INITIAL IDEAS
1
A RANGE OF DESIGN CONCEPTS
This is where you begin the creative process and where you can show innovation approaches to solving the problem / tackling your specific design brief.
It is important at this stage to ensure a big range and variety of realistic design concepts that meet most of the design criteria. You will need to explore a variety of techniques to thinking creatively and document this process clearly and effectively. You get marks for this section in 2.1, Generation of Initial Ideas but also 3.2, Quality of ideas (see Quality of Ideas section)
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To quote OCR this section (2.1) should show:
'The candidate's ability to generate many different initial ideas and concepts that offer scope for challenging design thinking
Use of differing but appropriate design approaches and techniques
The avoidance of fixation on preconceived ideas or stereotypical design
Ideas respond to and build upon technical and non-technical requirements identified by users, stakeholders, and through other relevant testing and investigations'
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/531798-internal-marking-guidance.pdf
First few ideas
You will already have had a few thoughts about what your design solution could be. Sketch these ideas out as a starting point. Most people will be able to come up with 3-5 initial concepts on their own before getting 'stuck' or 'fixated' and needing some help through collaboration or using some different ideation techniques to get the creative juices flowing.
Ideation Techniques
All designers will get 'stuck' at some stage. They need to draw on different techniques to get out of this rut or to avoid getting fixated on one/ two concepts. OCR also expect all students to use a variety of ideation techniques in order to ensure variety in the range of design concepts. Below is a variety of techniques that you could use to help.
Quality of Ideas
So the above guides you through a variety of techniques on how to ideate but how do you communicate your ideas and when you are being rated for quality how do you know that your ideas are of a 'high quality'?
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To quote OCR this section (3.2) will assess:
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'The clarity and effectiveness of the candidates communication and presentation of initial ideas and concepts'
The quality and consistency of the candidates graphical and modelling skills using different and appropriate techniques'
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/531798-internal-marking-guidance.pdf
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This guidance is only so helpful. Mr Whitfield has created a video to help you understand how you can sketch an idea well enough to communicate your concept to others which is essentially what you are looking to be able to do at this stage.
In summary your sketches can be quick and loose but they need to have enough detail to explain a concept.
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Include annotations and /or a brief description
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Use different views if you think it will help (3D, 2D (side,top,bottom), sectional, exploded).
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Draw a 'zoom in' of a part that needs more explanation
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Draw mechanisms if that is key to the design
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If you want to type annotations/descriptions do this on your slides after
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Ensure you take a good photo of your work to enable the reader to see your sketches as they were intended (not dark and blurred)
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Finally look at the exemplars below - you can scroll through to get an idea of how others have communicated ideas
Exemplars
Checklist & Markscheme
Scroll through the exemplars
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A minimum of 10 concepts generated using one or more design approaches (blue sky thinking / collaborative designing / people place task etc) - simple quick sketches with annotations.
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Have you clarified how you have avoided design fixation?
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Have these ideas responded to the design brief?
