1. MTW Design Brief Analysis Simple “step by step” Guide….

2. Step 1: Design Brief
Pupils will be presented with a design brief. Here is a typical example of a Junior Cycle MTW design brief from 2016 (Higher Level).
Young people take great pride in their appearance, presentation and image.
Design and make an elegant artefact which will neatly store and display a selection of personal grooming items. The artefact should be compact and designed to rest on a table top. Your design should be inspired by naturally occurring shapes and forms and should accentuate the beauty of skilfully crafted solid wood.
The maximum dimension must not exceed 350mm
MTW _ Design Brief _ 2016 _ Higher Level

3. Step 2: What Now ??
The first thing that pupils must do is highlight any key words or information presented in the brief.
The reason for this, is to figure out exactly what it is, we are being asked to design and make.
Young people take great pride in their appearance, presentation and image.
Design and make an elegant artefact which will neatly store and display a selection of personal grooming items. The artefact should be compact and designed to rest on a table top. Your design should be inspired by naturally occurring shapes and forms and should accentuate the beauty of skilfully crafted solid wood.
The maximum dimension must not exceed 350mm
MTW _ Design Brief _ 2016 _ Higher Level

4. Step 3: Key Words… Key Words Definitions ( in your own words )
Once you have highlighted your key words, briefly explain what each means.
If there are any words you are not sure of, check a dictionary or simply look online to help find a definition.
Now that you know what each word means, you should have a clearer idea of what you are being asked to do.
Key Words
Definitions ( in your own words )
Elegant
Stylish, Classy, tasteful, looks good
Artefact
An object, an item, a product
Neatly
Organised, tidy, no clutter
Store
To hold or keep objects
Display
To show something, Something that will be in view
Selection
A range of things, more than 1 or 2 items
Grooming items
Objects that people would use clean, brush & tidy themselves with
Compact
It must be small
Accentuate
It means to highlight something
Beauty
It must be appealing & attractive to look at

5. Step 4: Key Information…
Most briefs will have design restrictions
Its is important to find out what they are before you begin to design.
Key Information
How does this affect my Project
Designed to rest on a table top
Your project must be designed to comfortably sit on a table top
Inspired by naturally occurring shapes and forms
Here we see the project has a theme of naturally occurring shapes and forms
Solid wood.
The project must be made from solid woods
Maximum dimension must not exceed 350mm
The project must not be any bigger than 350mm,
(Imagine a box that is 350mmx350mmx350mm, your project must be able to fit inside this box)

6. What’s Next...
After breaking down the Design Brief, you must analysis the information presented.
You must ask some key questions before you can begin to design.

7. Analysis of the Brief….Key Questions
(Below are some key question you should be asking related to this design brief)
Where is this project going to go?
What room is this table in?
How will that impact upon the design
What are solid woods?
What are naturally occurring shapes and forms?
What type of grooming items do I own?
How big are these items?
What are the measurements?
How will these sizes impact upon the design?
What if I cant fit everything in?
How are these items going to be stored?
Etc.

8. Analysis of the Brief…Continued
(Below are some sample answers to the given questions from the previous slide)
Questions
Possible Answers?
Where is this project going to go?
On a table top
What room is this table in?
Bedroom, bathroom ?
How will that impact upon the design?
Different styles / Requirements for different rooms….
What are solid woods?
Red Deal, Pine, Oak, Ash, Mahogany, Teak, Beech, Maple, etc.
What are naturally occurring shapes and forms?
Free flowing, Curves, Spirals, Polygons, Spheres, Cones, Rectangles etc.

9. Analysis of the Brief… Continued
(Below are some sample answers to the given questions from the previous slide)
Questions
Possible Answers???
What type of grooming items do we own?
Brush, Comb, Scissors, Hair products, Skin products, Shaver, Nail clippers, Tweezers, Make-up, Make-up equipment, etc.
How big are these items?
Key measurements will be required
What are the measurements?
Each item will differ in size
How will the size impact upon the design?
Only so many items can fit under the size limitations of 350mm
What if I cant fit everything in?
You must decide which items are important and pick those.
Boxed compartments, housed in slots and holes?
Etc.

10. Now that all your questions have been answered your brief analysis is complete...
You are now in a better position to begin designing your project
Key design restrictions have been established
Key information has been gathered i.e. measurements, info about associated items, etc.

11. Why do I need to Research...
If you do not research, it can be quite difficult to design your project to meet the needs of a brief.
See the research page under the DESIGN header, for some quick tips and info on how and where to carry out simple research.

12. (Rapid Sketching, Concept sketching etc.)
Next Stage...
Design ideas
After carrying out your brief analysis and gathering all the key information that was required, you can now begin to create your design ideas through
Sketching
(Rapid Sketching, Concept sketching etc.)