Idea evaluation and selection
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can evaluate design ideas against design requirements and justify my choice.
Key learning points
- Feedback can be used to steer design thinking.
- Design decisions need to be justified with evidence.
- Evaluation enables justified design decisions for iterative development.
- Design decisions can combine positive ideas.
- There are lots of methods for communicating feedback/evaluation.
Keywords
Design decision - a deliberate choice to meet a requirement or solve a problem
Design requirements - something which is needed or wanted to make a product successful
Justification - why something is done, or believed to be right
Iterative - refining and improving
Evaluation - checking how good something is and how to make it better
Common misconception
The most aesthetically-pleasing idea is the best.
Strong design choices balance creativity with inclusivity, feasibility, and impact - aesthetics alone aren’t enough.
Teacher tip
When modelling evaluation, deliberately show how an exciting but impractical idea can fall short compared to a less glamorous but more inclusive option.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a design decision?
Q2.A __________ is something that is needed or wanted to make a product successful.
Q3.Match each keyword to its meaning.
explaining why something is done or believed to be right
checking how good something is and how to make it better
refining and improving based on feedback
Q4.Why is evaluation important in design?
Q5.When designers make improvements over time using feedback, the process is called .
Q6.Which of these shows that feedback can steer design thinking?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why should designers justify their design decisions?
Q2.Checking how good something is and finding ways to make it better is called .
Q3.Match each design activity to its purpose.
using feedback to improve ideas
assessing strengths and weaknesses of a design
using evidence to explain design choices
Q4.A design choice supported by testing and reasoning has strong __________.
Q5.Why does playing or repeating a design activity not automatically improve it?
Q6.What should designers do after evaluating their ideas?
To help you plan your 10 design and technology lesson on: Idea evaluation and selection, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 design and technology lesson on: Idea evaluation and selection, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 design and technology lessons from the Inclusive Design: Mental Health and Wellbeing unit, dive into the full secondary design and technology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.