Define the Design Challenge

Overview

In lesson 5 of 8, students turn a broad food or fibre production opportunity into a clear, feasible design challenge. They unpack the needs of a user, investigate material properties, generate and compare ideas, and seek approval for a brief that includes constraints and measurable success criteria.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• explain how material properties influence a designed solution
• identify a user, purpose, constraints and success criteria
• generate and communicate at least three design ideas
• use a decision matrix to justify a design choice
• plan collaboratively using technical vocabulary and assigned roles

Success criteria

• I can write a design brief that names the user, purpose and constraints.
• I can explain why a material is suitable using property evidence.
• I can sketch three different ideas and label important features.
• I can compare ideas and justify one choice using measurable criteria.

Curriculum links

• Food and fibre production in managed environments: considering why materials, processes and products are selected for a particular environment and purpose.
• Investigating needs, materials, components, tools, equipment and processes needed to create designed solutions.
• Generating, iterating and communicating design ideas using technical terms and graphical representations.
• Developing project plans that identify resources, roles and production steps.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Revisit the opportunity. Teacher displays the unit opportunity: How might we design a useful, sustainable product from a food or fibre resource produced in a managed environment? Open with the opportunity and learning intention slides and remind students that previous lessons explored managed environments, users and sustainability. Students discuss with a partner: “Who might need this product, and what problem could it solve?”

2. 5–13 min · Explicit modelling: I do. Teacher models changing a broad need into a design brief, thinking aloud: “Farmers need better packaging” becomes “Design a recyclable protective package for a small food product that is easy for a school customer to open.” Model identifying user, purpose, constraints, measurable success criteria and technical vocabulary such as strength, flexibility, absorbency, durability, recyclable, prototype and sustainable. Show how an attractive material may still be unsuitable if it is weak, absorbent or difficult to recycle. Students listen, suggest improvements and record two useful technical terms on the design challenge worksheet.

3. 13–25 min · Guided brief unpacking: We do. Teacher displays a sample brief on the model brief and annotation slides and annotates it with the class under the headings user, purpose, constraints, materials, success criteria and process. Ask: “What must the product do?”, “How could we test that?”, and “Which words tell us the material needs a particular property?” In pairs, students highlight or label the sample brief on the worksheet, then help correct two deliberately weak statements: “It must look nice” and “Use the best material.” Reframe these as measurable or evidence-based criteria, such as “The package protects the product when dropped from desk height” or “The material can be reused or recycled locally.”

4. 25–45 min · Team investigation and idea generation: You do. Teacher places students in eight teams of four and distributes the Group Role Cards. Students assign a facilitator, resource manager, recorder and reporter, recording names on the worksheet. Provide material samples, research cards and safe testing tools. Teams investigate selected properties by observing, gently stretching, folding, adding a small amount of water where appropriate and discussing likely durability and recyclability; no tasting or unsafe cutting. Teams record evidence, identify needed resources and sketch at least three different ideas on graph paper, using labels, arrows and notes about materials, joining methods and purpose. Teacher conferences with each team, prompts precise vocabulary, checks safe handling and approves ideas that are realistic for the available time and resources.

5. 45–55 min · Decision matrix and approval. Teacher models scoring one idea against criteria such as suitability for the user, strength, sustainability, ease of making and cost or resource availability. Students complete the matrix on the worksheet, using a simple 1–3 scale and adding a reason for each score. Each team selects one idea, identifies one trade-off—for example, “stronger but less flexible”—and presents its brief and preferred idea to the teacher for approval. Teacher checks that the approved brief includes a clear user, purpose, constraints and at least one measurable criterion before teams may proceed.

6. 55–60 min · Individual exit ticket. Finish with the Success Criteria Exit Ticket Slips. Students independently name their team’s chosen idea and explain one reason it best meets the need, referring to a material property, user need or success criterion. Collect tickets as students leave and ask reporters to retain the approved brief for the next lesson.

Resources

• the complete design challenge slide deck
• the design challenge worksheet
• the Group Role Cards
• the Success Criteria Exit Ticket Slips
• Sample design brief and teacher annotation copy
• Food or fibre material samples
• Property testing tools: rulers, balance scales, droppers and water trays
• Research cards about materials, sustainability and managed environments
• Graph paper, pencils, coloured pencils and clipboards
• Safety guidance and waste/recycling containers

Assessment

• During modelling and guided practice, question students about the difference between an attractive material and a suitable material; check annotated sample briefs and use of technical vocabulary.
• During team work, assess role allocation, research notes, safe property testing, labelled sketches and the reasoning in each decision matrix.
• Approve only briefs that identify a user, purpose, constraints and measurable criteria. Use the exit ticket to check each student’s individual understanding of the chosen idea and justification.

Differentiation

• Provide a brief scaffold with sentence starters: “Our user is…”, “The product will…”, “It must…”, and “We will test this by…”.
• Offer preselected materials, simplified research cards, a labelled sketch example, a reduced decision matrix and adult scribing for students requiring additional support.
• Pair students strategically and read instructions aloud; use visual icons and explicitly model each testing action for EAL/D learners and students with additional needs.
• Extend capable teams by requiring two measurable criteria, a justified trade-off and a comparison of the environmental impact of two material choices.