# C05 — Skills in Producing Detailed Designs The Hamilton and Alexandra College · Year 12 · 2026 Criterion 5 covers three linked indicators: producing detailed designs using the full set of design tools (mock-ups, data dictionary, IPO charts, pseudocode, object descriptions); documenting how design principles and UX characteristics are applied; and showing evidence of critical and creative thinking through research, traceability between design layers, and contingency planning. --- ## Foundations - [Essential Terms](/sd/C05/Essential%20Terms) — the C05 glossary; click a term to expand its definition ## C5-1 — Design tools Turning the chosen idea into designs another person could build from. Each page below targets a specific point where marks are commonly lost. - [C04 → C05 — Choose, then Detail](/sd/C05/C04%20to%20C05%20-%20Choose%20then%20Detail) — how C05 (detail the chosen idea) differs from C04 (choose *which* idea); why C05 means "buildable", not "prettier" - [From SRS to Detailed Designs — Mock-ups](/sd/C05/From%20SRS%20to%20Detailed%20Designs%20-%20Mock-ups) — one real project (the SAT grader) traced from SRS requirement → C04 wireframe → C05 detailed design → build → correction; one trace fully worked, two faded for you to finish - [From SRS to Detailed Designs — Data and Logic](/sd/C05/From%20SRS%20to%20Detailed%20Designs%20-%20Data%20and%20Logic) — the same SAT grader project, but the *data/logic* tools: how one SRS sentence ("computed, never stored") drives the data dictionary, IPO charts, pseudocode and object descriptions as four views of one design - [Sketch vs Mock-up](/sd/C05/Sketch%20vs%20Mock-up) — why a rough sketch is not a mock-up, and what "annotated" actually means (the 3–4 / 5–6 boundary) - [Data Dictionary](/sd/C05/Data%20Dictionary) — when to use it, the headings to include, a worked example, and why "format" is not "type" - [IPO Charts — Process Means Steps](/sd/C05/IPO%20Charts%20-%20Process%20Means%20Steps) — why the Process column must be numbered algorithm steps, not a label for the output - [VCAA Pseudocode — Not Python](/sd/C05/VCAA%20Pseudocode%20Not%20Python) — write language-independent Structured English (`←`, `<>`, `ENDIF`), not Python-flavoured pseudocode - [Object Descriptions and Class Diagrams](/sd/C05/Object%20Descriptions%20and%20Class%20Diagrams) — the fifth design tool for OOP projects: a class's properties, methods and events, and how to read a class diagram (Level 7–9) ## C5-2 — Design principles & UX - [Design Principles vs UX Characteristics](/sd/C05/Design%20Principles%20vs%20UX%20Characteristics) — why these are two separate lists, why usability appearing in both is a trap, and what the slot-five validation is actually checking - [Design Principles](/sd/C05/Design%20Principles) — the seven VCAA design principles, with a demonstration video and a map-it-to-VCAA activity - [UX Characteristics](/sd/C05/UX%20Characteristics) — the four UX characteristics (affordance, interoperability, security, usability), each with videos and worked examples - [The Annotation Verb Ladder](/sd/C05/The%20Annotation%20Verb%20Ladder) — climbing Identify → Describe → Document → Explain so your design-log notes don't stall at "identify" in the no-AI Annotation validation ## C5-3 — Critical & creative thinking The three steps that make your design thinking visible, plus extra creative-thinking moves for the Godot cohort: - [Shoulders of Giants](/sd/C05/Shoulders%20of%20Giants) — Step 1: research existing and possible solutions to inform your design - [Connect the Dots](/sd/C05/Connect%20the%20Dots) — Step 2: trace one feature from mood board → mock-up → data dictionary → IPO → pseudocode, linked to your SRS - [Plan B Ready](/sd/C05/Plan%20B%20Ready) — Step 3: document design risks and specific contingencies - [Creative Thinking for Your Godot Project](/sd/C05/Creative%20Thinking%20for%20Your%20Godot%20Project) — extra moves to show creative thinking, tailored to a Godot game ## Templates and scaffolds Reusable starting points for C05 deliverables: - [Annotated Mock-up in Excalidraw](/sd/C05/Annotated%20Mock-up%20in%20Excalidraw) — blank screen frame, annotation zone, and callout arrows ready to fill in; saves 10+ minutes of setup and produces consistent annotations (DRAFT) - [Plan B Contingency Table](/sd/C05/Plan%20B%20Contingency%20Table) — pre-filled risk-prompt table for C05-3 contingency planning; prompts force specificity without hinting at solutions (DRAFT) ## Resources - [C05 Resources](/sd/Resources/C05-Resources) — per-topic reading and external resources for design tools, design principles, UX characteristics, and critical and creative thinking --- ← Back to [VCE Software Development Hub](/sd/VCE%20Software%20Development%20Hub)