Designing with Purpose

Year 13 students are currently working on their IA Design Project, as part of their IB D+T assessment. The IA Design Project is based around socially responsible design focused on the Village International School for children with special needs. The project revolves around four visits to the Village, where students develop ideas and test prototypes using computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing. This project involves a real-life design brief, working directly with a student at the Village School as their client, developing a product tailored to suit their educational, emotional or physical needs.  The project encompasses user-centred design with empathy at its core.

Below are few reflection from the students:

“My user centred design project is orientated around students from the Village School in Bangkok, more specifically a student who suffers from cerebral palsy. The student has limited abilities in learning and is unable to walk making learning quite difficult as he has more specific needs. My projects’ aim is to empathise with the student by creating a product which allows the student to easily learn. The product is a drawing board that can clip onto a wheelchair allowing the student to read and write with ease. The overall objective is to allow the student to have the same learning opportunities as others, and to improve the posture of the student during work, further improving the student’s health and well-being. This project has been an incredible experienceas I get to help many of the village students with specialised needs and am hands-on in creating a product. I’m very grateful to have this opportunity,”  – Cameron (Cam) Chakrabandhu

“For my Design Technology project, I created a product inspired by a pinball machine, to support students at the Village School, a school that cares for children on the autism spectrum and those with fine motor challenges. The firing mechanism of my pin ball design encourages wrist movement and a pincer grip, helping students to build essential skills needed for everyday activities like gripping a pencil and writing comfortably. Developing this product has been both exciting and demanding. I encountered challenges in making the mechanism smoother and more robust, which required frequent redesigns and adjustments. For example, reducing the misfire rate and recoil of the launcher took multiple trials before it performed consistently. Despite these obstacles, each improvement felt incredibly rewarding because it brought the product closer to being effective, safe, and enjoyable to use. This project taught me that design isn’t just about creating something that works but creating something that truly benefits others.”- Tajjkorn (Pun-Pun) Srivikorn

“At the Village International Education Centre, I observed that some students often had challenges within their maths learning, more specifically number sense and sequencing (dyscalculia). This disorganisation disrupted the learning process: students would become overstimulated or frustrated when trying to locate specific pieces, and as a result, they were less likely to engage meaningfully with tasks involving counting, matching, or number bonding. To support their mathematical development more effectively, I have chosen to focus on Numicon and design a solution that helps reinforce number skills while also providing a simpler, more structured method for using and tidying the materials. I observed classroom routines to understand what worked best for the students, with the aim of designing a system that supports both mathematical thinking and independence.” – Nandika Rawat

 “For my Design Technology project, I created a futsal table handle and resistance clip designed specifically for wheelchair users. The aim is to make table football more inclusive and physically engaging, allowing players with limited mobility to enjoy the game while also developing their gross motor skills. The handle limits unnecessary wrist rotation and encourages full arm extension, improving both comfort and control. The resistance clip adds adjustable tension to each movement, helping users strengthen their arms and coordination while playing. I feel proud of this design because it combines fun and functionality. It’s not just about playing a game, but about making sure everyone has the chance to participate. Seeing how a small design adjustment can empower others has made this project one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in DT.” – Xander Uhre