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.

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 — 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 — 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
• Sketch vs Mock-up — why a rough sketch is not a mock-up, and what "annotated" actually means (the 3–4 / 5–6 boundary)
• Data Dictionary — when to use it, the headings to include, a worked example, and why "format" is not "type"
• IPO Charts — Process Means Steps — why the Process column must be numbered algorithm steps, not a label for the output
• VCAA Pseudocode — Not Python — write language-independent Structured English (←, <>, ENDIF), not Python-flavoured pseudocode
• Object Descriptions and Class Diagrams — 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 — 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 — the seven VCAA design principles, with a demonstration video and a map-it-to-VCAA activity
• UX Characteristics — the four UX characteristics (affordance, interoperability, security, usability), each with videos and worked examples
• The Annotation Verb Ladder — 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 — Step 1: research existing and possible solutions to inform your design
• Connect the Dots — Step 2: trace one feature from mood board → mock-up → data dictionary → IPO → pseudocode, linked to your SRS
• Plan B Ready — Step 3: document design risks and specific contingencies
• Creative Thinking for Your Godot Project — 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 — 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 — pre-filled risk-prompt table for C05-3 contingency planning; prompts force specificity without hinting at solutions (DRAFT)

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