Design Brief w/rubric (Inventor role) - PTC.com

Design
Brief
Share skill
The objective of
this skill is to
create a detailed
overview of a
product design.
Creativity Lab skill sheet, PTC ©
How does this skill benefit my classroom?
Writing a design brief requires a student to critically think, research, capture ideas with
illustrations and models, and write using technical formats for engineering/design.
What are essential questions
associated to this skiil?
How do I implement this skill in
my classroom activities?
What are key elements of a design brief?
How do I demonstrate my solution meets the
challenge requirements?
What are visual methods for communicating
my solution?
It is recommended to assign a Design Brief
assignment during the Share phase of the
Creativity Lab project. This is a way to
simulate a work experience common to
inventors working on a design/engineering
teams.
How does my product benefit the user?
What resources do I need to take the product
one step further?

Classroom Tips
In industry, a design brief is used to
update a manager or hiring company on
the progress of a design project. If the
state of the project is acceptable, the
team moves forward. If not, the design
team needs to fix what is wrong. In
general, design briefs layout the product
solution, benefits, and requirements. A
design brief can between 5 – 10 pages.
Solution
In a design brief you want to
share how the product
solves the proposed
problem or challenge. A text
summary can capture
essential details. Visuals
can show the products
physical characteristics and
how it works using multiple
perspectives and action
shots. These visuals can be
done in hand or using
computer software. Another
way to bring the product to
life is with a physical
prototpye, which can range
from a simple object made
out of craft supplies or a
machined object made out
of metal or plastics.
Benefits
When pitching a product it is
essential to show how the
product benefits the user. A
great way to show value is
to get early feedback from
users. Using prototypes ask
people what they think
about the product. You can
also do market research.
You can research how the
product compares to
competitor products and
show how your product
uses good features of
succesful products. You can
also research trends in the
market such as
sustainability
or
customization and show
how your design matches
these trends.
Requirements
Identifying criteria and
constraints of a product are
essential. Criteria are the
qualities of a successful
solution. For example, when
designing a shoe, an
engineer could have criteria
such as colorful and sporty.
Constraints are limitations
on the design such as time,
money and material
resources. In the shoe
design example, $10
production costs and no
leather materials could be
constraints. These
constraints are often given
by the hiring company.
Another important feature is
to include a timeline,
budget, and other
management aspects of
making the product.

Rubric
Proficiency
Not Meeting Approaching Meeting Exceeding
Solution
The design solution
does not satisfy the
requirements of the
challenge.
The design solution
has some elements
that make sense but
other features are
incorrect or missing.
The design solution
satisfies the
challenge
requirements.
The design solution
exceeds the
challenge
expectations.
Benefits
It is not clear how the
product benefits the
intended user.
Some aspects of the
design seem
worthwhile.
It is clear how the
design will benefit
the intended user.
The design shows a
lot of potential.
Requirements
The requirements list
is incomplete or
missing.
Some requirements
are listed but it is
incomplete and
requires more work.
A list of design
criteria are listed
that detail how the
product functions
and is constructed.
In addition
constraints such as
materials and
money are
included.
The design includes
a bill of materials
(BOM), product
specifications such
as measurements,
and labels key
functions. In
addition, constraits
related to time,
money, and
resources are
detailed.
Management
Plan
There is no
management plan or it
is very imcomplete.
The design brief has
a rough timeline and
a few budget items
listed.
The design brief
includes a plan that
has a timeline and
rough budget.
The design brief
includes a timeline,
milestons, and a
rough draft budget.
Drawings
There are no drawings
or the drawings do not
effectively demonstrate
how the product works.
There is only one
drawing or a few
drawings that show
only some effort.
The drawings show
the product
structure and
function. Features
are labeled and
additional features
such as
perspectives or
user scanarios are
included as well.
The illustrations are
eye catching and
detailed. They show
how the product
works and extra
time was put into
showing user
experiences and
multiple
perspectives.
Physical
Prototpye
There is no prototype.
The prototpye does
not convey the
solution but the effort
is noted.
A simple prototype
is included which
shows how the
user would interact
with the
technology.
The prototype adds
value to the
proposal. After
using it you want to
see the new and
improved version.