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Year 10 - Design and technology

Explore the context and avoid fixation

Saving space context

Unit Summary

Pupils will use disassembly to investigate an existing piece of flat-pack furniture, including material sources. They will use this information to inform designs. Pupils will focus on user-centred design to create and develop ideas and then plan the manufacturer for a product.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to identify design opportunities whilst avoiding design fixation.

Key Notes

  • Designers use mind maps to explore a context considering the 4Ws.
  • To avoid fixation designers identify design opportunities from a context.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • context: the situation within which something exists or happens
  • design opportunity: a gap or a need where a new or improved product would be beneficial
  • design fixation: consider only one possible solution
  • mindmap: a visual way to organise ideas around a main topic using connected branches

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may come with an idea or even a solution at this stage and stick with it as they feel they do not need another idea.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Designers use mind maps to explore a context considering the 4Ws. To avoid fixation designers identify design opportunities from a context.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'context'

the situation within which something exists or happens.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Pupils may come with an idea or even a solution at this stage and stick with it as they feel they do not need another idea. Correction: Encourage pupils to explore a range of ideas and possibilities to avoid design fixation and prepare them for the NEA.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 10 Design and technology guide library.