Design considerations

Student design brief and pattern experiments for a jewellery project — Figure caption,
A jewellery or fashion brief could include aesthetic considerations such as pattern and colour, as this student piece shows

Once you have decided on a basic design problem you should expand on it to create your brief.

To do this, identify key considerations for your brief. These can be:

aesthetic considerations - these relate to the appearance of your design
functional considerations- these relate to the purpose of your design
market considerations - these relate to who your design is for and how you will get it to them

Aesthetic considerations

Five designs for art project backgrounds featuring plant designs as a border — Figure caption,
A student experiments with aesthetics for background designs

relates to the appearance of your design and its .

Consider the appearance of the design you want to create and how this might be achieved.

It can be useful to split your decision-making about aesthetics into four key areas:

Style - What design movements or eras might inspire the appearance of your design?
Visual elements - What qualities of line, colour, shape, form, tone, pattern or texture are most important?
Materials, techniques and finishes - How will these affect the look and feel of your design?
Sources of inspiration - Are there natural, artistic, social or cultural influences you want to reflect?

Aesthetic considerations. What should the style be? Materials, techniques and finishes. What visual elements are most important? Sources of inspiration.

Functional considerations

Poster design- Come and roar with us featuring a tiger. Poster examples on bus stop signs — Figure caption,
When developing a final outcome, think about where your product will be displayed, as this student piece shows

Functional consideration refers to the issues of purpose, practicality, materials and techniques and constraints relating to your design.

Try organising your decisions about functional considerations into the following areas:

Purpose - What are the of your design? How will it perform these? Are there key
Constraints - Are their issues of size and cost? Are there any elements you have to include in your design, eg barcode, or list of ingredients?
Materials and techniques - Does the function of your design demand that materials with particular qualities are used, eg flexible, waterproof?
Practicality - What does your design have to do so that it can be used successfully, eg portable, , self-supporting?

Funcitonal considerations. Purpose, Materials and techniques, Constraints, Practicality

Market considerations

Collage with the title Marwell Zoo trip including a map of the zoo and photos of animals — Figure caption,
Carry out a site visit to explore the company or location you are designing for

Consider the needs of the This would include whether the design is for a (a wide group of different people) or for a (a small group with similar needs and interests).

This can have an impact on costs, materials and methods of production. products, products will tend to be more expensive and less affordable. items are cheaper to make and can be sold as lower prices to more people.

Shape your brief by asking yourself questions about the following areas:

Who - What type of people will buy or use your design? Do they have particular needs or interests?
Production and distribution - Will the way your design is made and sold affect your design?
Income group - how much would or could your target market pay for your design?
Age group - Does the age group you are appealing to have particular requirements?

Target Market Considerations. Who? Income Group. Age group. Production and distribution.

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Creating a design brief - EdexcelDesign considerations