Criterion D: Evaluating.

Your challenge is to design detailed and relevant testing methods, which generate data, to measure the success of the solution. 

Critically evaluate the success of the solution against the design specification. 

Explain how the solution could be improved in future 

and explain the impact of the solution on the client/target audience.

Example.

Criterion D: Evaluating

(i) Design detailed and relevant testing methods that generate data to measure the success of the solution.

By the end of year 4 you should be able to

Design a wide range of effective tests to evaluate the solution against the requirements of the design specification (including expert appraisal, user trials, field testing and user observation)

1. Observation.

Example.

Self-Assessment                           

Design Specifications	1  very poor	2 poor	3 fair	4 good	5 very good	Comments
Animation will have five characters					√
Animation will have black and white background				√
Animation will have six props				√
First scene will be in classroom					√
Second scene will be at the tuck shop				√
Mr. Charles will drop on the ground				√
Students will be talked to after the incident				√
Toatal score	30/35

Peer.

Design Specifications	1 Very Poor	2 Poor	3 Fair	4 Good	5 Very good	Comments
Animation will have five characters					√
Animation will have black and white background				√
Animation will have six props				√
First scene will be in classroom					√
Second scene will be at the tuck shop				√
Mr. Charles will drop on the ground			√
Students will be talked to after the incident				√
Toatal score	29/35

Client/ Target Audience

Design Specifications	1  Very Poor	2 Poor	3 Fair	4 Good	5 Very Good	Comments
Animation will have five characters					√
Animation will have black and white background				√
Animation will have six props			√
First scene will be in classroom					√
Second scene will be at the tuck shop					√
Mr. Charles will drop on the ground				√
Students will be talked to after the incident				√
Toatal score	30/35

Testing methods 

An effective and authentic measure of a design solution means that you tested against every aspect of the design specification. These tests can be classified as follows:

User observation (Table above)

• The user is presented with the solution and is set a task to achieve with little or no guidance. The user’s interaction with the solution is observed and recorded.

User trials (client / target audience) - Interview.

• The user is presented with the solution and guided on how to use it. The user is asked questions as he or she interacts with the solution or is given a survey to complete. User trials may include focus groups.

• The design of interview or survey questions needs to be targeted to draw out responses that assess the solution against the specification.

Expert appraisal (Expert) - questionnaire
A person considered an expert in the use of similar products is presented with the solution, given time to interact with the solution and then interviewed on aspects of its success. The expert has particular knowledge and skills that allow him or her to make judgments on the success of the solution. The expert may be the client.

Field trial ( client) - Observation

• A field trial is a test of the performance of a solution under the conditions and situation in which it will be used. For example, an interactive information point (developed in HTML) for a museum exhibit may be tested by the exhibit visitors in the museum, structured as a user trial or user observation.

Performance testing

• The performance of a solution is tested under the conditions in which it would normally be used. Quantitative data is collected through a variety of tests such as:

1. destructive tests assessing impact strength or flammability
2. cyclic tests
3. measurement of physical properties such as weight and size
4. timed tests for web pages to load
5. ease of navigation through an interactive story, game or website.

                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Collecting data:
 Both types of data collected through testing are considered primary sources of data.

Qualitative data deals with quality and is data gathered as descriptions. This data tends to be subjective and can be converted to a numerical value, eg “I like the overall shape of the solution, it fits my hand well, I would give it a 9 out of 10 for comfort” or “The layout of the webpage looks intuitive, it looks easy to navigate and the use of negative space makes it clear. I would rate the clarity of the page as 8 out of 10.”
Tests that can be used to obtain qualitative data include:

• using a questionnaire to find out if the target audience likes the look of a product
• surveying students to find out which parts of a video game they found too easy and which were too difficult
• interviewing an expert after he or she has interacted with a solution
• performing a user trial by giving a toy to children to play with and observing reactions.

