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THE DEVELOPMENT SECTION

V. Ryan © 2001-2006

The Development follows the IDEAS section. A good way to start a development is to draw your best idea in the middle of the page and write around it areas of your design that need improving. For instance, you may need to improve the colour scheme OR the circuit may need improving further. Alongside each area write a few notes of explanation. Then, produce one A4 sheet for each area e.g. See circuit ‘development'.

CAN YOUR DESIGN BE IMPROVED ?

MATERIALS - You must choose materials and state how they can be combined to produce your final design.

COLOUR - Produce a colour scheme for the final design.

SAFETY - You may be able to show how you have improved the safety aspect of your design.

COST  - Work out the cost of your product. You may wish to use a spreadsheet for this purpose.

CIRCUIT - Select a circuit from the ideas section and improve it further - stage by stage.

MECHANISM - You may need to develop mechanisms or gear systems for your project.

SHAPE - Can you improve the shape of your design ? If so show how.

INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURE -  You must draw each stage of your ‘products’ manufacture (in industry).

Above is an example of an educational toy. Notes are arranged around the drawing,  referring to various aspects of the design that can be improved or need developing

The development section of a project is extremely important especially if you are aiming for a high grade. In this section you must select your best idea and explain how it can be improved and investigate new aspects. On the first sheet the best idea is drawn and aspects that can be improved are identified. All designs can be improved and outlined below are aspects that you may wish to consider when improving your idea. Costing your project and Health and Safety relating to it must also be investigated.

1. Select your best idea carefully. You may decide that selecting aspects from many designs and putting them together as one idea is preferable to selecting one complete idea from a range.
2. The development must show that you understand that your idea can be improved and developed. Think carefully about how improvements can be made and ask others for their views.
3. Draw your selected idea in the centre of the page and identify improvements. Use headings for each aspect and then write a short paragraph regarding how you intend to make improvements.
4. Identify up to 6 or 7 improvements. Include headings such as Health and Safety and Cost. Other aspects may be; shape / colour, Industrial manufacture, materials, circuits and other improvements that only apply to your project such as CAD/CAM and mechanisms.
5. The idea can be drawn in a simple but accurate way. Sometimes it is best to keep to a plain drawing without colour and shade. This means that the attention of a person looking at the sheet will be drawn to the written explanation.
6. Do not crowd the page with notes. Additional notes and drawings will be included on the following development sheets.
7. In the development section each area to be improved has its own development sheet. This means the development section is 6 to 7 sheets in length.
8. Look at old projects to see how pupils have successfully organised their development sections. Learn from their mistakes and build a comprehensive section.

Educational Toy for a Young Child

CLICK HERE ANOTHER DETAILED EXAMPLE

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DEVELOPMENT SHEETS