Criterion B: Developing Ideas

Create a section in your book for Criterion B. Each of the following tasks will be the ‘chapters’ of this section of the book. Use the features of Book Creator: you can embed video, Padlets, insert video and audio that you make of your own reflections, add photographs. 

Make it very clear that you are responding to each section using the headings listed below.

B1: Design Specifications

What?

Develop a list of success criteria for the solution.

Why?

You need a complete list of concise success criteria in order to be able to systematically evaluate the quality of your design ideas, prototypes, and products.

How?

The first thing we do is create a list of 6+ success criteria. These are the things our game should do to have a chance at achieving its goal and entertain at the same time.

Explain why each is important, and what research you did that makes you think this.

We can change them later, but we need some to start with. Keep them specific so another designer could understand what you mean.

Consider also:

You might like to organize your success criteria in a table like this:

To be successful, my game must: The research that helped me to decide this: To achieve this goal the (what) should/should not (what) These specs will help the game achieve these criteria (by how)?
Let players complete without violence  I read statistics about the effects of shooting  games on young people. 

Guns will be paintball guns.

Players will not be able to die.

The player will not be causing physical harm to others.

 Another option would be to use ACCESS FM to describe the features/specifications for your design – the requirements for success for your game. 

PDF ACCESS FM

 

Click here for some examples of Design Specifications

Here are 2 examples from a Clock Project and a Game Project

B2: Design Ideas

What?

Present feasible design ideas that can be correctly interpreted by others.

Why?

You want to be open-minded and not yet hone in on one specific idea. You also want to explore different options.

How?

It is time to start doodling some ideas. Look at your specification, and start sketching out ideas that achieve as many as possible.

Consider also:

The important thing is to refine and develop ideas, not just scribble random stuff. Finish an idea, and show it to your fellow designers. Get feedback, and then change your next design, either just a little, or completely!

For each sketch, include the following:

  1. Game Idea (Sketch)
  2. Feedback from (who) was (what) which made me think I should (do what) in my next sketch because (what).
STOP and GATHER FEEDBACK and repeat this step 3 or more times to get ideas. You can also craft a rough prototype of the game if that helps to explain an idea you have that you want feedback on.

B3: Chosen Design

What?

Present the chosen design.

Why?

You want to commit to your final design idea now.

How?

Hopefully by now we have a selection of ideas to choose from. Our job now is to choose the best, and sell it. It isn’t enough just to have a great product. There are many other designers with great products that you are competing with. You need to convince people that yours is better, by presenting it in the most attractive way possible.

This section has 3 parts:

  1. Promotional Art: An advertisement for your game
  2. Pitch: (Your brand name) will soon be releasing (name of game). The goal for this game is (what). It will be successful at this because (why/how?)
  3. Challenges: The challenges I might face in developing the product are (what). I will overcome these successfully by (doing what/why?)

 

Consider also: 

Here are examples of what the Promotional Art might look like (think logo or poster that you would see in a game magazine or website.

B4: Planning Drawings and Requirements

What?

Create a planning drawing/diagram, which outlines the main details for making the chosen solution.

Why?

You want a detailed illustration of all aspects of the product you are going to create plus a full overview of all you will need to create this product.

How?

Finally for Criteria B, we create a planning sketch or sketches that will help us create the game later on. These are the drawings we will have open when we are creating.

If you are creating the game pieces, draw what they will look like. If you are building the game board, draw the desired design. If you are having cards or dice or tokens, design those. 

The sketches should guide you when you get to creating. You should surround them with labels and comments (such as instructions, possible issues or measurements) to help you later.

Criterion B Rubric

Criterion B PDF