Design Strategies

Collaboration

• The process of working with others to create something.

• Brings people together to pool ideas and concepts.

• Companies may use a range of designers or collaborate with other successful designers to create a special edition or limited range.

• Often happens in the fashion industry.

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User-centred Design (UCD)

• At each stage of a design process, designers need to focus on the user and their needs.
• Involves the user through a series of research and investigative steps.

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Systems Approach

• Considers all the steps in a process/project and how they affect it.
• The system as a whole is analysed, rather than individual steps.
• Often uses flowcharts, block diagrams and other visual methods to represent stages of a system.

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Iterative Design

• Used to continually improve a design/product.

A continual cycle or prototyping, testing, gathering feedback, and making improvements.

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Ways a Designer might Explore/Develop Ideas…

• Sketching - an important first step, can be roughed out, edited, and developed.

• Modelling - low-cost method of seeing how a product works/looks, e.g. using toile or breadboard.

• Testing - an ongoing process throughout design and manufacturing.

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Testing

• Destructive testing: Tests a product to its extreme, helps guide a manufacturer on the appropriate choice of material and construction method.
• Non-destructive testing: Identifies areas of weakness, tests the function and usability without destroying the product.
• Market testing: Analyses how the product performs with user groups and client testing.

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