C1 Working with design briefs and specifications.
Initial knowledge/skills rating **
September 2011
I have never worked directly from a formal written design brief and yet I feel quite confident that I could work with both design briefs and specifications. I am sure I do not know everything and yet I cannot work out what knowledge I am missing to feel confident enough to give myself more stars.
October 5th 2011 ***
Following Bhav’s taught session today on working with design briefs I now feel more confident about giving myself a higher star rating as I feel better able to verbally quantify my past experiences.On reflection upon my life and work I have come to realise design briefs can appear in many different forms. In my experience they have always been verbal communications.
Professionally I worked as a design draughtswoman in the manufacturing industry for over seven years. Every job would have had a design brief which was then conveyed verbally by the project manager to a single draughtsperson or a team of draughtsperson depending on the size of the project. Having received this information it was my job to design something that could be manufactured easily to match the requirements of the order, which is another description of a design brief.
It was a job that was more about applying learned industrial standards and design criteria than it was about being creative. Functionality, ease of production and cost were the primary concerns.
October 5th 2011 ***
Following Bhav’s taught session today on working with design briefs I now feel more confident about giving myself a higher star rating as I feel better able to verbally quantify my past experiences.On reflection upon my life and work I have come to realise design briefs can appear in many different forms. In my experience they have always been verbal communications.
Professionally I worked as a design draughtswoman in the manufacturing industry for over seven years. Every job would have had a design brief which was then conveyed verbally by the project manager to a single draughtsperson or a team of draughtsperson depending on the size of the project. Having received this information it was my job to design something that could be manufactured easily to match the requirements of the order, which is another description of a design brief.
It was a job that was more about applying learned industrial standards and design criteria than it was about being creative. Functionality, ease of production and cost were the primary concerns.
Commission Work
I left work to have children and with more time on my hands I returned to my former self. I soon found myself designing and making things for my children. From soft furnishings in the nursery to costumes, novelty birthday cakes to developmental toys. Each time I was metaphorically speaking, writing my own informal specification. I was designing within parameters both physical and self-imposed as well as working to a budget.
As my children grew they started making their own requests; putting forward their own mini design briefs. They grew up thinking mum could make anything and their requests were many and varied.
At some point I started experimenting with stained glass and soon found myself taking orders for bespoke pieces. Design briefs grew in complexity, though nothing was ever written down. Gathering information from my client was then used to form a mental design brief. What colours schemes they
had in mind along with what colours and textures were available. What function was the piece to perform? Where was it going to be located? What size would the finished piece be? Did it have an existing framework to fit into? Did the piece need protecting and why? These were just some of the questions that needed answering and the answers could have been used to write a design brief.
As my children grew they started making their own requests; putting forward their own mini design briefs. They grew up thinking mum could make anything and their requests were many and varied.
At some point I started experimenting with stained glass and soon found myself taking orders for bespoke pieces. Design briefs grew in complexity, though nothing was ever written down. Gathering information from my client was then used to form a mental design brief. What colours schemes they
had in mind along with what colours and textures were available. What function was the piece to perform? Where was it going to be located? What size would the finished piece be? Did it have an existing framework to fit into? Did the piece need protecting and why? These were just some of the questions that needed answering and the answers could have been used to write a design brief.
More commission work
This commemorative window was designed and made for a local public building before being encased within a double glazing unit. This was not only to protect the piece from possible vandalism but also to meet current building regulations. Information like this could have been used to write a formal specification.
ED503 & ED504
November 26th 2011
For these projects: Design and Make plus Systems and Control, we had to write our own context and design brief. I struggled at first unsure of the difference between the two categories and wondered where specifications came into it. By working through both projects I am confident I now know the difference between the two and about what information to include under each heading.
February 11th 2012 ****
As a group we worked on delivering a lesson on structures. Within this lesson plan we created a real life context and design brief. I realised in so doing that no confusion lay in my mind as to what information belonged to what any more. I’m happy about that!
A little more practise and I will be happy to claim my last star!
For these projects: Design and Make plus Systems and Control, we had to write our own context and design brief. I struggled at first unsure of the difference between the two categories and wondered where specifications came into it. By working through both projects I am confident I now know the difference between the two and about what information to include under each heading.
February 11th 2012 ****
As a group we worked on delivering a lesson on structures. Within this lesson plan we created a real life context and design brief. I realised in so doing that no confusion lay in my mind as to what information belonged to what any more. I’m happy about that!
A little more practise and I will be happy to claim my last star!
ED616 Design innovation project
For this project we are required to identify a real need and then design an innovative solution. I rather like the idea of working with children with special needs developing something that may be useful to them. Having realised the children I have known are now grown up I have made a mind map of all the people I can think that might be able to help me. I am going to start by asking a friend of mine that works in a special needs school. She made a rash offer just after I was accepted on this degree course that I could shadow her for a day. Also, one of my peers has a partner that works in a different special needs school and she has said she would be able to arrange for me to visit if I want. I would like to take her up on this.
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School visit arranged
22nd February 2012
I called my friend and with the schools permission I have organised a visit for myself and one other member from my course. I feel a bit apprehensive. It all sounds very restrictive. The school is for children with autism and they can only allow a couple of visitors occasionally. If someone else wanted to visit that day we would not have been allowed. We will need some safety training before we are allowed to see around the school!
I called my friend and with the schools permission I have organised a visit for myself and one other member from my course. I feel a bit apprehensive. It all sounds very restrictive. The school is for children with autism and they can only allow a couple of visitors occasionally. If someone else wanted to visit that day we would not have been allowed. We will need some safety training before we are allowed to see around the school!
After designing the activity board *****
June 2012
Having settled on a project to develop I had to write my own context, design brief and specifications. Unlike earlier projects I was now designing for other people. By drawing on my initial research I found it relatively easy to write a context, design brief and specifications. If I had to loosly define what is meant by each of these this is what I would now say:
Context - The context is like the story, the setting or the rational behind the project. It is a way of giving you some background information so that you understand why you are being asked to design something
The Design Brief - is the formal request or challenge. It is telling you what you are aiming to achieve. Think who what where why and when to help with writing this one. Include any known restrictions like budget or sizes. Anything that is important to the final design.
Specifications - contain any relevant technical data such as measurements.
But these are not hard and fast rules. There are times when you have to use your personal judgement and put the information where it feels right. For example if you have a crucial measurement to design to that you know about from the beginning it is possible this would appear in all three categories.
Having settled on a project to develop I had to write my own context, design brief and specifications. Unlike earlier projects I was now designing for other people. By drawing on my initial research I found it relatively easy to write a context, design brief and specifications. If I had to loosly define what is meant by each of these this is what I would now say:
Context - The context is like the story, the setting or the rational behind the project. It is a way of giving you some background information so that you understand why you are being asked to design something
The Design Brief - is the formal request or challenge. It is telling you what you are aiming to achieve. Think who what where why and when to help with writing this one. Include any known restrictions like budget or sizes. Anything that is important to the final design.
Specifications - contain any relevant technical data such as measurements.
But these are not hard and fast rules. There are times when you have to use your personal judgement and put the information where it feels right. For example if you have a crucial measurement to design to that you know about from the beginning it is possible this would appear in all three categories.