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Design (MYP) flashcards

44 cards covering every topic of the syllabus (From 2014). Study one topic or mix them all, turn each card, and mark yourself honestly.

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Topic 1: Key concepts (examples)

Which key concepts frame MYP Design?: Communication, communities, development and systems. Key concepts are broad and shared across MYP subjects.
What does communication mean as a design key concept?: The exchange of information between people, or between a product and its user — for example the warning light on a hair straightener.
What does communities mean as a design key concept?: Groups sharing a place, need, interest or identity, whose needs a design serves — for example park seating designed for older visitors and parents.
What does development mean as a design key concept?: Growth or change over time, of a product or of your own solution — for example prototype 1 becoming prototype 2 after user testing.
What does systems mean as a design key concept?: Parts working together as input → process → output, with feedback — for example a thermostat controlling a heater.
Concept versus topic in MYP Design: "Lighting" is a topic. "Ergonomics" is a concept that applies across lighting, seating and software. Concepts transfer; topics do not.

Topic 2: Related concepts (examples)

Name the related concepts the MYP Design brief gives as examples: Adaptation, ergonomics, sustainability and innovation. Related concepts belong to the discipline and drive specific design decisions.
Adaptation versus development: Adaptation changes a design or borrowed idea for a different user, purpose or setting (wide-grip cutlery for limited hand strength). Development improves a design over versions for the same purpose.
What is ergonomics?: Fitting products and tasks to the people using them. Physical ergonomics: sizes. Physiological: body capability and comfort. Psychological: perception and feeling. Anthropometrics are the body measurements used.
Which percentile do you design for: clearance, reach and adjustable?: Clearance (doorway, handle opening): 95th percentile, so the large user fits. Reach (shelf, switch): 5th percentile, so the small user can reach. Adjustable: 5th to 95th. Avoid the 50th for everything.
Invention versus innovation: Invention creates something new. Innovation is a new idea or combination that is put into successful use (wheels added to suitcases). Incremental innovation improves step by step; radical innovation changes how a task is done.
What is a product life cycle?: Every stage of a product's life: raw materials, manufacture, distribution, use and end of life. Cradle to grave assesses impact from extraction to disposal; cradle to cradle designs end-of-life materials to become new raw materials.
What are the 6 Rs of sustainable design?: Rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle.
What are planned obsolescence and design for disassembly?: Planned obsolescence: designing a product to become unusable or outdated sooner than necessary. Design for disassembly: joining parts so they separate easily for repair or recycling (a battery held by screws, not glue).

Topic 3: Global contexts

What are the six MYP global contexts?: Identities and relationships; orientation in space and time; personal and cultural expression; scientific and technical innovation; globalization and sustainability; fairness and development.
What does a global context do in a design project?: It is the real-world lens for the unit: it decides which problem you pick out of the design situation, who you research and what you test.
Design situation versus problem statement: A design situation is the open starting scenario you are given. A problem statement is narrow and written by you: one specific, evidenced need for a named client or audience, naming no solution.
How do you write a problem statement from a design situation?: [Audience] need(s) a way to [need] because [evidence], within [constraints]. Check: one audience, one need, evidence included, no solution named, testable.
Innovation (related concept) versus scientific and technical innovation (global context): Innovation is a concept to understand within design. Scientific and technical innovation is the lens for a whole unit. The same applies to sustainability versus globalization and sustainability: say which role you mean.
What is a context-linked success criterion?: A measurable target that only makes sense because of the chosen global context — for example, for fairness and development, the share of under-served users who can use the product unaided.
Product, digital and combined design: Product design: a physical object made from materials. Digital design: on screen or in software (site, app, game, animation). Combined: physical and digital parts working together as one solution.

