Design Tech (Week 2)

Imaginary Pets

We are LEARNING to

• Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for ourselves and other users based on design criteria.
• Generate, develop, model and communicate ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology.

• Create a design to meet simple design criteria.

Super Useful FACT

Different materials can be used for different purposes, depending on their properties. For example:

• cardboard is a stronger building material than paper
• plastic is light and can float
• clay is heavy and will sink

Useful Links

• Pet pictures: Art SESSION 1
• Animal patterns: Art SESSION 3

Do you think you have the creativity to design and make an imaginary version of a familiar pet? 

• Think about your favourite pet animal. What shape are they? Size? 
• What features and characteristics do they have that you love best? Wide eyes, swishy tail, sneaky paws.
• How could your pet be even better? Larger or smaller? More paws? Less claws! How about 3 heads??
• Perhaps you could change aspects such as its colour or markings?

→ Watch the story of 'Heironymus Betts and his Unusual Pets' before you get designing - you might find a little more unusual inspiration hidden amongst its pages...

TASK: Plan and make a model of your new creature design.

Start off with lots of photos of familiar pets and the pet design sheets - these can help if you want to plan a similar looking creature. If you fancy becoming a mad-pet-scientist, why not be brave and draw your very own unusual pet on a blank piece of paper!

• Think about how your animal (model) will stand or sit, will it have 2 legs or 4, none at all or a completely different number?
• What facial features will make your pet special? Will it have soppy eyes to beg for food, a bright pink nose and twitchy whiskers or maybe a long forked tongue?
• Look at the animal markings photos from ART Session 3 for inspiration with colours and patterns.

Once your design plan is DRAWN and LABELLED (body part, description, colour, pattern, building material...) you are ready to BUILD! Have a hunt around the house for plenty of coloured drawing materials and junk materials for model building. Your creature might be a mini-model, life-size or even a GIANT imagining.

Get creative and HAVE FUN .

Practical resources

• 'Heironymous Betts and his Unusual Pets' story on YouTube

• Imaginary Pet design sheets (attached below)
• Junk materials