Lesson 34 · Unit 4
IA Day 10 —
Evaluate Concepts
Use design specifications, testing and user feedback to evaluate your feasible ideas and identify the strongest direction.
80 minutesIA Criterion C
Specifications
User feedback
Evaluate
Guiding question: How can evidence—not preference—justify which redesign idea should move forward?01
Today’s destination
By the end of class, you should be able to…
01
Evaluate—not describe
Make a judgement using evidence.
02
Use specifications
Test ideas against requirements that matter.
03
Use user feedback
Include intended-user/client evidence in the comparison.
04
Select a direction
Identify the strongest idea and communicate why.
Success check: Leave with an evidence-based concept decision that can feed future modelling.
IA DAY · Criterion C decision point02
Criterion C · evaluation
Evaluation asks: “How well does each idea meet the evidence?”
Specifications
Use relevant essential/desirable requirements as criteria.
Testing
Use models/drawings/CAD evidence where appropriate.
User feedback
Bring the intended user/client back into the decision.
The strongest band evaluates the ideas against specifications through testing and user feedback—not simply states differences.
IA Criterion C · evaluate the redesign ideas03
Evidence board
| Criterion | Idea A | Idea B | Idea C | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential: one-hand use | Strong | Weak | Medium | Task test + observation |
| Essential: fits storage envelope | Pass | Pass | Fail | Dimension check |
| Desirable: visual clarity | Medium | Strong | Strong | User preference + annotated render |
A matrix organizes evidence. Your annotation/explanation still needs to interpret what the result means.
Organize the comparison—then explain the judgement04
Description
“Idea B has the biggest handle.”
→
Evaluation
“Idea B’s larger handle improved grip confidence in user testing, but it exceeds the storage-width specification; Idea A therefore provides the better balance for the intended context.”
Evidence + consequence + judgement = evaluation.
Use IB command term: evaluate05
60+
Build your concept decision.
Select discriminating specifications
Choose criteria that actually reveal meaningful differences.
Choose criteria that actually reveal meaningful differences.
Test / collect feedback
Use an appropriate representation and intended-user/client input.
Use an appropriate representation and intended-user/client input.
Evaluate all three ideas
Explain strengths, weaknesses, trade-offs and evidence.
Explain strengths, weaknesses, trade-offs and evidence.
Create annotated presentation evidence
Make the final comparison understandable to a reader.
Make the final comparison understandable to a reader.
IA studio · evidence → judgement06
Conference questions
Be ready to answer these without guessing.
1
Which specification is essential—and what evidence proves whether each idea meets it?
2
What did the intended user say or do that influenced your decision?
3
Where is the biggest trade-off among your three ideas?
4
Why is your selected idea stronger overall, not merely your favourite?
5
What uncertainty remains for the next prototype cycle?
If your answer begins only with “I think…” find the evidence.
Teacher conference · Criterion C07
Self-audit
1
All three feasible ideas are compared against relevant design specifications.
2
I include testing evidence and user/client feedback.
3
I evaluate trade-offs rather than simply score ideas.
4
My selected direction follows from the evidence.
5
My annotated presentation is readable and traceable to previous research.
Save your evidence. It becomes the launch point for deeper modelling and refinement.
Criterion C · strand 2 quality check08
Exit ticket
Before you leave…
1. Identify the specification that most strongly separates your ideas.
2. Record one user/client feedback point that changed your judgement.
3. State which idea will move forward and the evidence for that decision.
Next lesson
How Designers Classify Materials
Keep the evidence chain moving: user → research → decision → test.
Curriculum alignment
IA Criterion C: evaluate redesign ideas against the design specifications through testing and user feedback; required evidence includes an annotated presentation drawing of the feasible redesign ideas tested against specifications and user feedback (approximately two A4 pages or equivalent).
IA Criterion C: evaluate redesign ideas against the design specifications through testing and user feedback; required evidence includes an annotated presentation drawing of the feasible redesign ideas tested against specifications and user feedback (approximately two A4 pages or equivalent).
Lesson complete9 slides
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IB Design Technology SL · Lesson 3409