Topic 4: Assessment criteria

What are the four MYP Design criteria and how are they marked?: A: Inquiring and analysing. B: Developing ideas. C: Creating the solution. D: Evaluating. They are equally weighted; each has eight achievement levels in four bands (0–8 with level 0), giving a total of 0–32. There is no SL/HL split.
How does the design cycle map onto the criteria?: Inquiring and analysing (A) → developing ideas (B) → creating the solution (C) → evaluating (D). The cycle is repeated for every project; skipping a stage loses marks on the criterion tied to it.
What does criterion A require?: From a given design situation: explain and justify the need for a solution for a client or target audience; identify and prioritise research; analyse existing products; develop a design brief that summarises the analysis.
Explain versus justify in criterion A: Explain says what the need is. Justify gives evidence that it is worth solving, with sample sizes ("9 of 12 coaches, 75%") and the consequence of leaving it unsolved.
Client versus target audience: The client is one person or organisation you design for and can consult. The target audience is the wider user group.
Primary versus secondary research: The difference is who collected it, not where you found it. Primary: collected first-hand for this project (your own questionnaire, interview, observation). Secondary: already collected or published by someone else.
What does criterion B require?: Develop a design specification; develop a range of feasible design ideas; present the chosen design and justify it against the specification; develop planning drawings or diagrams accurate enough to make the solution from.
Design brief versus design specification: The brief states what is needed and why (end of criterion A). The specification is a list of measurable requirements that drives development (criterion B) and is tested against in criterion D.
What makes a good specification point?: Requirement + measurable target + reason from research + test method. "Holds a bag" is weak; "holds a 5 kg bag without slipping for 8 hours" is measurable.
What is a decision matrix?: A table scoring each design idea against the specification points, often weighted, used with user feedback to justify the choice of design.
What is a feasible range of ideas?: Ideas that solve the problem in genuinely different ways, each makeable with the skills, tools, materials, time and budget available.
What is a tolerance?: The allowed variation from a stated size: 150 ± 2 mm means anything from 148 mm to 152 mm is acceptable.
What does criterion C require?: Construct a logical plan (steps, time, resources); demonstrate technical skills; follow the plan to create a prototype sufficient for testing and evaluation; justify any changes made to the design or the plan.
What makes a plan logical?: Steps in a workable order, one action each, with time, materials (size and quantity), tools, safety and a quality check — clear enough for someone else to follow.
How do you check whether a time plan fits?: Available time = lessons × minutes; contingency = available − planned; contingency % = contingency ÷ available × 100. Example: 4 × 45 = 180 min; planned 150 → 30 min, 16.7%. Negative contingency means the plan does not fit.
Production log versus Gantt chart: A production log is a dated record of what was actually done, how long it took and any problems. A Gantt chart plans steps against lessons or weeks, showing order, overlap and waiting time.
What is a prototype sufficient for testing?: One complete enough that your criterion D tests can be run on it. A solution can be a model, prototype, product or system.
What does criterion D require?: Design tests to evaluate the solution; carry them out and objectively evaluate its success against the specification; identify how it could be improved; explain its impact on the client or target audience.
How do you write a test plan?: For every specification point choose a test type, write a repeatable method (equipment, steps, repeats), copy the success measure from the specification, state the data and units to record, and say who tests it and where (real users, real conditions).
What is an objective evaluation?: A judgement that follows the evidence, including results that fall short of the specification, rather than claiming the solution is a success.
What makes an improvement specific?: It is a specific change linked to a test result, with an explanation of how it would help — not a general wish to "make it better".
User trial versus expert appraisal: User trial: real users do set tasks while you time and observe them (do not help them). Expert appraisal: an expert judges safety, construction or code quality; it does not replace user testing.
How is MYP Design externally assessed?: By ePortfolio, not an on-screen exam: a complete design folder (brief, research, specification, development, solution, evaluation) starting from a design situation, marked by the teacher against year 5 criteria and moderated by the IB on a sample.

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Written for International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Design, (From 2014).

Cards by Marlbridge Academic Team; 3 restate definitions from the Design (MYP) revision notes. This deck has not yet been reviewed as a whole by a subject teacher. Report an error.

All Design (MYP) notes, practice and topics