Quantitative data deals with quantity and is gathered as definite values, typically a numerical value. This data is objective and can be measured, eg “All information in the database has to be a maximum of 3 clicks away” or “The overall cost of the materials can be no more than €45.”
Tests that can be used to obtain quantitative data include:

• timing users who are tasked with finding a particular piece of information on a website
• measuring a product to ensure it is the correct size and within weight limits
• beta-testing interactive media to find bugs
• running performance tests to determine the strength of a product
• checking the capacity of a storage device
• counting the number of hits on a website over a set period of time.                                                                            

                       

---

(ii) Critically evaluate the success of the solution against the design specification

By the end of year 4 you should be able to:

• carry out a wide range of effective tests to generate qualitative and quantitative data
• explain the accuracy of the data gathered throughout testing
• present the analysis of the data in a clear and concise way
• evaluate the success of the solution against the requirements of the design specification
• explain weaknesses and limitations of the solution based on the analysis of data collected throughout objective and subjective testing against the requirements of the design specification

When critically evaluating the success of a solution, you must objectively judge the solution against the specifications. This objective evaluation comes from analysing the data gathered by carrying out the tests designed.

You must analyse this data and make conclusions that identify strengths and weaknesses of the solution, along with opportunities for further development.\

Evaluation of the product against the design specifications for an App:

The first specification was that the application will be named “Basketball Dribble and Shoot” because I am trying to solve my client’s problem in basketball and specifically in dribbling and shooting. The product (app) passed the first specification because the name of the app was the same as intended just that I added a hyphen after the word Basketball to make it sound clearer.

The second specification was that my app will have a logo on the home page of the app and the logo will be a basketball. The product (app) passed the second specification. I chose to have a basketball as the logo on the home page simply because I was making an app regarding basketball as a sport and so, I thought that having a basketball as the logo on the home page will be good. Also, I downloaded a good quality (HD) image of the basketball so that it looks clear and not blurry. 

The third specification was that all the information on each of the pages of the app will be in Arial but different sizes of the font due to the headings and sub-headings. The product (app) passed the third specification because as intended, all the information on the application is in font style Arial but the headings are in capital and in different sizes.

The fourth specification was that my app will have 4 pages in total; the home page, a page titled “dribbling”, a page titled “shooting” and the about page. The product (app) passed the fourth specification because my application has 4 pages in total and each of the pages are named as intended. Also, the names of the 4 pages of the app appear at the bottom of every page and the user can go to any of the 4 pages when the user clicks on the icon at the bottom. 

The fifth specification was that my client (the user) will be able to use the app on the Appy Pie market place without downloading it. The product (app) passed the fifth specification because the app can be used online on the Appy Pie Market place without downloading the app. Also, the app can be downloaded easily and the app is compatible with Apple as well as Android. I chose to make my app to be compatible with Apple and Android because my client (Carlos D’Sa) has an iPhone and he also has an Android phone. 

The sixth specification was that in my app, there will be detailed explanations on the two main pages (dribbling page and shooting page) so that the client understands how to perform the respective moves. The product (app) passed the sixth specification as the two main pages that are the dribbling and shooting page are the pages that have most of the information. The information on these 2 pages is detailed so that the client (user) understands how to perform the move. Also, the information is not too complex so that the client can easily read, understand and interpret the information. 

The seventh specification was that my app will have videos that will help explain how to dribble and shoot on their respective pages. Unfortunately, my app didn’t have any videos showing how to dribble or shoot on their respective pages but however, the information in my app is derived from professional basketball coaches and also, the information in my app is extracted from some of the videos that I watched myself while I was going through the journey of creating the app.

The eighth specification was regarding the color. The specification was that the home page of my app will have a light blue background, the dribbling page of my app will have a red background, the shooting page of my app will have a light green background and the about page of my app will have an orange background. Although, the app builder software (Appy Pie) didn’t allow me to have a different background image for every page and instead, the software (Appy Pie) only allowed me to have 1 permanent background image for all the pages on the app. Therefore, I chose a background image that had all the four colors that the client asked for (blue, red, orange and green) and set it as the background image for all the pages on the app. 

Test against design specifications

Specifications	Yes/No	How is it met?
Must have at least 3 sections for putting different types of writing utensils	5/5	There are three sections for putting different types of writing utensils: one big section and two small sections
Must have enough space for storing at least 20 pencils	5/5	One of the small sections of my product can store 40 pencils
Must have 1 drawer for storing erasers that can store at least 3 small erasers	5/5	My drawer can stored 4 erasers
The design theme must be aesthetically pleasing to a female teenager around 14 to 16 years old. The color theme will be plain solid color	3/5	According to the survey results, 6 people said the design is excellent and 5 said it is good. Some say that the product is too plain
The depth of each section must be at least 11 cm drop	5/5	The long section is 11cm deep and the small ones are 14cm deep
Must be made out of wood	5/5	The product is made of plywood
Must be joined well using glues and screws/nails	5/5	The product is joined using latex glue and nails (from nail gun)
Must be completed within the time given (the create part)	5/5	The product is completed within the given time below

                                      Recording the results of tests against the design specifications example

---

(iii) Explain how the solution could be improved

By the end of year 4 students should be able to:

Explain, in detail, how the identified weaknesses and limitations of the solution could be improved in the product.

