I looked up design thinking and design cycles and was instantly shown the Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford Design Thinking Model. I selected the model with the descriptions attached as I felt this suited the challenge best.
The understanding of the challenge required reading through the requirements as outlined in the activity document and then mapping out a problem or need for the designing of the area and then brainstorming solutions to filling that need through designing and creating musical instruments.
I went through and selected a focus year level and from there gathered the content descriptors that could be met through the task as well as other learning areas that the project aligns with.
Design and Technologies – Content Descriptors:
Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding
Identify how people design and produce familiar products, services and environments and consider sustainability to meet personal and local community needs (ACTDEK001)
Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to produce designed solutions (ACTDEK004)
Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills
Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005)
Generate, develop and record design ideas through describing, drawing and modelling (ACTDEP006)
Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions (ACTDEP007)
Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of design ideas, processes and solutions including their care for environment (ACTDEP008)
Sequence steps for making designed solutions and working collaboratively (ACTDEP009)
Science – Content Descriptors:
Science Understanding
Chemical sciences – Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose (ACSSU031)
- investigating the effects of mixing materials together
- identifying materials such as paper that can be changed and remade or recycled into new products
Music – Content Descriptors:
Create compositions and perform music to communicate ideas to an audience (ACAMUM082)
- creating and improvising music using technologies
Respond to music and consider where and why people make music, starting with Australian music, including music of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACAMUR083)
- listening to and talking about music and musical instruments from different contexts and cultures
The below image is my mind map of the initial planning process which covers the areas of Empathise, Define, and Ideate.
Empathise: In order to understand the challenge best, I made sure to look through the activity as a whole and then broke it down looking at a specific year level and taking the content descriptors for that band to work with. The understanding was that I needed to create a design challenge that could fill a need or interest, design a concept and then create a physical functioning piece of work from the idea and planning.
Define: The problem or interest I chose to work with is based on a need for The Arts to have more inclusion within the classroom and to meet a demand for exposing students to music and instruments who may otherwise have little chance of experiencing music through playing an instrument due to a lack of resources or funding or no teacher to specialise in the area.
Ideate: during my brainstorming process I looked at my overall theme for musical instruments and what sorts of instruments could be designed through using recycled materials. This gives a cost effective way for students to create and experience music while also being able to recycle and re use materials from their home.
Below is a collection of musical instruments that can be designed and developed to meet the purpose of the challenge. These images would be used as resources to give students inspiration for designing their own instrument.
Aboriginal clapping sticks 
Box guitar 
Cardboard didgeridoo 
Egg carton marracas 
Paper straw pan flute 
Paper trumpet 
Spin drums 
Tin can drums
After gathering ideas and creating a sketch of what I wanted my instrument to look like I went and gathered materials from a prior use such as a box from a past purchase; or a paper towel roll.
My initial list of materials included:
- Rectangle box for head
- Long box for fret board
- Cardboard roll for the fret board to help support
- Yarn for guitar strings
- Pencils for attaching the strings
This eventually grew to include tape and hot glue as a source of actually combining and securing the materials together.
I began the prototype design by looking at my materials and following my step by step guide which went as follows.
Design steps to follow:
Step 1: draw up design model
Step 2: collect materials to create the design model
Step 3: begin making the musical instrument
Step 4: test the item to make sure it is producing the sounds required
Step 5: finish tests and the making of the instrument
Step 6: decorate the instrument to finish the overall look
The following gallery shows the development of the musical instrument from the initial gathering to the first test prototype.
This design had flaws where the strings being tightened made the fret of the guitar push up and impacted upon the look and sound.
To correct this I took the back of the guitar, cut it and then reattached it with hot glue and tape. This straightened out the guitar and upon another test made the sound that the strings produced much more appealing.
I have also adapted a workbook to fit the needs of the design, building and evaluative side of the curriculum areas.
Life-cycle of the materials used to create my product
The lifecycle of my product involves multiple materials that range in different ways of manufacturing and recycling/decomposition.
The boxes that I have used for the item would go through a similar manufacturing process, they were then distributed to shops or factories to store items; the recycling process would also be similar. The yarn gets manufactured, delivered and can also be recycled.
Safety and risk assessment:
The safety and risk assessment issues to consider for this challenge include the use of scissors and a hot glue gun. The use of a hot glue gun would need to be maintained by the classroom teacher but would still require a risk assessment to be completed.
I believe that sustainability has been incorporated through the use of recycled materials to design and build musical instruments.
Students will create the instruments through materials that once finished with, can give use to another need through the recycling phase. This is important to show students as they need to recognise the significance of using renewable sources and ways to improve the earth in order to be more active and informed citizens.
The students of today will become the designers of tomorrow; whether that be in designing fashion, architecture, or creating renewable energy forms and the technology that will play host to collecting and/or providing that energy.
I have learnt that design technologies has a vast scope upon which it plays a part in the world. There are so many ways in which a person can be or work with designing and I myself have done that countless times when it came to my first degree; this included sketching and designing costumes, and sets & lighting for the theatre.
I aim to try and incorporate a wide range of understanding and appreciation to design technologies for what it is; an important part of our lives and a means to build creativity and learn more about sustainability and ways to improve the world.
Creativity for the Soul 