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Year 11

Iteration

I can use a variety of methods to develop my designs during my iterative journey.

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New
New
Year 11

Iteration

I can use a variety of methods to develop my designs during my iterative journey.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Feedback and evaluation can be used to inform iterations.
  2. Design requirements need to be considered when iterating ideas/designs.
  3. Design decisions are recorded throughout the iterative journey.
  4. A range of strategies can be used to develop ideas.

Keywords

  • Iterative - refining and improving

  • Design requirements - something which is needed or wanted to make a product successful

  • Design decisions - a deliberate choice to meet a requirement or solve a problem

Common misconception

Pupils often already know what they want to design and feel that their first prototype is the final solution that doesn't need further development.

The iterative journey transforms an idea into a successful product. Pupils should carefully explore, experiment, test, and develop ideas while keeping design requirements central to the process.


To help you plan your year 11 design and technology lesson on: Iteration, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to get feedback from their real-life primary users/stakeholders. Reassure them that all iterative journeys will look very different, particularly at this point. Some will iterate by generating physical prototypes, whereas others will use CAD or other methods.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
  • Risk assessment required - outdoor learning

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does “iterative” mean in the design process?
completing a design in one step
copying someone else’s idea
skipping straight to the final product
Correct answer: refining and improving ideas over time
Q2.
What is design fixation?
trying lots of different ideas
Correct answer: sticking to one idea without exploring others
testing and refining multiple designs
improving your sketching technique
Q3.
What is a design strategy?
a decoration added to a product
a way to make a product more colourful
a step taken after the product is finished
Correct answer: a method of generating ideas
Q4.
What is the purpose of using different design strategies?
to complete your project more quickly
Correct answer: to avoid design fixation and explore better ideas
to decorate your sketchbook
to impress your classmates
Q5.
Why is feedback important in design?
it tells you what to copy
Correct answer: it helps you fix mistakes and improve your idea
it tells you what your friends like
it helps you choose your favourite colour
Q6.
What should guide your decisions when iterating your design?
what looks the most colourful
your friend’s favourite product
the original idea you had
Correct answer: the design requirements and feedback

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Designers often use to improve their ideas after testing.
Correct Answer: iteration
Q2.
Match the design activity to its purpose:
Correct Answer:sketching,exploring initial ideas visually

exploring initial ideas visually

Correct Answer:modelling,testing how the product might work in 3D

testing how the product might work in 3D

Correct Answer:reflecting on feedback,using advice to plan improvements

using advice to plan improvements

Correct Answer:creating a prototype,building a working version of the idea

building a working version of the idea

Q3.
Put these actions in the correct order during an iterative design cycle:
1 - test your design
2 - gather feedback from users
3 - reflect on what worked and what didn’t
4 - create a new version of the design
Q4.
To improve a product, designers use feedback and test ideas through the process.
Correct Answer: iterative