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YR 9 HW project Term 1
Robin Day Project

Checklist: All work completed to a high standard

Research – all tasks completed with reasonable detail
Design page(s) – design work applies strategies as appropriate
- annotations are reasonably detailed and key words/terms are included
- annotations include information on user needs and materials
Modelling – realisation work is completed to a reasonable standard
- appropriate, though limited materials selected
- model is photographed with lanyard
Evaluation - comments include how the idea meets the needs of the user group
- comments include how the idea might be further improved
Higher order skills
Research – tasks are completed to a high degree of detail and engagement
Design page(s) – design strategies taught in class are applied to a high degree of skill
- annotations show understanding of how the idea meets the needs of the user
group and apply key words/terms to show this comprehensively
- ideas show influence from the source material (research)
Modelling – realisation work shows a well considered choice of materials and processes
are applied with a high degree of skill.
Evaluation – comments are thoughtfully justified and include well considered thoughts on
how the idea could further be improved with the user at the forefront of consideration.

For teacher’s use only.

Grade (1-8)
Comment:

Student fix it. What did you ‘fix’ and the date you fixed it. Comment here
Year 9 HW project 1
Wider reading activity A.

This term you are undertaking a project on ready to assemble furniture and its design.​

Your wider reading has been chosen to complement this project. It’s an extract from
‘Autoproggezione’ by Enzo Mari., and the second activity is on ‘democratic design’.

Autoproggezione is a catalogue of plans that Enzo Mari, an Italian product and graphic
designer, created for people to be able to build their own furniture from scratch and therefore
allow them to learn, through building, how furniture was manufactured and importantly to
allow people to appreciate the quality and thought given to creating and manufacturing
furniture for mass consumption.​
His catalogue of plans was a project of sociology as much as it was a practical project. ​

​Read the extract on page 3.​ Then complete the questions to show you have read the text.​

1. What does Mari say is needed to achieve a good outcome when building his plans?

2. Write a completion of this paragraph found within the text. ‘Mari gives two versions of this
proposal, either get rough planks to do it all by yourself, with the help………………’

3. In the text, Enzo Mari is described as being pre-industrial, harking back to what?

4. What are the 'social ends' that are described in the text in relation to Autoproggezione?
Year 9 HW project 1
Wider reading activity B.

Read the following 2 excerpts and answer the questions below.

The story of IKEA flatpacks and democratic design
IKEA flat packs have revolutionised furniture-making and home furnishing history. Today, most IKEA
products come in flat packs that customers can easily transport. IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was
determined to offer the best possible prices but not at the expense of quality. He was aware that some
of his competitors were cheating on quality to keep prices down. In the 1948–1949 issue of the
brochure “ikéa-nytt” he explained how IKEA prices could be kept so low. “Our low prices – by far the
lowest in the land – are possible thanks to a high turnover, direct delivery from the factory, and very low
overheads.”
High costs and damage rates when transporting furniture via mail order were constant thorns on
Ingvar’s side. Although flatpack furniture already existed, it hadn’t really taken off in Sweden. In 1953,
IKEA adopted the flatpack. Self-assembly products proved a popular solution to those costly
transportation problems and meant quality could be maintained.
Democratic Design
The desire to offer products with both a low price and good quality had always been a driving force at
IKEA. However, in addition to price and quality, there are three other dimensions that are considered
when developing IKEA products: function, form and sustainability. When all five dimensions are in
balance, IKEA consider the design of the product to be democratic. The concept of Democratic Design
was officially launched at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1995 and since it has been the tool used by IKEA
when developing and evaluating products.
Democratic Design is at the core of each IKEA product. The five dimensions that make this concept
allow designers and collaborators to create products that are for everyone.
5 dimensions of Democratic Design
Each dimension has its purpose. Form refers to what attracts the eyes. Functionality is necessary so each
IKEA product has a purpose and use. With this, quality should also be at the pillar of design to make sure
that the object itself and its materials last for a long time. Relatively, a high-quality product is a
sustainable product. Each solution should not be complicated or wasteful. The products IKEA create
today should still be relevant tomorrow. This responsibility starts with the source of materials and
continues all the way through to the IKEA customers. Lastly, each IKEA product must be accessible to the
many people it is marketed to. IKEA therefore ensure that form, function, quality, and sustainability are
attainable by everyone.
The balance between the 5 dimensions
While the five dimensions of Democratic Design remain present in each IKEA product, the parity
between each is not always equal. Designers at IKEA constantly review the range, improving and
updating each product to live up to the concept and to customers’ idea of what an IKEA product should
be.

