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Inside the Machine G3 to G5 / Week 12 / Thursday
4/6
Week 12 · Design a computer

Thursday

Write the design brief
// Pick parts for a purpose
⏱ about 15 min

Thursday: Write the design brief

Rocket spreads a huge sheet across the bench. "Today I design a real computer!" He starts drawing a screen right away.

Raven slides a small card over the drawing. "What do you notice we skipped? Who is it for? What must it do? Where will it live?"

Nova projects five empty boxes onto the card. "Would you like a hint? Designers write before they draw. The card is called a design brief."

What a design brief says

A design brief is a short plan. It fits on one card. It answers the big questions before any parts are chosen.

Who is it for? What must it do? Where will it live? What would make it hard to use? What can we trade away?

With the brief written, the parts almost choose themselves. The purpose points to the inputs. The place points to the power. The person points to the ways in.

Brief questionGarden computer answer
Who is it for?A neighbor who gardens every morning
What must it do?Tell them when the soil is dry
Where will it live?Outside, in rain and sun
What could make it hard?Small screens are hard to read outdoors
What can we trade away?Speed and storage, for long battery life

From brief to parts

Now read the brief and pick the parts. Outside in rain means a sealed case and no fan. Early morning means a light, not a bright screen.

One message a day means a tiny bit of network. A neighbor who gardens might wear gloves. So a big button beats a touchscreen.

Every choice points back to a line in the brief. If a part does not match a line, the designer asks why it is there.

PUT THE DESIGN STEPS IN ORDER.
  • ?Decide the trade-offs
  • ?Test with the real person and adjust
  • ?List the ways in for the person
  • ?Pick the parts that match the brief
  • ?Write the brief: who, what, where
WHY THIS EXERCISEA brief first keeps every part tied to a real need.
READ THE BRIEF, PICK THE PART
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
The brief says: lives outside in rain. Which part choice fits?
The brief says: the gardener wears gloves. Which input fits?
The brief says: one message a day. How much storage?

Your turn: design for a neighbor

Here is a new brief. A neighbor who loves music cannot see well. They want a device that plays songs and reads the song names aloud.

Fill in the parts below. Think about the person first, then the job, then the trade-offs.

Which output reads the song names out loud?
Which input lets them pick a song without reading a screen?
Does this device need a big, bright screen? Yes or no.
Which part keeps the songs when the device is off?
StatementTrue or false?
A design brief is written before the parts are chosen.?
Every part should match a line in the brief.?
A device for someone who cannot see needs a huge screen.?
Testing with the real person is the last step.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEA brief ties every part to a person and a purpose.
Draw your music device for the neighbor. Label the input, the output, the storage and the power.

You are a designer now, Crew Technician! Your brief led straight to the parts. Tomorrow you look back over the whole course and get ready for your badge.

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