Design Brief
How long have I got for this section? 1 week
How many marks is this bit worth? 4
How many pages should it occupy? Maximum 2
You need to start by identifying a Context / Situation, which introduces the area that you are looking at for your project. It can be useful to brainstorm the task in detail and use this as a prompt for completing the remainder of the objectives.
It is very important to provide a detailed description of the user(s) and the design need; i.e. an outline of the problem and whom it affects. You should also include the need arising from the problem.
The user will be your target market and not an individual client as you must consider that your product will be a sample/prototype for a batch of 50.
Ways in which you could gather information at this stage could be:
• A questionnaire – ask target market for their opinion
• An interview with an expert – ask if they think there is a need for your product and what they would like out of it
• Use a digital camera, scanned and downloaded images to show evidence of your problem
• Internet and CD-ROMs to look at what is available now and why the product does not suit your needs
Once you have established who your user is and what the need for your project is, you can write up AO1. Include:
Context – what the problem is, why there is a need for your project. This is a paragraph explaining the problem and stating target market.
Evidence – proof that there is a need for your project. This shows all the information you have gathered from the above research. You should introduce the research, show evidence of the research, and then draw conclusions from what you have found out.
Design Brief – what you are going to design and make. Start with ‘I am going to design and make……’ Include as your last sentence ‘This will be a prototype for an initial batch of 50.’
The brief should be very ‘open-ended’ at this stage, e.g. ‘I am going to design and make an outfit for…,’ rather than, ‘I am going to design and make a knee length, sleeveless, black dress for….’
Remember that this is the first page of your project and how you present this sets the tone for the whole project.
You do not need to spend hours bordering all your work, but present it neatly, typed if necessary (and spell checked!). Ensure that any graphs, questionnaires, illustrations, etc. are titled and explained. |
