a specification.

Or, D, they help to make a more successful design solution.

Have a think, come back to me when you've made your decision.

Well done if you got B and D.

Design decisions can be made throughout the whole iterative design journey.

And design decisions help to make a more successful design solution.

Sorting feedback into categories ensures all areas are met with design decisions.

So inclusivity is really important for this unit.

So group feedback about accessibility, user diversity, and how easy it is for different people to use is important.

We also said usability was very important in this unit.

So you could organize feedback on ease of use, navigation, comfort, and overall user experience.

And lastly, we said effectiveness is important for this unit.

Identify comments about function, how well the product works, its features, and its performance.

Let's take a little look at categorizing feedback using an example.

Let's take Sam's beautiful example for her wellbeing room.

So this is how she categorized her feedback.

She started with inclusivity.

The feedback said bean bags provide comfortable seating.

There is one sensory light, I think you can see that in the top right.

You see it with the bubbles? Yeah.

One sensory light creates a calming environment.

So what is Sam's design decision? Well, from that feedback, Sam says that she's going to add adjustable ceiling lights.

So you don't just turn on the lights and the lights are really bright, as you do in lots of classrooms. Perhaps those can be adjusted so that just like that one sensory light, the whole room can create a calming environment or a bright environment depending on what is required.

Let's have a little look at usability.

The feedback Sam got was that the privacy is limited.

It's right, isn't it? You haven't really got much privacy in that room.

If there's more than one person in there, then you're kind of in each other's pockets.

So Sam says she has made a design decision to add adjustable dividers, so that people can have their own private spaces if needed.

But if they're adjustable, you could also open it up too.

And lastly, effectiveness as our final category.

The bean bags are easy to move and arrange.

So Sam decides to keep those.

However, the feedback is that the lights are confusing when you try to control them.

So Sam makes the design decision that perhaps the lights need visual symbols by them to make it really easy to understand which one controls which.

Sofia says, do you only sketch iterations? Great question, Sophia.

There are many, many iterative methods for developing your designs, not just sketching.

Now, I'm gonna share a whole load of methods, but you are not limited to the methods we share.

You might think of others.

And some will be right for iterative journey in this unit, and others won't be.

Whichever methods you choose, you must remember to document your design decisions as you iterate to show your design thinking.

Keep that word design decisions in your mind as you move through your iteration.

So as Sophia says, you can sketch, you could do 2D, 3D, freehand, isometric/oblique, orthographic, perspective, sketching.

Any of them, whichever you fancy.

They're great ideas for rapid developments and experimenting quickly with multiple options.

And there's a beautiful example of a page of freehand sketching.

However, you must remember that keyword design decisions.

Record them as annotations as you go through.

You may love using CAD for your iterations, and that is absolutely fine too.

You might do development using electronic modeling programs. Or you might develop using CAD programs, just like the two examples on my slide.

It's a really good idea for mathematical modeling, but also rapid development.

Just remember, screenshot these wonderful iterations and record your design decisions.

If you do enjoy using CAD, you might also want to use CAM, computer aided manufacture.

And I'm sure your school probably has a whole variety of options.

We have laser cutters, we have 3D printers, we have CNC routers, we have embroidery machines.

But there are plenty of others too.

You can see this student here has started off with a laser cut cardboard prototype.

He's then moved to a developed laser cut cardboard prototype and then he's moved into a developed 3D printed PLA prototype.

It's all for the same project, but three completely different developed prototypes, brilliant.

So it's a great idea for rapid prototyping.

You can make them really quickly using CAM.

And it's also great for testing 'cause it gives you something physical, something to see physically, something to hold.

Just remember, record your design decisions.

You could take photos of them and put them on a page and annotate.

Laura says, I cannot draw.

All my friends have drawn beautiful developments.

I am not going to be able to iterate as well as them.

Is Laura's statement true or is Laura's statement false? Have a little think.

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

Well done if you got false.

And why is that? Successful communication of iteration uses a range of methods, and is not just limited to sketching.

Use your strengths when choosing an iterative development method.

Artificial intelligence, AI, can also be used for iteration.

So you can do some sketches or do some models, put a photo of that into an AI application to develop and/or render, or do both for you.

And you can see that with those pizza cutter handles.

However, if you use AI, you must attribute the application because, of course, you didn't do that development, you didn't do that rendering.

But, instead, you put prompts into it, and you could record what those prompts are too.

And don't forget, record any design decisions that you make along the way.

Prototyping is a great way to iterate and develop your designs.

You could use construction sets, you could use breadboards for electronics.

