Define
Understanding Your Context
In this stage you will be thinking about how to approach your Challenge by asking questions about what you want, as well as what you do not want, to achieve.
What do we mean by Context?
Once you have selected a Challenge Topic, it’s important to think about the situation in which the Challenge takes place. We call this 'Context'.
By Context, we mean the local conditions in which your Design Solution will need to operate. For example, this could include the climate and weather, the availability of materials, or the needs of the local population.
What do I need to do?
In your Teams, note your responses to the questions posed below then enter your answers in the next task.
When you are designing new products or coming up with new ideas, it is important to think about questions which will determine how they work - such as:
- Who are you solving this Challenge for?
- What will they gain from the solution? Are there any losers?
- How might local conditions such as climate, weather, terrain and access affect my Design Solution?
- How might the needs of local people affect how I approach this?
- How might the solution affect local people, environment, and the economy?
As well as thinking about what needs to be done, it is just as important to think about what you don't want your Design Solution to do. So, always ask, what are the limits of what you want to (and are able to) achieve?
EXAMPLE: You are working on SDG 2 Zero Hunger, with the associated Challenge question of: "What if we grew all of our food in our towns and cities?"
Thinking about the Context, a response might look something like this:
Based in the South West of the UK, a significant limiting factor for being able to grow food all year round is the climate, so lots of food will have to be grown in protected and heated areas. Also, land is limited, and the majority of food will have to be plant based in 2030 with meat consumption dramatically reduced. When thinking about the limits of what is possible, there will be some food items which would require more resources to grow, so importing them may still be necessary, while focusing on what grows best in the local region.
Impacts on the local area may include a change in the economy with more people working to grow food, and a significant change in the landscape with more arable rather than pasture land. Care will need to be taken not to let increased agricultural activity pollute local watercourses.