How do research and communication skills support good design decisions and present a solution clearly to users and markers?
Conduct and document research and use a range of communication techniques in designing and producing, including sketching, technical drawing, modelling, referencing and presentation
A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on research and communication. Primary and secondary research, ergonomic and anthropometric data, referencing and acknowledgement, and communication techniques from sketching and technical drawing to modelling and folio presentation.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
What this dot point is asking
NESA wants you to conduct and document research that informs your design decisions and to communicate your ideas clearly using a range of techniques. Research gives your decisions evidence, and communication lets you develop, share and present your solution. Both are skills assessed through the Major Design Project folio.
The answer
Why research matters
Research turns guesses into informed decisions. Every significant choice in a design, the need, the user, the materials, the dimensions, the safety requirements, should be backed by evidence. Research that is gathered and then visibly used to justify a decision is what markers reward; research presented and then ignored adds nothing.
Primary and secondary research
The syllabus distinguishes two sources of information.
- Primary research is original data you collect yourself, through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, observation and testing. It gives information specific to your need and users.
- Secondary research is existing information gathered by others, found in books, journals, standards, manufacturer data and reputable websites. It is faster but more general.
Good practice combines both: secondary research to understand the field, primary research to understand your specific users.
Ergonomic and anthropometric data
Two specific research areas recur in design. Ergonomics studies how people interact with products so that a solution is comfortable, efficient and safe to use. Anthropometric data provides measurements of the human body across a population, used to size products so they fit the intended range of users. Applying this data, rather than guessing dimensions, is a mark of professional design.
Referencing and acknowledgement
Research must be referenced. Acknowledging sources is both an academic requirement and an ethical one, respecting the intellectual property of others. A consistent referencing approach in the folio shows integrity and lets a reader verify your evidence. Failing to reference, or presenting others' work as your own, is a serious problem in an assessed folio.
Communication techniques
Designers communicate ideas at every stage, and the syllabus expects a range of techniques:
- Freehand sketching, for rapid idea generation and exploration.
- Technical drawing, including orthographic and isometric views, for accurate, measurable detail.
- Presentation and rendering, to show how a solution will look to a client or user.
- Modelling and prototyping, physical or digital, to make ideas testable.
- Computer aided design, for precise, easily modified models and drawings.
The right technique depends on the stage and the audience: a quick sketch for thinking, a dimensioned technical drawing for production, a rendered image for a client.
Folio presentation
The folio is itself an act of communication. Clear layout, logical sequence, labelled images, consistent referencing and annotation that explains decisions help a marker follow the design process. Strong presentation does not replace substance, but poor presentation can hide good work and cost marks.
Why this matters in the HSC
Research and communication run through the whole Major Design Project. Evidence based decisions and clear communication are assessed in the proposal, development and evaluation sections. In the written paper, questions on research methods or communication techniques reward naming specific methods and explaining when and why each is used.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
2023 HSC4 marksExplain the advantages of ONE communication technique that could be used when presenting information to a client.Show worked answer →
For 4 marks, name a specific, design-relevant technique and explain more than one advantage, showing the effect on the client relationship.
Take interactive prototyping (a tangible model or digital simulation the client can handle or operate). Its first advantage is that it lets the client directly experience the product's function, useability and aesthetics, so they understand the proposed design far better than from a verbal description or a flat drawing.
A second advantage is that this shared, concrete reference reduces misunderstanding between designer and client, and a third is that it invites specific, informed feedback the designer can act on, leading to better design decisions and a stronger final outcome. Use cause-and-effect language (this allows, which results in) and keep the technique design-specific rather than a generic skill such as active listening.
2022 HSC3 marksDescribe how technology can assist designers in overcoming communication barriers.Show worked answer →
For 3 marks, clearly describe how named technologies remove communication barriers, with reference to design practice.
Effective communication gives designers clear, definite instructions and feedback. Digital technologies overcome barriers of distance, time and language: online collaboration platforms and video conferencing let geographically separated team members and clients share and discuss work in real time, while shared CAD models and cloud folios let everyone view and mark up the same up-to-date design.
Translation tools help bridge language differences with overseas manufacturers or clients. The overall effect is improved efficiency, quality and accuracy of communication, because ideas are transferred clearly and revisions are seen by everyone at once. Naming specific technologies and linking them to a design context lifts the response to full marks.
2024 HSC1 marksWhen communicating to an audience, what is the best method of effectively transferring information? A. Using language and technical jargon to impress the audience B. Keeping the message simple to appeal to a broad range of people C. Providing as much data as possible to cover all potential interests D. Tailoring the message to address the needs and preferences of the audienceShow worked answer →
The correct answer is D, tailoring the message to address the needs and preferences of the audience.
Effective communication is audience appropriate: the designer adapts the content, language and format to what that particular audience needs and understands, which is what makes the information transfer successfully.
A is wrong because jargon obscures meaning rather than aiding it. B is a tempting distractor, but a single simple message ignores that different audiences need different detail, whereas D explicitly matches the message to the audience. C overloads the audience with data instead of communicating clearly.