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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.

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.

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.

Iterative Design

  • Used to continually improve a design/product.

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

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.

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.

LS

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.

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.

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.

Iterative Design

  • Used to continually improve a design/product.

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

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.

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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