Define a design brief
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can define an effective design brief.
Key learning points
- A design brief must develop from identified design opportunities.
- A primary user is identified.
- A design brief which avoids fixation is defined.
Keywords
Design brief - outlines the design opportunity and identifies a primary user's needs and wants
Primary user - the main person that you are designing for
Stakeholders - a person, group or organisation with an interest in a project
Needs - the essential requirements of the person
Wants - something which is needed or wanted
Common misconception
Pupils tend to define a product that they wish to design and make at this point. They become fixated on a design.
Pupils need to keep their design brief open so that it does not create design fixation.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to follow design opportunities that they find interesting. This is a huge project and the more interested they are, the more likely they are to stay invested throughout.
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - equipment
Risk assessment required - outdoor learning
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who is the primary user of a product?
Q2.A outlines the design opportunity and identifies a primary user's needs and wants.
Q3.What is the difference between needs and wants?
Q4.When designing an umbrella, which of the following is a user need?
Q5.When designing a rucksack, which of the following would be a user want but not a user need?
Q6.What do we call something needed to make a product successful?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which of the following best describes a design opportunity?
Q2.Why is a strong design brief important?
Q3.Successful design briefs are ___________ and ___________.
Q4.What is an effective way to avoid fixation when defining a design brief?
To help you plan your 11 design and technology lesson on: Define a design brief, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 design and technology lesson on: Define a design brief, 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 Iterative Design Principles unit, dive into the full secondary design and technology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.