You could use modeling clay, you could use a fabric, you could use building bricks.

It doesn't matter, whatever is suitable for your design brief and the design solution you are creating.

Great thing, take some pictures, take some little videos, put them into your work.

But what do you need to do? You've got it, record any design decisions.

Simulations are a great way to virtually test some ideas, such as circuit simulations or static stress simulations.

It's a great idea for testing and developing before you actually manufacture.

To show this, you might need to take some screenshots.

And what am I going to say? You've got it, record your design decisions that you make along the way.

As you move through iteration, you might need to do some additional research.

Now, that doesn't mean that you haven't done enough in the research stage.

It simply means that you found something else that you could research to make your iteration stronger.

It's not a negative, it's a positive.

So it's a great idea for meeting design requirements that perhaps you've not researched properly before, or for solving a problem that you didn't anticipate that you've encountered and you want to solve.

And a bit of additional research might help with that.

Just remember, you are going to make design decisions as you make this additional research.

Just remember to record that too.

Remember, you are not limited to one iteration method.

You can use a full range of them.

And using a mixture of iteration methods will show the growth, and designs will improve visibly over time.

So you're testing, getting feedback, you're making design decisions.

You're making refinements from those design decisions, and you're repeating that as many times as you like until you get a fantastic design or solution.

I hope that you enjoy this stage 'cause to me, this is the most exciting part.

Jun says, I already know what I want to design and I have drawn the idea and I've made a cardboard prototype.

I do not need to refine it any further.

Is Jun's statement true or is it false? And give me a reason for whichever one you choose.

Pause the video, come back to me when you've made those decisions.

Well done if you got false.

And why is that? Using a range of iterative methods ensures that you consider all of your design requirements, and identify potential problems to solve before you manufacture so you make a really successful product or solution.

If you are struggling with a stressor or barrier, you should speak to any of the following, a trusted adult, a teacher, your school SENDCO, or a DSL, a designated safeguarding lead.

Please don't keep those things to yourself.

Onto task B already, part one.

Choose two iterative development methods for your wellbeing design.

Part two, identify three ways of gaining feedback during iteration.

Part three, collate and organize your feedback to generate three design decisions.

And lastly, refine and iterate your design or solution using feedback.

Good luck, I can't wait to see what you produce.

And come back to me when you have got some great answers and some great iterations.

Part one, I asked you to choose two iterative development methods for your wellbeing design.

Izzy says, I am going to iterate my Pomodoro light idea using sketches and AI.

Part two, I asked you to identify three ways of gaining feedback during iteration.

You might have said, primary user or stakeholder feedback.

Prototype testing, including ergonomic considerations.

Or, perhaps, simulations.

Part three, I asked you to collate and organize your feedback to generate three design decisions.

Let's take a little look at what Izzy decided.

So first of all, inclusivity.

Her feedback was, the direction of light can be adjusted to revision.

So she has decided to keep that adjustability because that was a positive.

Moving on to usability, her feedback was that it was very bulky for a desk.

So Izzy's design decision is to remove the shade and integrate the light within the stem.

And lastly, effectiveness.

Izzy's feedback was, the timer keeps students focused on the task in manageable time.

So her design decisions are to keep the timer, but perhaps improve the blocky design of the base.

Some great design decisions there.

Part four, I asked you to refine and iterate your design or solution using feedback.

Now Izzy, if you remember, she chose to use sketching and AI.

So she started off with AI, and some of the design decisions she put into her prompts came from the design decisions she identified on her last slide.

Let's take a little look.

You can see the light being integrated.

And she moves then to her own sketches, and let's see her design decisions through her annotations.

So the light is directed at revision.

The shade has been removed and integrated the light within the stem to create a more streamlined aesthetic.

I like that, Izzy.

And then lastly, the blocky design of the base has been removed and blended in with the stem to make the whole thing look a lot more modern.

I think those were effective design decisions, Izzy, well done.

Hopefully you have done a similar thing using your feedback and using your design decisions for your own wellbeing product.

This brings us to the end of our lesson today.

Let's summarize what we have found out.

The iterative journey is a process where we refine and improve throughout to develop a successful design solution.

Referring to and measuring against your design requirements, combined with feedback, ensures you make the correct design decisions.

Effective design decisions ensure your product or solution is successful.

There are many iterative methods to refine your ideas, including CAD, CAM, or simulations, sketching, prototyping, and AI, and additional research.

Well done with all of your hard work today.

I hope you have enjoyed the lesson as much as me, and I hope to see you in another lesson soon.

Take good care, bye.

If you do need any support, please check out the NHS Live Well or the NHS website.