Designing should not be confused with drawing. The two skills will be developed side by side but designing involves a much broader range of experiences including discussion, investigation, direct modelling with materials, generating images using computers, manipulating 'found' images (or 'copy'), sketching, making prototypes and producing a design specification.
Design skills include:
planning
researching and investigating
generating ideas
developing ideas
evaluating ideas
recording and communicating ideas
using information sources when designing
Drawing Skills
Drawing skills may be developed at first through drawing pictures of what has already been made or to record design ideas created by direct modelling with materials for example. As the need arises, scale drawings of parts of a design may be produced to enable sizes to be measured off and templates for required shapes to be produced. Eventually, the drawing is used as a powerful modelling tool and will allow drawing out designs before committing to the making. But this drawing will remain just one way of designing: not the only way. Drawing in Design and Technology is used for: recording; communicating and designing.
Here at ARI Design we concentrate alot of effort with regards to Design Drawings...
