Lesson 6 · Weeks 10-12
Investigating and defining your own problem
Learning intention
Define a specific problem with a real user, and write evaluation criteria that can actually be measured.
Success criteria
My criteria could be applied by someone else to my finished system and produce the same judgement.
Before class
Have two or three real, local problems ready for students who cannot find one. A stalled brief costs weeks.
Materials
Record of evidence. Research access.
Common misconceptions & fixes
Students write the solution into the brief. If the brief names the components, it is not a brief, and it forecloses the design work.
Evidence to collect
Design brief; research into influencing factors; measurable evaluation criteria. First assessment point.
Support path
Offer a shortlist of problems and have the student narrow and specify one.
Extension path
Interview the actual user and revise the brief based on what you learn. Record what changed.
Exit reflection
Could someone else build a different system that still satisfies your brief? If not, your brief is too narrow.
