©kaffeform2025
Design on the Go: Reimagining How We Carry Coffee, Drinks, and Daily Essentials
YEAR 10 UNIT GUIDE AND LESSON PLANS
You’ll learn to think like a designer; from researching the needs of users, to brainstorming bold ideas, to presenting a fully realised concept. Along the way, you’ll explore how design shapes the world around us, and how your work can reflect ethics, sustainability, functionality, and cultural meaning.
You’ll apply the Visual Communication Design process: Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver, and experiment with methods, media, and materials to bring your ideas to life. Through drawing, research, visual journaling and analysis, you’ll understand how designers communicate powerful messages and solve meaningful problems.
By the end of the unit, you’ll produce a final 2D design concept supported by visual thinking and a written justification. You’ll also have a deeper understanding of circular design, ethical production, and how designers, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners, design with purpose and culture in mind.
What you’ll gain:
A stronger creative voice. A better understanding of how design impacts the world. The confidence to design solutions that are bold, ethical, and innovative.
This Visual Communication Design unit invites you to become a future-focused designer. You’ll explore how smart, sustainable, and human-centred design can help solve real-world problems, not just for individuals, but for communities and the planet. Through creativity, critical thinking, and the Visual Communication Design process, you’ll imagine and develop your own 2D design solution to a problem that matters.
What you’ll be doing:
You’ll explore case studies, write your own design brief, brainstorm ideas, sketch and visualise concepts, and present a finished design. Your work will show how great design can be thoughtful, useful, and make a difference.
This Visual Communication Design unit invites you to become a future-focused designer. You’ll explore how smart, sustainable, and human-centred design can help solve real-world problems, not just for individuals, but for communities and the planet. Through creativity, critical thinking, and the Visual Communication Design process, you’ll imagine and develop your own 2D design solution to a problem that matters.
You’ll learn to think like a designer; from researching the needs of users, to brainstorming bold ideas, to presenting a fully realised concept. Along the way, you’ll explore how design shapes the world around us, and how your work can reflect ethics, sustainability, functionality, and cultural meaning.
You’ll apply the Visual Communication Design process: Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver, and experiment with methods, media, and materials to bring your ideas to life. Through drawing, research, visual journaling and analysis, you’ll understand how designers communicate powerful messages and solve meaningful problems.
By the end of the unit, you’ll produce a final 2D design concept supported by visual thinking and a written justification. You’ll also have a deeper understanding of circular design, ethical production, and how designers, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners, design with purpose and culture in mind.
What you’ll be doing:
You’ll explore case studies, write your own design brief, brainstorm ideas, sketch and visualise concepts, and present a finished design. Your work will show how great design can be thoughtful, useful, and make a difference.
What you’ll gain:
A stronger creative voice. A better understanding of how design impacts the world. The confidence to design solutions that are bold, ethical, and innovative.
LESSON 1 - Introduction to Human-Centred and Sustainable Design
Learning Intention
Today you’ll explore how design can be used to solve real problems. You’ll learn what it means to create with purpose, for people, the planet, and the future.
Success Criteria
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to explain what human centred and sustainable design is, identify real world examples, and reflect on why design choices matter.
Starter
Watch the video Heinz Ketchup Bottle Evolution. Then discuss: What makes a design good or bad? Have you used a product that didn’t work well? What would you change?
Teach
We’ll explore what human centred and sustainable design really means. You’ll see examples like KeepCup, LifeStraw, and IKEA, and learn how designers use empathy, innovation, and visual language to create positive impact. You’ll also be introduced to the Double Diamond design process and Dieter Rams’ principles of good design. Use this guided worksheet to help you.
Activity
In pairs, become design detectives. Choose a product from our examples or your own research. Create a poster or empathy map that shows who it was designed for, what problem it solves, how it helps people or the planet, and what could be improved. Use sketching, colour, and key words to bring your analysis to life.
Recap
Share your ideas in a class discussion. What did you learn about design today? Which product inspired you most? Can you think of something you’d love to redesign?
Image: ©IDEO2025
LESSON 2 - Case Study Analysis – Ethical and Cultural Design
LESSON 3 - Excursion – THE PURPOSE PRECINCT
Learning Intention
Today you’ll experience real-world examples of human-centred and sustainable design. You’ll explore how designers use empathy, materials, and storytelling to make a positive impact through products, packaging, and services.
Success Criteria
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to identify and document examples of sustainable and human-centred design, explain how they meet user needs, and reflect on how they inspire your own ideas.
Starter
Before we arrive, we’ll have a quick-fire Q&A to revisit what we’ve learned so far about human-centred design, sustainability, and the four pillars of sustainability. You’ll be introduced to The Purpose Precinct, where we’ll explore how design can drive change. You’ll also receive your Excursion Reflection Journal, a clipboard and sketching tools to capture what stands out to you during the visit.
Teach
As we move through The Purpose Precinct together, look closely at how products are made and displayed. Notice eco-friendly materials, packaging design, and how each product is made for a particular audience. Think about what makes each design ethical or innovative. You’ll be prompted with questions like: Who was this designed for?What problem is it solving? How is it helping the environment or community?
Activity
You’ll then have time to explore on your own or in a small group. Use your journal to sketch or describe two designs that stand out to you. Take notes about the materials used and why they were chosen.
Recap
Back at school or on the bus, we’ll reflect on what you saw. What surprised or impressed you? What design stood out and why? How will your observations help shape your own design brief and ideas moving forward?
Image: ©thepurposeprecinct
LESSON 4 - Writing the Design Brief
Learning Intention
Today you’ll learn how to write your own design brief based on a real-world sustainability issue and a specific user need. This brief will become the foundation of your own visual communication design solution.
Success Criteria
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to describe the problem you want to solve, identify your target audience, and write a design brief that includes purpose, constraints, and ideas inspired by The Purpose Precinct.
Starter
Let’s reflect on The Purpose Precinct. What product or stall inspired you the most? What ideas or materials stood out? We’ll also talk about why designers write briefs before they start designing, and look at examples of student and professional briefs to see how they set the direction for a project.
Teach
You’ll learn the structure of a strong design brief. This includes your design problem, target audience, purpose, sustainability goals, constraints, and sources of inspiration. We’ll model how to turn your notes and reflections into a clear design challenge, and brainstorm product types such as reusable cups, carry containers, or modular objects. We’ll also look at real design projects that put sustainability and innovation first to help inspire your thinking.
Activity
Now it’s your turn. You’ll use a scaffolded worksheet to write your own design brief. Look back at your sketches, notes, and reflections from the excursion. Define the problem you want to solve, describe who you’re designing for, consider sustainable materials or practices, and include any ideas or images that have influenced you so far.
Recap
Once your draft is done, swap with a partner for peer feedback. Is your design problem clear? Have you considered sustainability and the user’s needs? You’ll then finalise your brief and add it to your visual journal. This is the roadmap for your final 2D design solution, so keep it safe and ready for the next step in your creative process.
Image: ©earthtatva
LESSON 5-8 - Ideation and Concept Development - Media, Materials, and Method Exploration - Final Design Solution Development - Presentation, Reflection and Critique
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