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Design and Technology

Home > Design and Technology > Designing and Producing > Project Advice and Examples > Project advice and examples

Project Example

Formal gown

These pages are meant as a guide for prospective candidates of Design and Technology, they are not prescriptive nor cover the full range of tasks that a candidate would complete to fully satisfy the examination criteria for a Major Design Project. Note that each of these examples has a title, the title for a project should not be fully determined until the needs have been identified. Someone who sets out to design a bridge, may find that a tunnel is a better solution!

Project Proposal and Project Management / 15
Project Development and Realisation / 35
Evaluation / 10

Project Proposal and Project Management / 15

Identification and exploration of the need

• Discuss with my family, friends and several independent garment designers what the possible needs are that the gown should satisfy, list these, prioritise for myself.
• Indicate the priority order of these into primary, secondary and tertiary needs.

Areas of investigation

• existing designs
• previous practice in the area
• fashion houses, magazines
• independent fashion designers
• patterns, tailoring
• materials
• tools
• techniques and processes
• fitness for purpose

Criteria to evaluate success

• Coming from the needs, these will be able to be assessed by a survey which includes photographs of me wearing the completed gown.
• They could include:
  
  • fit
  • style
  • 'stun effect'
  • comfort
  • ease of manufacture
  • ease of care
• I would develop a method of measuring each of the above.
• Analyse the functional and aesthetic criteria

Action, time and finance plans and their application

• Use a large calendar on a pin board, use cotton to link each entry to another page with more detail.
• Have separate sheets for different stages and use another colour to emphasise evaluation and application.
• Show how the design changes by doing sketches across the bottom like a history of the project.
• Establish a budget and use a thermometer analogy to see how the money is spent
• Have the design stage finished by end of Term two year 12.

Project Development and Realisation / 35

Evidence of creativity - ideas generation, degree of difference and exploration of existing ideas

• Use style acquisition techniques, brainstorming, and mind maps to be creative about garment styles, materials, techniques.
• Take examples from various sources and create your own styles.
• Use a range of patterns as a source of inspiration.
• Be innovative in research techniques, construction and use of materials.

Consideration of design factors relevant to the major design project

• Develop an analysis of the range of factors that are involved in the design of a garment.
• Brainstorm from existing garments and magazines, materials, properties, usability, mapping and ease of use.

Appropriate research and experimentation of materials, tools, techniques and testing of design solutions

• Try to get as many fabric samples as possible to use in testing.
• Create a database of resources using MicrosoftWorks at school (Keep two backups).
• Create calico garments to test fit and style.
• Have 'target audience' assess prototypes.
• Develop skills required in sample form before using on garment.
• Seek expert opinion from at least two sources to validate correct construction techniques.
• Show by photographs how the evaluation of the prototypes directly affects the developing garment.
• Test materials by referring to the evaluation criteria and the needs.
• Test prototypes by wearing and adjusting them.

Application of conclusions

Identification and justification of ideas and resources

Use of communication and presentation techniques

• Use a range of communication media throughout the project eg letter, phone, email.
• Create a display for my project, including use of a mannequin and large photographs of the finished garment.
• Have video available of the finished garment being worn.

Evidence and application of practical skills to produce a quality project

• Develop construction skills to a high level by researching correct techniques early in the project, perhaps taking extra lessons at TAFE.
• Create samples as experiments and indicate which technique or process is used in the gown and why.
• Have at least two independent experts comment on the quality of the garment besides family and friends.

Evaluation / 10

Record and application of evaluation procedures throughout the design project

• Use a technique of wall charting to record evaluation with a different coloured pen.
• Show by experiment and photograph how the evaluation has directly changed the design.

Analysis and evaluation of functional and aesthetic aspects of design

• Include this analysis in the Identification of Needs.
• Spend some time discussing with others what the functional aspects of a formal gown are.
• Try to separate the aesthetic aspects from the functional.
• Make this in a table form which could be part of the project display for marking.
• Use the criteria developed to create a survey of a large group to evaluate the finished product.
• Ask independent experts to assess the aesthetic aspects.
• Use the information gathered to make an honest assessment.

Final evaluation with respect to the project's impact on the individual, society and the environment

• By conducting 'cradle to cradle' life cycle analysis on the materials used, justify their selection and use.
• Indicate the social impact of the garment with respect to the concept of a 'formal'.

Relationship of the final product, system or environment to the project proposal

• Give a summary by referring to the proposal and highlighting where the solution meets the criteria established based upon the evaluative information gathered.