Design statement

Public buildings are an integral part of towns and communities. They serve many different purposes and their design is influenced by the proposed function of the building, the environment in which it will be located, the people who will use it and the resources available to build it.

Design task

Identify a building that is needed in your community or one that needs re-designing. Design the building and explain how it relates to its environment and the people who will use it.

Teacher prompts

• Research the historical and contemporary people that have lived in your home town and make a preliminary sketch of a building that might relate to the people or the local landscape.

• Modify the sketch of a building to incorporate aspects that relate to your own cultural background.

Design statement

Wetlands have become an essential aspect of many housing and industrial developments. Sometimes the wetland is a new feature introduced to an area to manage the water and run-offs. At other times wetland design involves the regeneration of an existing wetland.

Design task

Design a wetland or an aspect of a wetland to meet an environmental need in your local community.

Teacher prompts

• Research water flow in the area.

• Identify a variety of plants suitable for a local wetland project.

• Research and evaluate the plant requirements for the wetland. For example, use of nutrients, chemicals, fertilisers and growing medium.

Design statement

Product design is often based on re-designing an existing product to capture a larger market share or designing a product to compete with a competitor's already successful product. This is called a 'me-too' product.

Design task

The client has identified additional features for a torch based on market research. Re-design a waterproof torch so that it has the following features:

• bright colour
• can clip onto a belt
• has a small strobe light and locator beacon which can be used in an emergency.

Teacher prompts

• Use graphics tools and techniques to communicate ideas and concepts.

• Conduct a survey to research the features consumers like about existing torches they use and suggestions for possible improvements.

Design statement

Promotional design is widely used in contemporary life. Inspiration for graphic design often comes from personal experience, from exhibitions, from books, from nature, from buildings, from almost anything.

Design task

Design a billboard or poster to advertise an aspect of your school or a local community group.

Teacher prompts

• Identify the target audience and key messages that need to be conveyed.

• Compile a portfolio containing design concepts, suggested materials and instructions you would give to the printer in order to follow principles of sustainability.

• Identify how you would determine whether or not your design met the initial design brief. That is, how would you know whether your design was successful and that your client was happy with the design?

Design statement

Animations and motion graphics are a popular media in films and computer games. The action is enhanced by digital media design including visual effects.

Design task

Design a short animated cartoon featuring two characters and a fable.

Teacher prompts

• Draw a storyboard for the cartoon.

• Use available software in your school to digitally enhance or animate a graphic.

• Experiment with the visual effects in available graphics software, e.g. morphing and tweening.