New
New
Year 11

Research techniques

I can select the appropriate techniques to research throughout the iterative design process.

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New
New
Year 11

Research techniques

I can select the appropriate techniques to research throughout the iterative design process.

Link copied to clipboard

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There are many techniques for research.
  2. Research is important throughout the iterative design process.
  3. Research can identify design requirements which shape the iterative design process.

Keywords

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

  • Research needs - what you need to find out

  • Design brief - outlines the design opportunity and identifies a primary user's needs and wants

  • Research technique - a method for finding out design requirements

Common misconception

Research only needs to take place at the start of the iterative design process.

Research is vital throughout the iterative design process and is not a linear activity. Pupils can research at any point to aid their design decisions and provide inspiration throughout the iterative process.


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

Reassure pupils that it is OK for everyone's research to use different strategies and that no two NEA's will look the same in an iterative process. This can be initally quite daunting to many pupils.
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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6 Questions

Q1.
What is research?
Correct answer: gathering information to help make decisions
guessing what might work without checking
copying another designer’s work
making a final product without planning
Q2.
Why do designers carry out research?
to make products more complicated
Correct answer: to understand user needs and design requirements
to avoid making any changes
to ignore customer feedback
Q3.
Which of these would not be a good way to research user needs?
interviewing potential users
testing different materials for strength
Correct answer: designing a product without asking anyone for feedback
researching similar existing products
Q4.
What do we call the main person a product is designed for?
Correct Answer: user, primary user, the user, a user
Q5.
A design describes what the product should do and who it is for.
Correct Answer: brief
Q6.
Which of the following is not a product stakeholder?
the person who manufactures the product
the customer who buys the product
Correct answer: a person who has never used or interacted with the product
the company that sells the product

4 Questions

Q1.
How does research fit into the iterative design process?
it only affects the final product, not the process
Correct answer: it improves the design through repeated testing and feedback
it is not important for making changes to a design
it is only done at the beginning and then ignored
Q2.
What is the difference between research needs and design requirements?
Correct answer: research needs are what you need to find out
research needs focus only on materials
Correct answer: design requirements are what the product must have
design requirements are only about making a product look nice
Q3.
Match the key words to the definitions.
Correct Answer:design requirements,something which is needed or wanted to make a product successful

something which is needed or wanted to make a product successful

Correct Answer:research needs,what you need to find out

what you need to find out

Correct Answer:design brief,outlines the design opportunity and identifies a primary user's needs

outlines the design opportunity and identifies a primary user's needs

Correct Answer:research strategy,a method for finding out design requirements

a method for finding out design requirements

Q4.
If a company is designing a new sports shoe, which of these is a research need?
Correct answer: user feedback as it leads to design changes that improve the product
the first design is always perfect and does not need changes
research is only used at the start of the project
designers ignore test results and keep their original ideas