June 2023 Update Log6/6/2023  Hi everyone!
I'm sorry for the lack of updates and new work. I have been working on stuff, but nothing is fully finished or ready for upload. As many of you know, my family and I started a big adventure by moving into the countryside and out of the centre-belt of Scotland. We are absolutely loving it here and have made many new friends. Our new school is excellent too (we both work in the same school again!) - we have been really lucky and worked in excellent schools during our careers. So, I have a few wee projects coming together. This is a new mini-project for Graphic Communication - a nice wee entry primer for those starting their graphics journey. I'll be making a supporting video this week too. Click here to go straight to it. I am considering selling my rocket-launcher design. Is that something people would be interested in? Anyway, thank you for all the support and encouragement. Hope you are all doing well. Scott
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S3 Design & Manufacture12/5/2020 This is has been a term to remember - or forget - like no other. Still, I am happy with the progress made.
Introducing Design and Manufacture to S3 can be a tricky balancing act. Some pupils expect to be completing a course similar to woodwork or metalwork, with nothing but making activities and can be shocked at the level of knowledge and design-theory that is required. Some pupils love blue-sky design thinking, but are nervous of actually making. I have experimented with different approaches over the years, but may have struck a winner. I always start with introducing the 'design process' including Briefs, Research and Specifications. This can be somewhat dry and abstract, but I also don't want to go through the full process to design and complex manufacture. In this simple task, I provide the pupils with a driving-bit for an electric screwdriver. I will introduce the task by asking pupils to drive in a screw using the driving-bit alone. After much struggling, I then have the class research the problem - they lack a suitable handle. I provide a brief (which you can download from the N5 DM section of the site) and pupils analyse this brief, plan and conduct their research. This includes using calipers to measure the driving bit and simple ergonomic/anthropometric research. After the research, a simple Specification is created. Usually this is the end of the tale. However, in this instance, I asked pupils to create simple 2D sketches for concepts then quickly take these to 3D CAD. For most, their designs required simple revolved profiles. However, some pupils who also do Graphic Communication were able to complete vastly more complex designs. These models were then 3D printing. I will probably rant more about 3D printers soon, and how they are sometimes treated as gimmicks in Scottish schools. However, in this case, every pupil printed their model at least once and several actually iterated their designs with subsequent improvements. The class morale was improved; they understood briefs, types of research, specifications and even CAD and 3D printing. I'm happy with the results above. Let me know what you think. 
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All opinions here are those of the original authors and do not represent those of DesignClass or any other organisation. Just so you know. This blog will have galleries or work or things I see from my travels. Forgive the typos! :) Archives
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