Designing for User Needs & Design Contexts (digital resource)
Designed for use in schools
 
This is an editable digital download resource. 
 
ABOUT
This resource consists of 2 separate resources both on the theme of user needs and design contexts.  The aim of the resource is to get students thinking about different design contexts and the user needs and design problems that might link to these contexts. The resource might be used to support the development of design thinking especially in relation to designing real products for real people in real situations. The resource can be used with any year group.
Resource 1:
Word document resource with 4 sets of cards which can be used separately or together e.g. for generating discussion, mind mapping activities or prompting design thinking.
Set of 20 cards (when cut out these are the size of a business card) with images of different people a designer might design for. All cards have the same question as a thinking promotion and additional questions are included in the supporting notes.
Set of 20 cards (the size of business cards) each with a different context for real world design problems as a heading on the card. As well as the main heading each card has 5 subheadings that act as additional thinking prompts. Additional thinking prompts and questions are provided in the separate notes. 
Set of 20 cards with different products that might be used by a range of users (cards are A5 size). All cards have the same question as a thinking prompt and additional questions are in the separate notes. 
Set of 10 analysis cards (cards are the size of a business card). All cards have the same thinking prompts  and there are additional thinking points in the supporting notes.  
Resource 2
This is a PowerPoint resource with 50 ＃ThinkDo activity cards based on the theme of user needs and design contexts.
Each card consists of at least one image along with thinking points and questions. 
The activity cards can be used in a range of different ways e.g. as starters, plenaries, homeworks and discussion prompts. They might also be used in conjunction with the cards in resource 1. 
Some of the＃ThinkDo activity cards may be available in some of our free resources but this resource collects them all together in one place. 
 
Look at our #ThinkDoMAKE resources for ideas on practical activities linked to the learning in this resource. 
 
We map our resources against the learning listed in our various curriculum planning documents some of which can be downloaded here. 
 
FILE FORMAT
The download is a Zip file that consists of a Word document and a PowerPoint document (Word and PowerPoint are needed to be able to read & edit the documents). PDF versions of both documents are also included which should be accessible on most devices. Note that although the PowerPoint itself can be edited the ＃ThinkDo images and text on each slide can't be changed. The large file size may not be suitable for downloading to some mobile devices. 
 
File is for personal use & can't be reproduced, used or sold commercially (including resources developed from the original)
 
AS WELL AS RESOURCES IN OUR SHOP THERE ARE ALSO LOTS OF FREE RESOURCES & SUPPORT FOR D&T TEACHERS ON OUR BOYD EDUCATION WEBSITE.