Task A3 | ​Existing products 

🔎 What? 
 
❗Why? 
 
Analyze a group of similar products that inspire a solution to  You are trying to figure out what makes related products a 
the problem.  success (or not) and you are trying to come up with ideas for 
  your own project.  
 

⚙H
​ ow? 

Inspiration board 
● Choose ​a product idea from this list - ​Choice of Upcycled Product 
● Create​ a Pinterest board of a range of products (at least 25) that are an inspiration to your specific project.  
● Present​ a screenshot of (a large part of) your Pinterest board in your design folder. Include the title and the 
hyperlinked source of your pinterest board. 
● ​ hen creating your inspiration board, choose products that are different from each other. If the 
Consider also​ -​ W
products are very similar, you will gain only limited knowledge and inspiration for your own project, because most 
products will lead to the same conclusions. It is likely that your inspiration will not only come from products that are 
similar to what you have in mind. Quite different products may have features that inspire you as well. 
● Review​ the ​high level example​ and the rubric (below) to ensure you have enough detail. 
● Choose and j​ ustify​ which project plan will be the foundation for your project. You will incorporate elements from other 
projects, but choose 1 that best represents what you want to make. 

Inspiration Board of​: soft toy Ideas 

Source:​ Chen, Ziyu. “​https://www.pinterest.com/ziyuinterchen/soft-toy/​ ” Pinterest Board. Feb 2020 

 
 
. 

PMI analysis​ | Plus, Minus, Interesting 

The command term a
​ nalyze​ is defined as​:  
 
“Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure​.” 
 
 In this task this means conducting a PMI analysis for the products you identified in your inspiration board. 
 
Tips for analysis: 
● Evidence that you looked closely at the site of the pin 
● Identified properties of the products (size, shape, style, functional effectiveness, appropriate for fabric, 
appropriate for your skill level, appropriateness for client) 
● Bullet points but full sentences 
● Explain why it is a strength/challenge/interesting point 
 

Analyze​ strengths (​plus​) of the products. In your analysis clearly identify and explain specific features that 
⊕  make the product successful. 

● Most of them are in my skill level that I can make by following the instructions, some of them you can just but 
cotton inside the fabric and sew them together, for example the heart with the jeans fabric 
● Is good for my client because she likes stuffed animal especially cute ones, so I don’t have to worry about the 
client won’t like it 
● They can be made in jeans which is what I recycled, I can change the cotton fabric to jeans and do the same 
thing with what you do for cotton 
● The colors of the toys are easy to dye they don’t have unusual colors like navy or other colors 

Analyze​ weaknesses (​minus​) of the products. In your analysis clearly identify and explain specific features 
⊖  that make the product less successful. 

● Some of them are not at my skill level is really hard to make, like the balls in the 2nd column 3rd picture, is 
made out of lots of lines and overlapping each other, for me, I wouldn’t know how to made them all the 
same length and width nor how to overlap them 
● Some of it takes a lot of time to make so I might not have enough time t o finish it, for example the pillow with 
little toys in it, I have to make each individually and then make a big one  
● Has white colors which is hard for blue colors to dye to, blue is a dark color and white is light so is pretty hard 
 

Outline​ all take-aways (​interesting​) you have gained for your project by analysing the products. 
ℹ  Take-aways are Ideas that are worth remembering for later in the project. 

● The shapes of the toys are cute 

● I can use the design of the string on the heart, so I can hold them to take them from place to place 
● I can use the cone on the octopus's head  
● I like the sushi’s kind of looking 
 
 
 

Choose and justify a project plan 

 
Select one of the products from your inspiration board and justify the choice for this product to design in the next 
stage of the design cycle.  
 
Your justification must address the following elements: 

 
This is good for my client because she is a korean and she loves sushi, so this can be for her at
sleeping and she would like the outside of this soft toy. The fabric that I’m using is jeans but I’m gonna
 dye a part to green which is originally green which is the color she like. This is at my skill level because
is just some cotton inside the fabric, and some black fabric outside so is at ny skill level. 
 

   
A3 Assessment 
Level  Descriptor  Typical features of student work 

0  The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. 

1-2  The student ​presents​ some  ❏ The analysis of the individual products l​ ists​ specific features as strengths 
existing products that inspire a  or weaknesses. 
solution to the problem.  ❏ The inspiration board is ​not completed​, nor a link to your source. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​limited​ analysis and thinking 
about client, fabric and skill level. 

3-4  The student ​outlines​ features  ❏ The analysis of the individual products o​ utlines​ specific features as 
of some existing products that  strengths or weaknesses and leads to some further insights regarding the 
inspires a solution to the  project. 
problem.  ❏ There is a l​ imited​ number and range of products in your Pinterest Board. 
There should be at least a range of 25 products that are different from 
each other 
❏ The source is included, but ​not in, proper​ MLA format. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​basic​ analysis and thinking 
about client, fabric and skill level. 

5-6  The student ​describes​ common  ❏ The analysis of each individual product or system d ​ escribes​ specific 
features of similar products  features as strengths and weaknesses and leads to meaningful insights 
that inspire a solution to the  regarding the project. 
problem.  ❏ There is a s​ ufficient​ number and range of products in your Pinterest 
Board. 
❏ The source is cited in p ​ roper​ MLA format. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​sufficient​ analysis and thinking 
about client, fabric and skill level.  

7-8  The student ​analyses​ a group  ❏ The analysis of each individual product or system e
​ xplains​ specific 
of similar products that inspire  features as strengths and weaknesses and leads to impactful further 
a solution to the problem.  insights regarding the project. 
❏ There is an e
​ xtensive​ number and range of products in your Pinterest 
Board. 
❏ The source is cited in p
​ roper​ MLA format. 
❏ The choice of final product demonstrates ​sophisticated​ analysis and 
thinking about client, fabric and skill level.