Assessment and exam practice.

Try this with Design

1. Check the task format, time limit and permitted materials with your school.
2. Start with one timed section or task and record where you spent the most time.
3. Review errors before attempting another section. Separate missing knowledge from timing problems.

View Design resources on ATARMAXXING ↗

Practice paper focus areas

• Exam 1 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) — empathy, universal/inclusive design principles, divergent thinking strategies, design criteria, ideation sketching; Sustainable design (Unit 4) — redesign of existing products, life cycle thinking, circular economy frameworks, sustainability criteria, trade-off analysis; Adaptive footwear for elderly aged-care users — biomechanical needs, cognitive and physical decline, falls prevention, ease of donning/doffing, pressure management
• Exam 2 — Human-centred design (Unit 3): empathy, stakeholder needs, universal/inclusive design principles, divergent thinking strategies, design criteria, schematic and ideation sketching; Sustainable design (Unit 4): redesign for ecological, social and economic sustainability, life cycle thinking, circular economy frameworks, materials selection, trade-off analysis; Reusable packaging system for a Brisbane-based independent cafe chain: context, brief, constraints, user groups, sustainability implications
• Exam 3 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) — inclusive and universal design principles; Sustainable design (Unit 4) — redesign for social, economic and ecological sustainability; Divergent thinking strategies — fluency, flexibility and originality in idea generation
• Exam 4 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) and Sustainable design (Unit 4); Divergent thinking strategies — fluency, flexibility, originality; Design criteria construction and application
• Exam 5 — Circular economy principles applied to single-use plastic food container redesign; Divergent thinking strategies for sustainable redesign; Human-centred and sustainable design lenses (Units 3 and 4)
• Exam 6 — Human-centred design (Unit 3): inclusive and universal design principles, empathy-driven research, ergonomic needs of students with chronic pain; Sustainable design (Unit 4): redesign of existing school furniture, life cycle thinking, circular economy, material selection and ecological/social/economic sustainability; Divergent thinking strategies: SCAMPER, morphological analysis, biomimicry, lateral thinking applied to ergonomic furniture redesign
• Exam 7 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) and Sustainable design (Unit 4); Community composting station for an urban apartment complex in inner-city Brisbane; Divergent thinking strategies: fluency, flexibility, originality
• Exam 8 — Adaptive kitchen tools for users with limited hand strength or dexterity; Human-centred design (Unit 3): empathy, inclusive/universal design principles, divergent thinking, design criteria, ideation sketching; Sustainable design (Unit 4): redesigning existing products, life cycle thinking, circular economy, sustainability criteria, trade-offs
• Exam 9 — Solar-powered bus shelter with integrated accessibility features for regional Queensland; Unit 3 Human-centred design: universal and inclusive design principles, empathy-driven research, divergent thinking strategies, design criteria construction; Unit 4 Sustainable design: redesign of existing environments, life cycle thinking, circular economy frameworks, ecological/social/economic sustainability trade-offs
• Exam 10 — Human-centred design (Unit 3): universal and inclusive design principles applied to wheelchair accessibility at Queensland coastal environments; Sustainable design (Unit 4): redesigning existing beach access infrastructure for ecological, social and economic sustainability; Divergent thinking strategies: fluency, flexibility and originality in generating modular coastal access concepts
• Exam 11 — Fast-fashion garment redesigned as a durable, repairable, and recyclable product; Unit 3: Human-centred design — empathy, universal design, divergent thinking, design criteria, ideation sketching; Unit 4: Sustainable design — redesign opportunity, circular economy, life cycle thinking, sustainability evaluation, trade-offs
• Exam 12 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) applied to assistive wayfinding for vision-impaired pedestrians in a CBD precinct; Sustainable design (Unit 4) applied to redesigning existing wayfinding infrastructure for social, economic and ecological sustainability; Assistive wayfinding technologies: tactile ground surface indicators (TGSI), auditory beacons, haptic wearables, BLE/GPS navigation, smartphone integration
• Exam 13 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) and Sustainable design (Unit 4); Home emergency kit for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) households; Divergent thinking strategies: SCAMPER, biomimicry, analogical thinking, random stimulus
• Exam 14 — Unit 3 Human-centred design — divergent thinking, empathy, universal/inclusive design principles; Unit 4 Sustainable design — redesigning existing products/environments, life cycle thinking, circular economy; Design elements and principles applied to built environment/furniture design
• Exam 15 — Refillable personal care product dispenser — zero-waste retail; Unit 3: Human-centred design — stakeholder empathy, universal/inclusive design, divergent ideation, schematic sketching; Unit 4: Sustainable design — redesign opportunity, circular economy, life cycle thinking, sustainability-informed criteria, trade-off evaluation
• Exam 16 — Urban beehive structure integrated into residential garden design; Human-centred design (Unit 3); Sustainable design (Unit 4)
• Exam 17 — Tactile educational resource for primary-school students with low vision; Human-centred design (Unit 3): empathy research, universal and inclusive design principles, divergent thinking strategies, design criteria, ideation sketching; Sustainable design (Unit 4): redesigning existing products, life cycle thinking, circular economy, sustainability-informed evaluation criteria, trade-offs and implications
• Exam 18 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) applied to multi-generational outdoor dining furniture; Sustainable design (Unit 4) — circular economy, life cycle thinking, ecological/social/economic sustainability; Divergent thinking strategies — SCAMPER, biomimicry, analogical thinking, morphological analysis
• Exam 19 — Human-centred design (Unit 3) and Sustainable design (Unit 4); Lightweight mobility aid for temporary injury recovery — young adult stakeholder; Divergent thinking strategies: fluency, flexibility, originality
• Exam 20 — Biodegradable event signage system for Queensland outdoor festivals; Unit 3 Human-centred design — empathy, inclusive design, universal design principles, divergent thinking strategies; Unit 4 Sustainable design — redesign opportunities, life cycle thinking, circular economy, ecological/social/economic sustainability