For 2027 SEC G3 Design Studies, use syllabus K376. To develop a Design Studies concept, connect a user’s need to design criteria, explore alternatives and explain why you refine one idea. Did you know that an attractive sketch can still leave the user’s problem unresolved? Make the reasoning visible: who needs the design, what it must achieve and how a choice helps meet that need.
Start with a separate practice brief and identify the user, task and constraint. Sketch two alternatives, then compare them against the same criteria. Agree the actual assessed project arrangements with the school before applying any workflow to coursework.
Need the format? Open the assessment table. Looking for immediate help? Use the starting questions and the original example. Then choose a practice step, or visit the all-subject directory.
2027 SEC school-candidate guide, checked 11 October 2026. The examples and study suggestions are independent activities, not official examination questions. Confirm registration and school assessment arrangements with the school.
Confirm K376, an Applied Subject offered through approved schools. Design Studies is distinct from Design and Technology K345 or K234. The assessed project accepts work carried out in class under direct teacher supervision; the original practice below must not be treated as supplied coursework.
For the wider context, open Biotechnology and Design Studies overview. Keep the confirmed subject, current school topic and teacher’s next suggested task in one place.
| Paper | Time | Marks / weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Written examination | 2 hours 30 minutes | — / 40% |
| 2: Design Project | 30 hours: ten 3-hour sessions | 100 / 60% |
Candidates take both papers. For the project, they choose one of three briefs and submit a Design Journal and Digital Design Presentation, with an Oral Presentation. The design fields are visual communication, interior/exhibition space and architectural design. Follow the supervisor’s schedule and submission rules.
Open the official SEAB syllabus for the full requirements. Use that document with the school’s instructions when preparing assessment work.
If an idea is described only as modern or stylish, ask what task it helps the intended user perform. If the task is clear, identify a criterion that allows alternatives to be compared. If the chosen idea has a disadvantage, discuss how refinement could address it without abandoning another important requirement.
Choose one task that felt manageable and one that needs help. Discuss the difference using the student’s actual work. Ask the teacher to clarify an uncertain requirement before treating it as a learning weakness.
Try this original visual-communication exercise on paper: plan a sign for a fictional school book exchange. Visitors must find where to leave books and where to collect them. Compare a layout with two clear action areas against one decorative paragraph containing all the instructions. Consider hierarchy and the amount of information a visitor needs immediately.
Separate action areas may help visitors locate the relevant instruction quickly, but the labels still need to be clear and the layout needs checking with the intended users. A decorative paragraph might contain all the information while making the next action harder to find. Compare the designs against the task, not personal taste alone.
For permitted practice, record the user need, alternative ideas and the reason for a refinement. Identify what further evidence would help you decide. For assessment, work only within the school’s supervised arrangements and use the tools and documentation methods the course requires.
Check a refined idea against the original brief. A clearer instruction might reduce clutter but accidentally remove essential information. Explain that trade-off and test the relevant criterion again. Parents can encourage the student to explain practice decisions while leaving assessed concepts, design work and presentations to the student and supervisor.
The Secondary 1 Mathematics learning guide offers a principle useful across subjects: identify the foundation, practise in a sensible sequence and use corrections to choose the next step. Apply that habit here through a task the student can explain and revisit.
Return to the all-subject syllabus directory to explore another registered subject.