How can students identify how the solution could be improved?Through the objective evaluation of your solution, you should have identified weaknesses in your solutions. These weaknesses provide opportunities for further development and allow you to consider how you would refine your solution further.

Students can suggest these improvements in many forms, including:

• written text—paragraphs or tables
• diagrams and charts
• annotated photographs/screenshots of the prototype
• sketches

Strengths	Weakeness	Improvements
Tastes of the dishes The taste of both the dishes were excellent according to all of my target audiences. The pasta had a creamy flavour with juicy mushrooms, mock chicken which adds to the texture and soft spinach which balances out the dish. The salad had a wide range of vegetables which when eaten provide a crunchy experience for our tasters, but when combined with the sour of the lemon and thickness of the feta cheese, it tastes very sublime. Nutrients in the dishesThe nutrients in the dish ranged from protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals to dairy products. Even though the dish was for a vegetarian, it provided a sufficient amount of nutrition which is what an athlete needs in order to perform. Organization and Time-managementWe organized the cooking fairly and equally so that we could be efficient when cooking the dishes as well as have time to clean up as we go. This really benefitted us at the end because we finished just on time, even though we encountered a few problems during the end. When we faced any problems, we immediately fixed them and got on with the cooking to save time and also finish on time.	Appearance and texture of the pasta dish The appearance and texture of the pasta was not that great as we would have liked it to be. The design clearly wanted our pasta to be surrounding the sauce, but a minor mistake made us change the appearance so I am disappointed. The texture, consequently, was also ruined due to our poor quality sauce which was too thick. We were hoping to fix that mistake from the first time, but unfortunately, it did not work out the second time either. Cooking errors We did not identify some things correctly such as when the water was actually boiling because we accidentally put the pasta in non-boiling water so we need to be more focussed to fix that.	If I had a chance to redo this dish, I would definitely have done this twice and used the first time as a learning experience to fix all my mistakes and not repeat them again such as the thickness of the pasta cream sauce. I will also try and practice basic skills such as boiling at home beforehand so I can perform it correctly in school. I think I just need to cook more to get more experience with these sort of things which will lead to a perfect dish. Since pasta is eaten quite often, maybe next I would try and create my own dish that will excite my target audience a bit and give them something different to what they usually have.

              Write in a detailed paragraph or detailed table                                                        

(iv) Explain the impact of the solution on the client/target audience

By the end of year 4 students should be able to:

explain the impact of the solution on the client or target audience

To identify or predict the impact that a solution will have on a client or target audience, you must refer to the original problem, the design brief, the specification and the evaluation. You should use these aspects to draw conclusions about how well the design brief has been met. These conclusions may be presented in written form, as a list or as a table.The following questions may help you to explain the impact of the solution on the client or target audience.

• To what extent has the client’s or target audience’s problem been solved?
• How does this solution improve the client’s or target audience’s situation?
• To what extent has the design brief been met?
• Are there any negative effects this solution could have?

Criterion D: Evaluating
0	The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1 — 2	The student designs a testing method, which is used to measure the success of the solution, states the success of the solution.
3 — 4	The student designs a relevant testing method, which generates data, to measure the success of the solution, outlines the success of the solution against the design specification based on relevant product testing, outlines how the solution could be improved, outlines the impact of the solution on the client/target audience.
5 — 6	The student designs relevant testing methods, which generate data, to measure the success of the solution, explains the success of the solution against the design specification based on relevant product testing, describes how the solution could be improved, explains the impact of the solution on the client/target audience, with guidance.
7 — 8	The student designs detailed and relevant testing methods, which generate data, to measure the success of the solution, critically evaluates the success of the solution against the design specification based on authentic product testing, explains how the solution could be improved, explains the impact of the product on the client/target audience.

