Task and Problem Analysis

Start with a task map

Begin with the Task Analysis mind map that branches into function, manufacture and materials. It asks how a product will work and what it will hold, then includes manufacturing choices and materials such as wood and plywood. Follow each branch and consider how the points relate to the task. This gives you a way to organize considerations before looking at a more specific brief.

Move from a brief to features

Next, open Analysis of Initial Design Brief. It identifies features for a portable product, including an alarm to alert the user when to take medication. Compare its specific features with the broader questions in Task Analysis. You could write your own questions beside each branch, then use the maps to check whether you have considered function, materials and the user's needs.

Explore how problems are described

The Problems mind maps offer another starting point. One looks at understanding a problem and selecting a group when seeking a solution. Another asks who you are trying to help, why, and what help they need. Compare those questions with the product-focused maps. This page has no quizzes, but you can turn map branches into quiz questions and return to the maps to check your answers.

Use the maps within the unit

Task and Problem Analysis is a section of Research, Design Briefs and Specifications in Design and technology. The task maps help you organize considerations, while the problem maps draw attention to people and their needs. The initial design brief map gives you a specific example to compare with both. Choose a branch from a map and use it to build your own set of questions.