Children as designers work through a design process when creating a product; from concepts, ideas and identifying purpose to designing, making and evaluating. This is important for children to understand that the development that goes into the production of invention, creation or outcome – and that this isn’t as simple as just ‘making something’ immediately.

The understanding of research, investigating existing items, considering who and what a product is for before making it is vital; as is the construction, materials and building process.

Following the design and creation of a final product, children will evaluate both the process and the outcome, reflecting on how things could be improved. Children know that evaluation and critique is a vital part of the design process; that sometimes an idea needs to adapt from a prototype or their design specification and that this is a part of the process a designer in the real world would go through.