Coursework (Component 2) - Are students required to redesign the product or just make changes?

The iterative design process should be clearly documented with annotated sketches, photographs or screenshots. The model with its improvements should be constructed, tested and evaluated and recorded as part of the portfolio. This is not a complete redesign of a product but an opportunity for the candidate to develop or improve the product in some way. According to the syllabus, producing a prototype to demonstrate the improvement is part of the expectations. However, the prototype will only be for the improvement, not for the full product. (page 43).

When the product’s size, or the resources available, make a fully working prototype impractical, it is within the scope of the syllabus to allow candidates to produce a high-quality model that demonstrates the key features of the intended improvement to the product. The key question that should be asked when deciding to model a prototype is ‘can the model be effectively evaluated and tested to meet the criteria set by the design brief and specification?’ Models can be tested and evaluated in several areas such as ergonomics, size, compatibility with the main product being improved, aesthetics, user feedback, function and some performance in use tests.

 Small areas of the product could be made from realistic materials to demonstrate the prototype's capabilities. In addition, sample materials that do not form part of the prototype model itself, could form part of the test to evaluate suitability if the product was to be produced commercially. A quality model takes time and skill to achieve a realistic prototype. It should be difficult to distinguish a final prototype model from that of a product made from the material it is trying to replicate.