Category: Designer’s Skills – DT portfolio

June 2020, Grade 10.

I have submitted a Design & Technology project to CREST Awards by the British Science Association. And I have received the award. A Crest Gold Award.

This Design & Technology piece of work was about the solar-powered lamp that was intended to solve the problem of lack of light on the balcony in the evening. However, it brought up wider, real-world applications, which are light sources using sustainable and clean energy. As the world is going to evolve into a circular economy and we cannot always dispose of everything we use. Thus, this product is designed specifically to tackle the problem. I have spent countless hours in school’s DT workshop and labs selecting material, ordering circuits, soldering PCB, applying finishes, and assembling the product, as well as recording everything that I explored and discovered in the project at the same time. I am glad that I can have this award because it accredits my ability in DT as well as the success of my product.

I have to thank my DT teacher Mr. Paul Williams as well as technician Kevin, and other DT department teachers for helping me throughout this project, and I feel that this achievement is not only by me but all the efforts of everyone involved in this project!

• Analytical thinking + innovation 
• Active Learning and Learning strategies
• Creativity, originality + initiative
• Technology design + programming
• Critical thinking + analysis
• Complex problem-solving
• Leadership + social influence
• Emotional intelligence
• Reasoning, problem-solving + ideation
• Systems analysis + evaluation

Here are some of the skills which are relevant and can help a person in achieving success in modern days.

When designing my product, a solar-powered lamp used on the balcony at night. I discovered that I have at least expressed 5 of the soft skills in the list.

• Analytical thinking + innovation
• Creativity, originality + initiative
• Technology design + programming
• Reasoning, problem-solving + ideation
• Systems analysis + evaluation

In the future, I will be exploring how I have presented these skills within myself during my design process over the last year.

I have demonstrated my system analysis + evaluation skills in the process of making my design project.

After I have manufactured the product and has taken some photos to present it to my client, I began to reflect on the success of my product based on the criteria that I have set myself at the beginning of the whole design process.

Here are some of the photos that I have taken to display to my client before the system analysis and evaluation.

In the final criteria, criteria 7, I have reflected my product with the design specifications first described in criteria 2. In regards to how this product has performed in its categories, also known as ACCESS FM (Aesthetics, Cost, Customer, Environment, Size, Safety, Function, Material) in design.

I have also evaluated and analysed the finished product in its intended environment of usage. As well, I have proposed further possible improvements for the product, such as using a trench joint for the front panel to make it more aesthetic, as well as putting solar panels on other sides to ensure that the battery is good to go for lighting up the balcony the whole night if that’s needed.

Overall, I believe that I have demonstrated my system analysis and evaluation skills and techniques in the process of my design technology project.

In my design project, I have demonstrated my reasoning, problem-solving and ideation skills. As stated in the previous design technology post. I have created several ideas for potential product prototypes.

After I have decided the shape of the product and made some prototypes, I quickly began to use the materials (in my product, I intended to use teak wood for body piece and acrylic for front and back panel as they are available as well as waterproof).

However, I encountered some problems at first. When I was programming the shape of acrylic that needs to be cut in the laser-cutting machine, I encountered a problem where I cannot create indents every time, even if it shows up on the Adobe Illustrator application and Fusion 360. After exploring the possible reasons why this is happening, I fixed it one day later, after finding that I cannot simply copy/paste the circle indent from place to place on the applications.

Here are the steps that I took in order to make the product as well as a picture of some adjustments I made in the process of manufacturing, different from what was initially intended.

Thus, I have demonstrated problem-solving skills through my reasoning and ideation during the manufacturing process (mainly) the final product.

During my design project, I have used many programming skills in several different machines to help me shape different materials and explore various possibilities in which I can approach my client’s problem.

At the very beginning, I have used laser cutting machine to cut out some shapes in cardboard and joined them together which enabled me to explore some design opportunities as well as potential prototypes for the final product.

When planning for the manufacture, I have used Fusion 360 to create some CAD drawings for my final product, below are some of the orthographic drawings that I have made prior to the product construction. By using technology design and programming, it enabled me to view my product as a whole as well as splitting it into different pieces, ultimately, it made my construction process easier and more manageable.

To begin with my final product, I have used the laser cutting machine to shape out the acrylic boards for my front and back panel.

Additionally, I have used the CNC machine to cut out my desired shape of wood, in my product, I have used teak.

Throughout the process, I have explored the possibility of using 3D programming to make some pieces of my product (such as the front/back panels) using a 3D printing machine with ABS plastic.

Below are some of the final rendered drawings made in Fusion 360, which is made in par with my construction process for the final project. It represents the final outcome very well (last photo).

In my design project, I have demonstrated my creativity, originality skills and the ability to take initiatives.

In my criteria 2, I have explored some of the existing products on the market, however, I did not find any that can be suited on the balcony in my place. Thus, I have stated the already-existing product pros and cons, which is concluded in my design specification (See the previous DT post).

After that, I began to investigate the environment on the balcony, where my product is going to be placed.

Additionally, I have started drawing some ideas which are potentially going to become the final constructed product for my client, who is my mom.

Then, I started to analyze those products, and gave them marks accordingly, as well as learning what aspects of those products can be taken into considerations for the construction of the final product.

To summerise, by demonstrating these works, I have clearly shown my creativity, originality skills, also, my ability to take initiatives of planning for construction to help with the current problem in my house.

During my design project, I have shown analytical thinking and innovation skills, especially at the beginning of the project.

In my work in the first criteria out of the total seven, I have analyzed the design problem and thought about a way to innovate and fix the problem, by designing a product.

On the first page, I have analyzed the current problem and situation. Which is that at night, there’s not a good light source on the balcony in the place I live in Singapore. Therefore, every time that my mom or I have to go out to the balcony, e.g. to hang washed clothes on the cloth rack, it is often really dark.

Therefore, I began to innovate and analyzed the environment, I wanted to create something that will be placed on the balcony, which can be charged at day, and light up during the night. Based on the environment that balcony is located. A LED solar-powered lamp on the fence facing inwards would solve the current problem of lack of light on the balcony.

I sent out surveys and posed a target market for the product that I am going to be designing.  It’s because I need to understand what people want inside the product, including its functionality, if they are the actual consumers.

Moving on, I have then analyzed some existing commercial products, especially solar-powered light sources as well as their circuits which could potentially help me in coming up with detailed design plans (the last picture). It is the design specifications made for my product to test its usability in the future, it includes all the aspects that my client expects it to achieve, such as aesthetics, cost, customer, environment, size, safety, function, and the material (ACCESS FM criteria).

Thus, I have successfully demonstrated my analytical thinking and innovation skills by coming up with a practical design plan and solution for the current problem in the design process.

This category is where I will be exploring and showcasing skills I have learned and presented when designing.