Core Skills Analysis
Design and Technology
- The student practiced user-centred design by choosing an image that is relevant to a friend, showing awareness of the intended audience and purpose of the wall hanging.
- They made design decisions by selecting a design and editing it if needed, which shows iteration, refinement, and problem-solving during the creative process.
- Crocheting the wall hanging required planning how the image would be translated into a textile form, connecting visual design with making and material constraints.
- The activity developed precision and control in a hands-on craft context, since creating a recognisable image in crochet depends on careful attention to shape, pattern, and detail.
Tips
To extend this learning, invite the student to compare several possible images and explain why one is the best fit for the friend’s interests or personality, strengthening design thinking and audience awareness. They could then sketch the wall hanging in two or three versions before choosing the final design, which builds planning and evaluation skills. A useful next step would be to experiment with different stitches, colours, or textures on small sample squares to see how materials affect the final look. Finally, encourage the student to present the finished piece with a short reflection about what they changed and why, helping them connect creative choices to the needs of the user.
Book Recommendations
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy: A reflective illustrated book about friendship, kindness, and creating meaningful connections.
- Beautiful Stuff! by Cindy F. Derby: A book about imaginative making and transforming materials into creative projects.
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires: A story that highlights designing, revising, and problem-solving through the making process.
Learning Standards
- ACTDIP034 — Students generate and communicate alternative design ideas and modify designs based on evaluation.
- ACTDEK031 — Students explore how people’s needs and wants influence designed solutions.
- ACTDEP038 — Students plan, create and modify designed solutions using appropriate techniques, tools and materials.
- ACTDEP040 — Students evaluate design ideas and processes, including how well products meet intended purposes and user needs.
Try This Next
- Draw 3 thumbnail sketches showing different image ideas for the wall hanging.
- Write 5 questions to test whether a design is a good fit for a friend.
- Create a simple reflection sheet: What did I change? Why did I change it?
- Make a mini material test card with sample stitches, colours, or textures.