Friday 28^th Feb: Lesson planning

As the students prepare to start their final FMP (Final Major Project), I wanted to design a lesson that would help them break down the brief and brainstorm various ideas quickly. The theme of the brief is  Our changing world.  I planned a lesson focused on abstract modelling. This approach would enable the students to explore different themes within the brief and create abstract models based on those themes. Ultimately, this exercise aims to help students identify key aspects of their concepts, which they can further develop into different forms or ideas.

To begin this planning, I gathered my own images of abstract models I have created, as well as examples from my communication module at university, illustrating the design process. This collection will serve as inspiration for the students, showing them various ways to approach creating these forms and how to present their processes in their portfolios.

Here is the rough lesson plan I developed: Presentation: Concept Model Making

1. 10 minutes: Research the brief to understand the different themes.

 2. 3 minutes: Collect materials around the studio. The materials should be recycled to avoid wasting valuable resources. The goal is to create models without using any adhesives, encouraging more origami-based designs.

3. 15 minutes: Work in groups to create multiple models. Students are encouraged to collaborate with peers they haven’t worked with before.

 4. Present their creations to the class in groups, discussing their inspirations.

5. 5 minutes: Walk around and examine their peers’ work closely.

 6. 15 minutes: Collaborate within their group to integrate the individual models into one cohesive design, combining concepts.

7. 5 minutes: Assign a scale to the combined model to help them understand its size. Is it a furniture piece? A building? An object? A render?

8. 30 minutes: Individually create a drawing of the model, exploring different rendering techniques.

9. PRESENT: Classmates give feedback on each presentation.

10. Once everyone is finished, they can take pictures of their work to include in their portfolios.

11. I will also present my portfolio from the communication module to illustrate how this exercise can be expanded and how to effectively present in their final portfolios.

Please click here to download “The Final FMP Brief”

Please click here to download an “Example of my own work showing students the process of design”