THE DESIGN PROBLEM

Students start by identifying a design problem or need, this problem needs to be reasonably broad in nature, so to allow for divergent thinking to take place in response to it. The design problem only needs to be a single sentence at this stage, a great place to start is to think about a broad audience and consider what their needs may be. For example, elderly people need help accessing medical services.

DETAILS

The design problem is to be presented as a brief text document, on an A3 page (portrait or langscape depending on how you wish to present your folio).

Visual example

BACKGROUND

Identifying the problem in which you are solving as your first step, ensures that your design is strongly rooted in meaning and purpose. As a society, we are increasingly valuing design which is not only aesthetic, but also highly functional in it's nature - starting with a design problem or need is a great way to ensure this.