Design explores the avenues of digital design and product design through the lens of the Design Cycle. Students will place their focus more on the process of how great designers tackle a problem or challenge and not the final product or solution. Students get to inquire and analyze all aspects of the problem, giving them the framework to create a solution using a variety of critical and creative thinking skills. Once their solution has been created, students will go through a rigorous process of evaluating the success of their solution based on a set of criteria created by themselves.

Design offers opportunities for students to use their thinking skills extensively by exploring creative solutions to presented problems or project prompts. This allows students to create new and innovative designs through the Design Cycle process as well as giving them options to improve already existing inventions. Students will also gain research skills to learn new technical skills in robotics, vinyl cutting, and 3D printing.

Students will be assessed on four criteria: inquiring and analyzing, developing ideas, creating solutions, and evaluating. Students will accomplish these in a variety of ways from Lion’s Den presentations, Design Cycle notebook submissions, and product performance contests. Some examples of this are the Lego Mindstorm, Lego Sumo Robotics Competition, and the Great Japanese Cardboard Boat Race. During assessments students will be required to show how they accomplished their goals with the use of the Design Cycle as well as reflecting on each stage of the process.