1. What are the 3 other dimensions other than price and quality?

2. At what point is the design of the product considered to be in balance in reference to

achieving democratic design?

3. Why do IKEA consider that ‘relatively, a quality product is also a sustainable product?’

4. What do you think this phrase means, ‘the parity between each is not always equal.’ How do
IKEA try to ensure greater parity?
Robin Day’s Polypropylene Chair project

Robin Day was one of the most influential British furniture designers of the 20th century. He
will be best remembered for his polypropylene moulded stacking chairs which have sold
around 50 million units since the launch of the Poly side chair in 1963. But Day’s achievements
and his influence on post war modernism go much further than that. Although best known as
a furniture designer, Day has worked in many fields including graphics, exhibition, interior
design, radio and television receivers, carpet and vinyl design and aircraft passenger interior
design.

Task 1: Create an A3 research page on Robin Day. Include the following relevant information
and key facts,
Who was Robin Day?
What was he famous for?
As part of this research, conduct a product analysis on his famous chair “Polypropylene Chair”
using ACCESS FM to consider it’s specification points.
(Aesthetic , Cost , Consumer, Environment , Safety, Size Function and Materials.)
This could be presented like a brainstorm or fact sheet that includes text and images.
Attach this research page to your workbook when you hand in.

Task 2: On A3 paper, draw 4-6 detailed design ideas for a mass-produced chair. Follow these
requirements,
a) It must be lightweight
b) It must be inexpensive
c) It must be durable
d) It must be comfortable for the average sized user
e) It must be easy to clean and maintain
f) It must be stackable
g) It must be aesthetically appealing to the target group.

Remember to crate your ideas and apply strategies taught in class.

You need to draw in pencil, add colour/rendering and outline using a black fine liner. You need
to annotate your drawings to show they have met the requirements above. You must state the
materials you’ve chosen to reason how your idea has met the requirements above.
Greater marks will be awarded to students who show they have drawn ideas using the crating
method taught in class. Greater marks will also be awarded to those students that iterate their
ideas as they produce them in an attempt to perfect and refine the idea.
Task 3: Modelling and images. Model your developed idea using recycled materials. Your
model should be no higher than 200mm. Take a picture of your outcome and paste it below.

Task 4: Next to your photo of your outcome, evaluate your idea. Write down 2 strengths and
2 weaknesses. For each one explain why it is a strength and weakness. This can be done as
annotations around the photo.