Criterion D: Evaluating
0	The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1 — 2	The student designs a testing method, which is used to measure the success of the solution, states the success of the solution.
3 — 4	The student designs a relevant testing method, which generates data, to measure the success of the solution, outlines the success of the solution against the design specification based on relevant product testing, outlines how the solution could be improved, outlines the impact of the solution on the client/target audience.
5 — 6	The student designs relevant testing methods, which generate data, to measure the success of the solution, explains the success of the solution against the design specification based on relevant product testing, describes how the solution could be improved, explains the impact of the solution on the client/target audience, with guidance.
7 — 8	The student designs detailed and relevant testing methods, which generate data, to measure the success of the solution, critically evaluates the success of the solution against the design specification based on authentic product testing, explains how the solution could be improved, explains the impact of the product on the client/target audience.

Link for use

Criterion C: Creating The Solution

Objective C: Creating the solution

(i) Construct a logical plan that describes the efficient use of time and resources, sufficient for peers to be able to follow to create the solution.

By the end of year 4 you should be able to:

• construct a series of logical steps to create the solution, using charts, diagrams and text that include aspects of quality control and quality assurance
• construct a plan to create the solution that makes effective use of resources and time
• construct a clear and concise plan that peers will be able to follow to create the solution

Step	Description of the tasks	Duration	Resources required	Place/Venue
1	Create background.  I will design my background to show the color scheme of the client's organisation of blue and yellow colors.	1 hour	Animation software: animaker.com	In class
2	Create props to show the differnt furniture; counter, fridge, cashier desk and sheleves	50 min	animaker.com	In class
3
4
5
6

Objective C strand 1

In objective C, your role switches from designer to prototype-developer or manufacturer. Objective C focuses on the realization or creation of a solution to a problem.
One of the most difficult aspects of design is to take an idea from paper and create a product that someone can interact with: a solution to a problem. In objective B, you developed planning drawings and/or diagrams to clearly depict what you are making. In this first strand of objective C, you detail how they will make your solution.
By constructing a logical plan that details the steps required to make a solution, you will demonstrate your knowledge and understanding about how solutions can be made.

What are resources?

Resources can be categorized in two ways: materials and tools.
It is simple to identify tangible materials such as hardwood or nylon; however, it can become more problematic to determine digital materials. When identifying digital materials, you should consider text, fonts, images, audio, video, animation, sprites and icons.
For digital design, tools include both software and hardware (input, processing and output devices). For product design, tools include: hand tools, machinery, CAD (Computer Aided Design) software, EDA Electronic Design Automation software (EDA) (e.g. Fritzing) and CAM hardware (e.g. Fritzing Fab).

Quality control and assurance

Quality assurance covers all materials from design to documentation. It includes the regulation of quality of raw materials, assemblies, products and components, services related to production and management, and inspection processes.
Quality control manifests itself in the development checking and testing of systems to ensure that products or services are designed and made to meet or exceed specifications.

Examples of plans

Step-by-step plan

Step	Process (including quality control, health and safety considerations)	Tools	Materials	Time to complete
1
2

                                                                  Step-by-step plan template

                                                                                                  Step-by-step plan example
Gantt chart/slippage chart
A Gantt chart is a project-management tool used to provide an overview of a process. A Gantt chart divides the manufacture of a product into small tasks. It indicates the time estimated for each of these tasks and theresources required. It does not provide a detailed set of instructions, but instead is an overview to self-assess progress with a project. You should indicate when each task is complete.

Gantt chart example

• Gantt charts using Excel and free online software

A slippage chart goes one step further than the Gantt chart in that it has room below each task to mark when it was completed (in green), allowing you to identify when they are behind in their plans and take action to get back on schedule.

Slippage chart example

The following questions can help you consider your planning.

• Does your plan contain a sequence of logical steps?
• Is the use of resources explained clearly?
• Have you made sure you have enough time to complete your product?
• Have you given time for practising or learning a new skill?
• Have you allowed extra time in case something goes wrong?
• Have you considered alternative ways of creating the solution?
• Have you planned for testing at appropriate times in the manufacturing process?

---

(ii) Demonstrate excellent technical skill when making the solution

At the end of year 4 you should be able to:

• develop manipulative skills to effectively use a wide range of tools, techniques and equipment
• use a wide range of tools and equipment proficiently to create high-quality solutions
• ensure a safe working environment for themselves and others

When determining the complexity of skill demonstrated by you, a number of indicators will be considered.

