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Design and Technologies – Sustainable Timber Design: The Phone Stand Project

Lesson Overview:

Years 7–8 | Design and Technologies | Free Download

Design with purpose. Build with timber.
This hands-on project helps Year 7–8 students explore the product design process while building a functional phone stand using engineered wood like plywood. Students investigate sustainability, develop creative solutions, and safely bring their ideas to life in the workshop.

Developed in partnership with the Design and Technology Teachers’ Association of Victoria (DATTA Vic), this unit aligns with the Australian Curriculum v9.0 and builds skills in design thinking, sustainability, and manufacturing.

What’s Included

• Student Workbook
  Guided worksheets and activities covering each stage of the design process.
• Teacher Workbook
  Detailed lesson plans, background content, suggested answers, and assessment tools.
• Multimedia Support
  Instructional videos, technical drawings, digital design exemplars, and PowerPoint slides.
• Ed Tech Integration
  Includes ForestVR™ immersive videos, Kahoot! quizzes, and video walkthroughs.

Lesson Sequence:

• Part 1: Investigating & Defining
  • Lesson 1: Intro to Design Process – Design brief, user profiling, and evaluation criteria
  • Lesson 2: Exploring Existing Designs – Research, rapid ideation, and peer review
  • Lesson 4: Innovation in Wood Products – Sustainability, circular economy, and poster design

  Part 2: Generating, Designing & Producing
  • Lesson 3: Technical Drawings – Isometric and orthographic drawing skills
  • Lesson 5: Workshop Safety – Hazard identification and safe tool use
  • Lesson 6: Measuring & Marking – Cardboard prototyping and process journaling
  • Lessons 7–8: Cutting & Shaping – Construction of the timber stand
  • Lesson 9: Finishing – Surface treatment and decoration

  Part 3: Evaluating
  • Lesson 10: Evaluation – Reflection on process, outcomes, and success criteria

Bonus Resources

• Production Guide Videos – below
  Step-by-step walkthroughs for cardboard modelling, measuring, cutting, and finishing.
• 3D Models & Technical Drawings
  Three phone stand designs ready for classroom use.

PRODUCTION GUIDE ‘HOW-TO’ VIDEOS

CARDBOARD MODELLING

• Half Joint Cardboard Model
  

• Double Sided Cardboard Model

<INSERT VIDEO HERE>

• Intersecting Cardboard Model

<INSERT VIDEO HERE>

MEASURING AND MARKING

<INSERT VIDEO HERE>

CUTTING AND SHAPING

<INSERT VIDEO HERE>

Related Resources:

Design and Technologies - The Sustainable Seating Project (7/8)

Design and Technologies – The Sustainable Seating Project

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