Health and Safety - Choose card that is easy to cut with scissors. If the card is too tough to
cut, you can bring it into school and ask a DT teacher to cut it. Do not attempt to cut it
yourself with anything other than scissors and if it is too tough then do not persevere with
scissors, but choose a different material. Choosing the right tools for the job is essential to
being safe when undertaking a practical task.
1-8 Grade Descriptors - Design and Technology
Level 1
▪ Students can develop some imaginative ideas using techniques and modelling.
▪ Students can show partial making/modelling/finishing skills and use appropriate tools, equipment and finishing techniques.
▪ Students can show some understanding of quality control throughout some parts of the project, and it is partially clear how accuracy has
been achieved in some areas.
▪ Students can show a partial ability when evaluating how they met the needs of the user, using reasonably clear communication including
the use of some keywords.
Level 2
▪ Students can show some progress in developing imaginative ideas, using some variety of techniques and modelling, including blending
some different materials/ processes together.
▪ Students can show some progress in making/modelling/finishing skills and use appropriate tools, equipment and finishing techniques.
▪ Students can show some progress in their ability to apply quality control throughout parts of the project, and it is clear how accuracy has
been achieved in a small number of areas.
▪ Students can show some progress on understanding how to meet the needs of the user, using reasonably clear communication including
the use of some keywords.
Level 3
▪ Students can adequately produce imaginative, and innovative ideas, using a widening variety of techniques and modelling, including
blending different materials/ processes together.
▪ Students can show some level of adequate making/modelling/finishing skills and use appropriate tools, equipment and finishing
techniques.
▪ Students can use quality control adequately throughout the project, and it is clear how accuracy has been achieved in some areas.
▪ Students can adequately understand how to meet the needs of the user, using reasonably clear communication including the use of
keywords.
Level 4
▪ Students can produce imaginative, and innovative ideas with developing competence, using a widening variety of techniques and
modelling, including blending different materials/ processes together.
▪ Students can show a developing competence in making/modelling/finishing skills and use appropriate tools, equipment and finishing
techniques.
▪ Students can show a developing competence in the use of quality control throughout the project, and it is reasonably clear how accuracy
has been achieved in a growing number of areas.
▪ Students can demonstrate a developing competence in their understanding of how to meet the needs of the user, using clear
communication including the use of a widening variety of keywords within the context of the project.
Level 5
▪ Students can show competence in producing imaginative, and innovative ideas, along with a wide variety of techniques and modelling,
including blending different materials/ processes together.
▪ Students can show they have a competent level of making/modelling/finishing skills and accuracy using appropriate tools, equipment
and finishing techniques.
▪ Students can use quality control throughout the project at a competent level, and it is clear how accuracy has been achieved in many
steps.
▪ Students can evaluate how to meet the needs of the user at a competent level, using clear communication including the use of keywords
within the context of the project.
Level 6
▪ Students can show they are highly competent at producing imaginative and innovative ideas and can use a wide variety of techniques
and modelling, including blending different materials/ processes together.
▪ Students can show they are now highly competent and can complete practical work to a good level of making/modelling/finishing skills
and can use appropriate tools, equipment and finishing techniques to a good level of accuracy.
▪ Students can show they are highly competent at applying quality control throughout the project, and it is clear how accuracy has been
achieved on most steps.
▪ Students can show they are able to evaluate how to meet the needs of the user at a highly competent level, using clear communication
including the use of keywords within the context of the project.
Level 7
▪ Students can show they are highly developed at producing unique, imaginative, and innovative ideas. They can use a wide variety of
techniques and modelling, including blending different materials/ processes together in a considerate manner.
▪ Students can show they are able to respond to a variety of given situations/ user needs and are able to independently create their own
brief.
▪ Students can demonstrate they are highly developed in their practical skills and can show a high level of making/modelling/finishing skills
and can use appropriate tools, equipment and finishing techniques to a high level of accuracy.
▪ Students can show a highly developed ability to apply quality control throughout the project, and it is clear how accuracy has been
achieved on every step.
▪ Students can show a highly developed ability to evaluate how to meet the needs of the user with clear communication including the use
of technical terms within the context of the project.
Level 8
▪ Students can show they have comprehensive skills when producing unique, imaginative, and innovative ideas that demonstrate
originality and flair. When developing their ideas, they use a highly comprehensive variety of techniques, including blending different
materials/ processes together in a highly considerate manner.
▪ Students can show they have a comprehensive ability to respond to a variety of given situations/ user needs and can independently
create their own brief.
▪ Students can show they have built a comprehensive set of practical skills and can produce work to a very high level of
making/modelling/finishing skills and can use appropriate tools, equipment and finishing techniques to a very high level of accuracy.
▪ Students can show they are able to apply quality control throughout the project comprehensively, and it is clear how a high level of
accuracy has been achieved on every step.
▪ Students can show they are able to evaluate outcomes and understand how to meet the needs of the user in a manner that is highly
comprehensive, using clear communication including the use of technical terms within the context of the project.