• Accuracy of the solution: Have all parts been made as detailed in the plan? Have all parts been made accurately?
• Final aesthetic quality of the solution: Has the student given appropriate attention to detail, considering the final overall look and feel of the solution?
• Assembly of the solution: Do all components fit together or combine as detailed in the plan?

When determining the level of guidance and support needed, teachers will consider that you:

• can practise the processes as required
• must work independently when making the solution, if they are to achieve the higher levels
• should demonstrate safe/ peaceful working practices.

For digital design, the level of technical skill demonstrated can be shown through the functionality of the assembled solution. For product design, the level of technical skill demonstrated can usually be shown through the functionality and the final finish of the assembled solution.

---

(iii) Follow the plan to create the solution, which functions as intended

By the end of year 4 you should be able to:

• independently follow the plan to produce the solution, which functions as intended
• manage time effectively to produce the solution to the deadline stated in the plan

You will demonstrate that the planning process was sufficiently thorough if the final product matches the planning drawing and no changes were made to the plan, in whatever form it was presented. 

If the drawings/diagrams and the plan match what has been made, then you have followed the plan.

If you do not follow the plan, it will usually result in the solution not fully meeting the specification and/or matching the design detailed in the drawings/diagrams.

---

(iv) Fully justify changes made to the chosen design and plan when making the solution

By the end of year 4 you should be able to:

• justify, through the use of drawings/diagrams, any changes made to the design while making the solution and how they affected the plan

As you implement your plans, you will often come to a point where you will have to modify the plan or the design. You will need to ensure that you detail and justify any changes that you make during the creation process.
If you do not make any changes to your product or plan, this strand does not have to be addressed with evidence. However, if any changes are made, you must address this strand.

There are two main changes and modifications I have made to my original idea: The hole on the edge of the small wooden pieces (used for the numbers) used to help lift the pieces was originally a square of dimensions 15mm x15mm. Nevertheless, I have found a better solution that is easier to create and is more practical. I will instead create a circle of radius 10mm. This will be done using a bench drill which is easier and faster than cutting it in a square shape using a saw, especially since I will be creating 20 pieces of these. In the original plan, the snake was supposed to be painted on the top 600 x 420mm wooden piece, with the holes for the number pieces being in it. Nevertheless, I have found a better solution which is to cut out the snake (with the dimensions listed in the ‘Parts list’ page) and create the holes in the snake itself. This would not only make the product more attractive, it would additionally make its creation more practical and easier since it would be easier to rotate the snake than the whole board when creating the holes.

Changes made to design example: Educational toy

On the home page… The link has moved from the very bottom to almost near the top, I had done this for aesthetical reasons. The quote, instead of having it centered, it is now flushed right, this was because I needed to create more of a visual balance. Other than that, it appears the same in the design as it does in the final product.  Design  Solution                                                                   Changes made to design example: Website

Changes made to design example: Making a box

Modification to my Design Now that I have made a plan to follow and thought about all the materials, tools I am going to use and how much time the project is going to take, some features of my design changed. To start with, I changed the thickness of the circle of the sun which is where I am going to locate the clock mechanism. This is because the part of the clock mechanism that has to be drilled through the material is 6cm long. So, it is going to take a long time to drill a whole about 14cm deep on an 18cm thick material. I thought it would take less time drilling a whole about 2 cm deep on an 8cm thick material Now that I thought about how long it is going to take to create stickers, I decided make more Number Stickers. Before I made the plan, I thought it would take the longest time to create the stickers on the vinyl cutter; however, I realized it actually doesn’t. I was going to only make four stickers: 12, 3, 6 and 9. But, since it doesn’t take so much time creating them, I decided to make all twelve stickers. I also realized that while I am waiting for the stickers to be cut out by the vinyl cutter, I could be using the time and start working on the next step which is putting the clock mechanism on to the clock design. The last change I have made is to use spray paint for one or two parts. If I use paint, I have to paint several coats and dry them. Same goes for spray paint; however, if you compare the time on how long it takes to paint and spray a material once, to spray paint takes less time.                                                                                          Modifications to a design example

---

(iv)(a) Present the solution as a whole

At the end of year 4 you should be able to:

• present the solution in an appropriate format that shows all details of construction

A digital design product will be presented as either an executable file or readable file.
A product design outcome will be presented as a set of photographic images, which must show detail and scale.


Read

Presentation of website solution example

Presentation of a product from all angles