The stages of Design Process

1. CHOOSING A SOLUTION

2. EVALUATING

3. Investigating

4. REALIZATION

5. THE DESING BRIEF

6. DEVELOPING ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

7. TESTING

1. E 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

4. Match the questions to each stage in the design process. There is more than one question for some stages.

Ex. Question Is it safe? Stage Testing

a)What are the most suitable materials? b)Does it work? c)What exactly is required? d) How well does it match the brief? e) Is this the best design? f) How many ways are there to solve this problem? g) How will the product look? h) How can we make a prototype? i) Can it be impro-ved?

5. Read the text about Kenneth Blake, a furniture Designer.

I decided to use plastic because it’s durable. You can make it in a lot of colours and it’s easy to mass-produce plastic items.

I went to the local garden centre to examine the chairs other companies made, the rival products, and to find out their cost – about €20. I bought three different models. I wanted a chair without arms so I cut the arms of one of them. This made the back too weak so I added vertical supports to make the back stronger.

I sketched my designs on paper, and from these I produced technical drawings with all the dimensions. I made a full-scale model to make sure the chair looked good and was comfortable. Then I transferred my drawings to a 3 – D computer modeling programme, and sent a copy by file transfer to the moulding company. They made a mould and sent me a prototype chair. I added more supports to the back and the chair was ready to produce.

6. Read about Kenneth. Complete sentences 1-6 with words from the text.

1. Plastic is very hard - wearing it’s_________________.

2. A company which competes with yours is a __________.

3. A ___________helps to make a structure stronger.

4. Kenneth_______his designs first and then makes finished drawings.

5. You can make hundreds of plastic chairs form one__________.

6. A________is a model which is ready for testing.

7. Study the requirements in the design brief for Kenneth Blake. Then match each requirement to the correct reason.

PRODUCT: garden chair

Requirement	Reason
Lightweight	Stores easily in winter
Strong	Spends most of the time outside
Stackable	Supports heavy adults
Available in a range of colours	Keeps manufacturing costs low
Durable	Easy to lift
Comfortable	Competes with rivals
Easy to mass-produce	Looks attractive
Sells for less than €20	Encourages people to use

8. Read the texts about three people talking about their work with design. Complete the table below.

Karl

“I design practical products for use in the home, especially the kitchen. When I’m designing, I think about the function of the object and how people will use it. Then I sketch my ideas on paper, starting with the shape. I make lots of these rough drawings until I get the shape that I want.”

Martin

“I’m an industrial designer. I design mass-produced products. I always have to balance what people need and what it’s possible to make. I start with a sketch and when I’m happy with the result, I plan the basic layout on a computer. Then I print out technical drawings to make templates. I use the templates to cut out a model in foam plastic. This gives me an idea of the shape and look of the object. ”

Hilary

“I’m a product developer. I have to work with the designers, on the one hand, and the manufactures on the other hand. And I have to keep both of them happy to get good designers which can be produced at prices people can afford. I get the drawings and models from the designers, talk to the manufacturers about the production, and work out the costings.”

Name	What does he\she design	What does the man start with? What does the woman have to work out?
Karl
Martin
Hilary

8. Project work. Find the information about one designer. Complete the table below and exchange the information with your group.

	Designer
Name	Ferdinand Porsche
Dates	1875-1951
Nationality	Austrian
Famous for designing	Designed the first Volkswagen