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New
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Year 10

Product requirements

I can write a design brief to define the design opportunity.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10

Product requirements

I can write a design brief to define the design opportunity.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Designers use design briefs to define the design opportunity and focus the design
  2. Designers identify product requirements
  3. Specifications are used to inform designing and manufacturing
  4. Specifications are used when testing designs

Keywords

  • Requirements - something which is needed or wanted

  • Design fixation - considering only one possibility

  • Specific - something that is clearly defined and detailed

  • Viable - capable of being successful

Common misconception

All specifications must use the same subheadings.

Specifications must be specific to the context, design opportunity and design brief.


To help you plan your year 10 design and technology lesson on: Product requirements, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson is a great opportunity to consider product requirements and specifications, including the opportunity to add additional examples from your own experience.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is 'a situation where something happens or exists, this is the starting point for designers to solve problems' a definition for?
Design brief
Specificaiton
Ideas
Correct answer: Context
Q2.
Which methods can be used to investigate a context?
Correct answer: Mind map
Road map
Bullet points
Correct answer: User journey
Correct answer: Mood boards
Q3.
What is a 'design opportunity'?
Correct answer: gap
want
Correct answer: need
space
hope
Q4.
Match these keywords with the definition:
Correct Answer:nature,naturally occurring, not made by humans
tick

naturally occurring, not made by humans

Correct Answer:design fixation,considering only one possibility
tick

considering only one possibility

Correct Answer:sustainability,ability to exist without depleting the resources needed in the future
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ability to exist without depleting the resources needed in the future

Q5.
Select reasons why design fixation is limiting.
Correct answer: lack of creativity
Correct answer: lack of innovation
Correct answer: lack of originality
lack of detail
lack of information
Q6.
What is a design brief?
Correct answer: a statement
a diagram
a sketch
a song
a model

5 Questions

Q1.
A design brief should be ...
Correct answer: Open to allow scope for creative design ideas
Specific to limit design ideas
Correct answer: Open to avoid design fixation
Specific to fix design ideas
Correct answer: Specific to ensure designs address the design opportunity identified
Q2.
In which order would you usually complete each of these?
1 - Context exploration
2 - Identify a client
3 - Design opportunities identified
4 - Write a design brief
Q3.
Which of the four Ws is missing? Who, Where, Why, ...
Correct Answer: What
Q4.
What is the list of criteria a product must have or do called?
Correct Answer: specification, product specification
Q5.
How can a specification be used by consumers buying a product?
Correct answer: To select the most appropriate product
To select the cheapest product
Correct answer: To compare the products
To compare users' needs