9 Steps to Success THE DESIGN PROCESS Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

WHAT IS DESIGN? Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems. There is no perfect design. Requirements of a design are made up of criteria and constraints.

WHAT IS THE DESIGN PROCESS? The design process is a purposeful method of planning practical solutions to problems. The design process is never final; there are always multiple solutions to a problem. The design process is influenced by requirements called criteria and constraints. “I have not FAILED. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” – Thomas A. Edison

EASY STEPS TO SOLVING A PROBLEM Develop Ideas BrainstormResearch Define the Problem Choose Best Ideas Model or Prototype Test and Evaluate Improve Design Communicate Results Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

DEFINE THE PROBLEM Determine the Issue that needs to be fixed. This can be any problem that will help to improve the way of life for someone. Determine if this problem is a want or a need. Examples could be creating a device that assists someone who is handicapped get up a flight of stairs, or designing a new car that can run on water. What problems can you think of that need solved? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

BRAINSTORM Think of ways to solve the problem. This is where you will take notes and start to generate ideas to solve the problem you are faced with. An example is if you are tasked with designing a car that will run on water you will have to think of ways to make the water power the engine What ideas would go with the problem you chose? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

RESEARCH Gather information that will help solve the problem. This is where you will search and collect accurate data to support the ideas that you noted in the brainstorming step. Use sources like the internet, encyclopedias, dictionaries, magazine articles, or even previous versions of the solution (if they exist). Example: A car powered by water is possible. In Japan, a company has created a small car that is said to run completely on water! What research would you have to do to solve your problem? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

DEVELOP IDEAS Using the gathered information, create plans to solve the problem. These plans can consist of drawings, written descriptions, or detailed instructions. Consider cost, time, and available resources when developing your ideas. Some ideas for the water powered car could be the size of the car, speed, distance it can travel, what would the cost be to make it, what would be the price it would sell for, and the features would the car have. Develop some ideas for the problem you created. Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

CHOOSE BEST IDEA Pick the best plan that will solve the problem. From the ideas you have developed, choose the best idea that will help solve the problem at hand. This plan can consist of one or more than one of your ideas. Example: The water powered car should be four door, travel 200 miles on one tank of water, meet highway speeds, be equipped with GPS, and a quality stereo system. Which ideas would you use to solve your problem? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

MODEL OR PROTOTYPE Construct an example of the solution to the problem. Decide whether to use a model or prototype. Remember a model is a detailed example of a finished product, and a prototype is a working model that can be tested. Some problems may require that you use a model and a prototype. With the water powered car you would want a prototype that could function and work. Would you need a model, prototype or both? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

TEST AND EVALUATE Assess the model or prototype. Run tests on your model or prototype to see what may need fixed with your design. Models allow you to see what features need repairing. Prototypes allow you to test and find issues with any working parts or features. Example: The prototype would be used to determine if the car would be safe to drive, work correctly powered by water, and meet the goals that were set. What would you test for with your problem? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

IMPROVE DESIGN Fix any issues the model or prototype encountered. This step requires you to go back to the Test and Evaluate step. These issues concentrate on the safety and how well the design functions. Any issues could result in failure to complete your goal or even injure some one. Example: The car would leak water so we would have to find the leak and stop it. The car also had problems with the suspension and the ride wasn’t as smooth as it could be. What issues would you run into with your problem? What testing might you have to do to fix your product or solution? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.

COMMUNICATE RESULTS Present the final outcomes of the solution to the problem. This is where you will present all of the research, test data and the final product to your boss or a client. You will use persuasion to get the audience to agree with what you have designed and created. Example: You would present the car’s design and all of the data you collected to a car manufacturer like Dodge, Ford, Toyota, BMW etc. Why should people use your finish product? Who would you sell it to? How much would it cost to make? How much would you sell it for? Students will know how designs are created by organizing and defining the 9 steps of the design process.