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VCE Product Design and Technologies (Year 12) · Unit 3 — Ethical Product Design and Development · 12m read

Investigating Opportunities — The Design Brief, Research and Evaluation Criteria

Your SAT begins by investigating an opportunity for ethical design. A precise brief and strong criteria make every later decision easier to justify.

Learning objective: Investigate an opportunity for ethical design, write a clear design brief, conduct targeted research and develop evaluation criteria.

By the end of this lesson you can:

  • I can write a brief that includes context, end user needs, constraints and considerations.
  • I can use primary and secondary research effectively.
  • I can write evaluation criteria as specific, testable questions.

The brief is your north star. Every design decision should point back to the brief. If it does not, ask why.

Brief, research, criteria

DESIGN BRIEF
• CONTEXT — the situation and setting.
• END USER and their NEEDS.
• CONSTRAINTS — limits (budget, size, time, materials, facilities).
• CONSIDERATIONS — factors to weigh (sustainability, aesthetics, safety, function).

RESEARCH
• PRIMARY — interviews, surveys, observation of users, testing materials.
• SECONDARY — existing products, standards, articles, data.
• Analyse findings: what do they mean for your design?

EVALUATION CRITERIA
• Written as questions linked to the brief: "Can the stool support 120 kg without deflecting more than 5 mm?"
• Cover function, aesthetics, ergonomics, materials, sustainability, ethics and cost.

Worked example (Medium)

Turn the need "a storage solution for a student’s small bedroom" into two strong evaluation criteria.

  1. Function. Measurable capacity and footprint.
  2. Sustainability. Material choice and end of life.

Answer: "Does the unit store at least 30 books within a floor footprint of 0.3 m²?" and "Is at least 70% of the material recycled or sustainably sourced, and can it be disassembled for recycling?"

Common mistakes

  • Vague criteria ("Does it look good?") Cannot be judged consistently. Fix: Specify what "good" means for this user (e.g. matches a stated colour palette).
  • Research with no analysis Information alone does not guide design. Fix: Add "This means my design should…" after each finding.

Practice questions

  1. "The product must be made within school workshop facilities" is a:

    1. Consideration
    2. Constraint
    3. Evaluation criterion
    4. Need

    (1 marks)

  2. Describe one primary research method for a product designed for wheelchair users.

    (2 marks)

Summary

  • Brief: context, end user needs, constraints, considerations.
  • Primary and secondary research, always analysed.
  • Criteria: specific, testable questions linked to the brief.
  • Ethics and sustainability belong in criteria too.

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