Design and TechnologyYears 7–9

The design process and user needs

Learn The design process and user needs for Years 7–9 pupils (ages 11–14). Free practice questions, lessons and worked examples — aligned to the UK National Curriculum.

What you'll learn

  1. 1

    Designing runs in a cycle: identify the need, research, specify, generate ideas, prototype, test, evaluate — then improve.

  2. 2

    A design brief states the problem. A specification lists measurable requirements — size, cost, materials, safety.

  3. 3

    What makes a good specification point?

  4. 4

    Design for the USER, not for yourself. What matters is whether it meets their needs — including users with different abilities.

  5. 5

    Prototyping tests an idea cheaply before committing. A cardboard model can reveal a fault that would be expensive to find after manufacture.

  6. 6

    Why build a prototype?

  7. 7

    What does inclusive design mean?

Practise The design process and user needs with Whizlo

Free AI-tutored lessons, unlimited practice questions, and progress tracking for ages 11–14. Aligned to the UK National Curriculum.