Welcome to MYP Technology - The Design Cycle

What is the Design Cycle?

The MYP design cycle is a system that will help you do yourwork by following certain steps. The system is useful and easy to understandbecause it guides you through the steps of how to do your project.  The Design cycle starts with anINVESTIGATION and follows with PLAN/DESIGN, CREATE and then EVALUATE.

Investigate Stage: The investigation requires adescription of the problem and an explanation on why the problem is important.The student must also relate the problem to their own life, to society and toone or more areas of interaction (A.O.I.'s). In addition to this, students willwant to generate a couple of questions to guide them through theirinvestigation. Surveys and questionnaires should be conducted and the responsesand feedback gathered should be analyzed. A design brief and a designspecification are also required. In the design brief, the student explains whathe or she is going to do to solve the problem. In the specification, one shouldwrite the essential and desirable characteristics they want their end productto have. The student should also have some tests written down (these will testthe product against the specification). Research should be conducted and thesources should be documented.

Design Stage: In this stage, the student should include a variety ofdesigns. Each of these designs should be explained with storyboards, sketches,or labeled diagrams. The designs should be evaluatedagainst the designspecification. Finally, the student should choose one design and justifytheir reasoning for choosing that design.

Plan Stage: The requirements of the plan stage could include thecreation of a time line or a calendar. You will need a step-by-step plan as evidence of planning.The student should critically evaluate their time plans. If the student hasmade any modifications to their original design, the changes shouldbejustified.  Students will needtheir teacher to “approve” their plan.

Create Stage: While following the time plan andworking on the creation of his or her product, the student should keep aprocess journal in their Design Folder Workbook (this journal will be helpfulwhen writing the evaluation). The tools and techniques utilized in the processof creation should be explained. Any changes made to the final design should be justified.Evidence should alsobe provided, such as photographs, screen shots, etc.

Evaluate Stage: Finally, the student should include the feedbackreceived from testers in their evaluation. In addition to this, an analysis ofthe questionnaire results (if used) should also be included.  A detailed evaluation of the student's performance at each stage of the designcycle discussing the strengthsand weaknesses of each stage is essential, as are observations on how each stage could have been improved. A discussion on theimpact of my product on the student, others and/or the environment should beincluded as well.