Great designers know there’s always room for improvement, so how can we encourage children to be more imaginative when evaluating existing products?
Professional designers often start by asking how everyday products can be changed for the better. Nowadays there are very few products that are absolutely original and innovation tends to focus on looking for new ways to improve existing designs so that, for example, they perform their purpose more effectively or are easier to use.
Asking children how existing products could be improved is an important part of their learning in D&T. It can create some great starting points for their own designing and making, and encourages them to think imaginatively and critically about their own ideas and products.
