Hey all!
Firstly, for those who have picked Design & Technology to study in Year 11 or in Year 12 I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did! I found this subject really useful because there were so many opportunities to explore different areas of design (in my MDP alone I incorporated illustration / graphics, game design, sewing and electronics). As I’ve been tutoring Design & Technology for a number of years now and thought I’d write up some advice and cover a few things that I tell my own students.
Major Design Project (MDP)
Coming up with an idea for the MDP can be the hardest part, but it’s something that you definitely don’t want to rush. I’ve had students come up to me set on pursuing the first idea that comes to them and adamant to start the project as soon as possible because they ‘want to get ahead’. However rushing into the process with the first idea you have can actually be worse off, because many times they’ll have a change of mind and want to start all over again. Or they realise there are products already available out there as their initial research wasn’t well done. So the number one lesson, would be to take your time and identifying a good idea for your MDP because you jump into it!
So what constitutes as a “good idea”? While there isn’t a 100% full proof way, my suggestion is to solve a need that actually can actually impact society. If you look around there are needs all around us - maybe your dog needs a comfier pet bed or maybe your rooms needs a bit of sprucing up? Whilst those are needs which you can solve through the design of your MDP, you should try going deeper and find a need that really can make a long-lasting impact and help society. Those needs are what I find most effective to address for your MDP.
Throughout your MDP you’ll also need to consistently work on your portfolio. Many students don’t realise, but your portfolio is worth a large chunk of your marks, not just the final product itself. It’s because this is where the markers can see your thought process and your progress. So it’s important to continually document what you’re doing and keep your portfolio organised - so don’t skip any steps.
Lastly, in designing your portfolio I suggest to use InDesign which is what I teach my students to use. This is probably one of the most overlooked parts of the MDP. The majority of students will create their portfolio using Microsoft Word, and whilst there’s definitely nothing wrong with the program, you want yours to stand out the best it can amongst your peers. So in your time and action plan make it a priority to set aside a chunk of time at the end of your MDP to layout your portfolio nicely, to make it visually engaging as it’ll be sure to make an impression on the markers.
Theory
Contrary to what many people might think, there’s actually a decent amount of theory to learn for Design & Technology. Topics that you’ll cover range from what affects the success of a design, the impact of a product’s life cycle on the environment and trends in society that affect design. To prepare for theory it’s one of those obvious pieces of advice, but I’ll say it anyway - don’t neglect it until the last minute! Many students come to me just before their half yearly, trials or even the HSC expecting to learn the whole syllabus within a week or two. The reason why many fall into this trap is because throughout the year they’re focused on completing the MDP that they neglect the theory component. So stay ahead and make sure you learn the theory from the very beginning of your HSC course in term 4.
Lastly some final thoughts are that whilst Design & Technology does require dedication and a lot of work (like any other subject really), I found it was probably the most rewarding subject I did in my HSC. At the end of my HSC, I was left with a project I was super proud of and allowed me to develop a number of skills (such as using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign) that I was then able to use in my university degree (Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication at UTS).
Best of luck to all of you starting out your HSC in this subject, and for those who are looking for extra help with this subject feel free to message me directly! x
Firstly, for those who have picked Design & Technology to study in Year 11 or in Year 12 I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did! I found this subject really useful because there were so many opportunities to explore different areas of design (in my MDP alone I incorporated illustration / graphics, game design, sewing and electronics). As I’ve been tutoring Design & Technology for a number of years now and thought I’d write up some advice and cover a few things that I tell my own students.
Major Design Project (MDP)
Coming up with an idea for the MDP can be the hardest part, but it’s something that you definitely don’t want to rush. I’ve had students come up to me set on pursuing the first idea that comes to them and adamant to start the project as soon as possible because they ‘want to get ahead’. However rushing into the process with the first idea you have can actually be worse off, because many times they’ll have a change of mind and want to start all over again. Or they realise there are products already available out there as their initial research wasn’t well done. So the number one lesson, would be to take your time and identifying a good idea for your MDP because you jump into it!
So what constitutes as a “good idea”? While there isn’t a 100% full proof way, my suggestion is to solve a need that actually can actually impact society. If you look around there are needs all around us - maybe your dog needs a comfier pet bed or maybe your rooms needs a bit of sprucing up? Whilst those are needs which you can solve through the design of your MDP, you should try going deeper and find a need that really can make a long-lasting impact and help society. Those needs are what I find most effective to address for your MDP.
Throughout your MDP you’ll also need to consistently work on your portfolio. Many students don’t realise, but your portfolio is worth a large chunk of your marks, not just the final product itself. It’s because this is where the markers can see your thought process and your progress. So it’s important to continually document what you’re doing and keep your portfolio organised - so don’t skip any steps.
Lastly, in designing your portfolio I suggest to use InDesign which is what I teach my students to use. This is probably one of the most overlooked parts of the MDP. The majority of students will create their portfolio using Microsoft Word, and whilst there’s definitely nothing wrong with the program, you want yours to stand out the best it can amongst your peers. So in your time and action plan make it a priority to set aside a chunk of time at the end of your MDP to layout your portfolio nicely, to make it visually engaging as it’ll be sure to make an impression on the markers.
Theory
Contrary to what many people might think, there’s actually a decent amount of theory to learn for Design & Technology. Topics that you’ll cover range from what affects the success of a design, the impact of a product’s life cycle on the environment and trends in society that affect design. To prepare for theory it’s one of those obvious pieces of advice, but I’ll say it anyway - don’t neglect it until the last minute! Many students come to me just before their half yearly, trials or even the HSC expecting to learn the whole syllabus within a week or two. The reason why many fall into this trap is because throughout the year they’re focused on completing the MDP that they neglect the theory component. So stay ahead and make sure you learn the theory from the very beginning of your HSC course in term 4.
Lastly some final thoughts are that whilst Design & Technology does require dedication and a lot of work (like any other subject really), I found it was probably the most rewarding subject I did in my HSC. At the end of my HSC, I was left with a project I was super proud of and allowed me to develop a number of skills (such as using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign) that I was then able to use in my university degree (Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication at UTS).
Best of luck to all of you starting out your HSC in this subject, and for those who are looking for extra help with this subject feel free to message me directly! x