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e877fc lisa 2026-05-25 21:05:04
SD C04: add C4-1 checkpoint (design pack) student guide; link from C04-home Explains the five design-pack artefacts, annotation depth ladder (identify/explain/justify), the L1-L9 rubric staircase, and a readiness self-check. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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# C4-1 Checkpoint — Your Design Pack
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The Hamilton and Alexandra College · Year 12 · 2026
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The **C4-1 checkpoint** is the *design pack* you build before the Alternative Design validation. It's worth **60% of C4** and is due **T2W7**. This page tells you exactly what to produce and what separates a pass from a top band.
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> [!IMPORTANT]
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> Build this pack **yourself**. The validation (Alternative Design, 30 min, 🔒 no internet, no AI, no notes — not even your pack) asks you to apply the same four ideation tools *on the spot* and critique your own choices. You can only do that if the ideation here was genuinely yours.
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---
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## What you submit
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Generate design ideas using **at least three** ideation tools — aim for all four — plus the starting list. Commit each artefact to **GitHub** as you go, and **print the complete pack** for your portfolio.
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| # | Artefact | What it is | Where |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| 1 | **Design-ideas list** | A rough list: what features it could have, what it could look like, how users might interact, what existing apps inspire you | ☁️ GitHub |
6d150c lisa 2026-05-25 21:14:47
SD C04: add Mood Boards student guide (with verified video + StudyStreak example); link from C04-home and checkpoint page Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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| 2 | **Mood board** ([how-to](/sd/C04/Mood%20Boards)) | Visual look-and-feel — colours, typography, UI patterns, screenshots of apps that inspire you | ☁️ GitHub |
25ac53 lisa 2026-05-25 22:07:24
SD C04: add Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, Design Sketches how-to pages; link from checkpoint Completes the four C4-1 ideation-tool guides. StudyStreak through-line throughout; Brainstorming/Mind Mapping right-sized (familiar), Design Sketches fuller with an annotated low-fi wireframe modelling the identify/explain/justify ladder. Mind map uses a verified mermaid flowchart. All four now linked from the checkpoint design-pack table. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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| 3 | **Brainstorm** ([how-to](/sd/C04/Brainstorming)) | A timed (10–15 min) burst — quantity over quality, no filtering — then group the ideas into themes | ☁️ GitHub |
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| 4 | **Mind map** ([how-to](/sd/C04/Mind%20Mapping)) | Your solution at the centre; branch out to feature areas → specific functions → design choices | ☁️ GitHub |
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| 5 | **Design sketches** ([how-to](/sd/C04/Design%20Sketches)) | 2–3+ annotated screen layouts — focus on layout, navigation flow, key interactions | ☁️ GitHub |
e877fc lisa 2026-05-25 21:05:04
SD C04: add C4-1 checkpoint (design pack) student guide; link from C04-home Explains the five design-pack artefacts, annotation depth ladder (identify/explain/justify), the L1-L9 rubric staircase, and a readiness self-check. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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| — | **Complete design pack** | Steps 1–5 compiled and annotated | 🖨️ Portfolio |
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Each ideation tool is a **different lens on the same design problem** — not five copies of the same idea. Quick and clear beats polished: *ideas, not art.*
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---
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## Annotations are what move you up the bands
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The ideation tools get you onto the ladder; the **depth of your annotations** decides how high you climb. Annotate across *all* your design work at three depths:
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| Depth | What it does | Example |
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|---|---|---|
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| **Identify** (L5) | Name what each element *is* | "This is the search bar." |
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| **Explain** (L7) | Describe its appearance *and* function | "The search bar sits top-right so phone users reach it with their thumb; it filters results as you type." |
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| **Justify** (L9) | Say *why* this choice — name the alternative you rejected | "I considered a bottom tab bar, but the dashboard needed vertical space, so I chose side navigation." |
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The Level 9 move is the **"I considered X, I chose Y, because Z"** sentence shape. Tie every justification back to a specific **SRS requirement** or **user need**.
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---
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## What 100% looks like
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Each level builds on the one below — you score at the highest level where every step beneath it is clearly met:
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```mermaid
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flowchart BT
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L1["Level 1<br/>lists design ideas"] --> L3["Level 3<br/>illustrates ideas with ONE tool"]
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L3 --> L5["Level 5<br/>TWO tools · annotations identify appearance"]
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L5 --> L7["Level 7<br/>THREE+ tools · annotations explain appearance & functionality"]
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L7 --> L9["Level 9<br/>feasible, original & distinctive ideas · annotations describe AND justify"]
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```
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---
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## Am I ready? — checkpoint self-check
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- ☐ Design-ideas list committed
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- ☐ Mood board committed
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- ☐ Brainstorm (raw ideas **and** themes) committed
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- ☐ Mind map committed
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- ☐ 2–3+ design sketches committed
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- ☐ Every artefact **annotated** — and at least some annotations *justify* (name a rejected alternative)
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- ☐ Annotations connect choices to my **SRS requirements** / user needs
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- ☐ Complete pack **printed** for the portfolio
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- ☐ AI use logged in my **AI disclosure log**
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---
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## See also
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- [C4 Design Ideas and Evaluation Explained](/sd/C4%20Design%20Ideas%20and%20Evaluation%20Explained) — the walkthrough videos for C4-1 and C4-2
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- [C04 → C05 — Choose, then Detail](/sd/C05/C04%20to%20C05%20-%20Choose%20then%20Detail) — where your chosen design goes next
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- [Efficiency vs Effectiveness](/sd/C04/Efficiency%20vs%20Effectiveness) — you'll need this for the C4-2 evaluation criteria
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