Course Criteria per Grade
Subject Overview
IB MYP Design Year 1 introduces students to the creative and systematic processes used to solve real-world problems. Students will learn to think like designers—identifying needs, developing ideas, creating solutions, and evaluating their impact. Through hands-on experiences in both digital and product design, students explore how thoughtful design can improve lives, communicate ideas, and support innovation.
Skills
The IB MYP Design course emphasizes design thinking and project-based learning to:
- Create a better world through design and innovation
- Explore digital and hands-on tools, materials, and principles of ethical and sustainable design
- Develop a systemic perspective, understanding how different systems connect
- Foster collaborative work, encouraging students to share ideas, problem-solve together, and learn from different perspectives
- Encourage a planet-centered mindset, fostering responsibility for designing products and systems that protect the planet and all who share it
Content
Units of Study:
- Designing Identity: Logos that Speak (1st order of design)
- Statement of Inquiry: Designers use visual communication and creative expression to develop logos that represent identity and values in meaningful, functional ways
- Skills & training: vector logo design, color theory, storytelling, branding, laser cutting, stencil making
- Sit With Purpose – Chair Design Challenge
- Understand the function, aesthetics, and ergonomic principles of chair design
- Students will design and prototype a chair for a specific user or purpose
- Students will learn how to use OnShape (CAD) to design their chair prototypes for 3D printing
- They will present their design process, including research, sketches, a prototype (physical or digital), and a final evaluation
- Chairs must meet aesthetic, functional, and ergonomic considerations
IB MYP Assessment Criteria
Subject Overview
MYP Design Year 2 builds on the foundational skills developed in Year 1 and challenges students to engage more deeply with complex, authentic design problems. Students expand their understanding of the design cycle and take greater ownership of their creative process—conducting more thorough research, proposing innovative solutions, and producing higher-quality prototypes. They work with both digital and physical materials, refining their ability to think critically, iterate purposefully, and communicate effectively.
Year 2 emphasizes:
- Greater independence in applying the design cycle
- Stronger integration of digital tools (e.g., CAD, coding, graphic design)
- More advanced prototyping and testing
- Design for sustainability, accessibility, and user-centered problem-solving
- Collaboration and the ability to manage design projects from concept to completion
Skills
The MYP Design course emphasizes design thinking and project-based learning to:
- Create a better world through design and innovation
- Explore digital and hands-on tools, materials, and principles of ethical and sustainable design
- Develop a systemic perspective, understanding how different systems connect
- Foster collaborative work, encouraging students to share ideas, problem-solve together, and learn from different perspectives
- Encourage a planet-centered mindset, fostering responsibility for designing products and systems that protect the planet and all who share it
Content
Units of Study:
- Play with Purpose: Designing Educational Toys for Preschoolers (2nd order of design)
- Statement of Inquiry: Through innovation and creative expression, designers can develop functional solutions that support early childhood learning and play
- Skills & training: Understanding learning needs, ergonomics, function, CAD, laser cutting, materials
- Designing the Future – Speculative Design for a Better World
MYP Assessment Criteria
Subject Overview
In Year 3 of the course, students are challenged to apply the design cycle with increased independence, creativity, and technical sophistication. Building on skills from previous years, students engage in longer-term, more open-ended projects that mirror authentic design work. They investigate complex problems, propose innovative solutions, and communicate their thinking with clarity and professionalism. Students balance creativity with feasibility, using research and testing to guide decision-making and refine outcomes.
Skills
The MYP Design course emphasizes design thinking and project-based learning to:
- Create a better world through design and innovation
- Explore digital and hands-on tools, materials, and principles of ethical and sustainable design
- Develop a systemic perspective, understanding how different systems connect
- Foster collaborative work, encouraging students to share ideas, problem-solve together, and learn from different perspectives
- Encourage a planet-centered mindset, fostering responsibility for designing products and systems that protect the planet and all who share it
Content
Units of Study:
- Beyond Plastic: Designing with Biomaterials (2nd & 4th order of design)
- Statement of Inquiry: Through sustainable innovation, designers can create functional products that reduce society’s reliance on single-use (petroleum-based) plastics
- Skills & training: innovation, resources, sustainable/planet-centered design, systems thinking, Anthropocene epoch
- Designing the Future Part 2: Speculative Design for a Better World
MYP Assessment Criteria