Describe materials and techniques used for model-making and prototyping, and select suitable materials for a model at a given stage

What this dot point is asking

This dot point asks you to describe materials and techniques used for model-making and prototyping, and to choose suitable materials for a model at a given stage. Models turn an idea into a physical object you can see, hold and test, which is central to the design process. You should know the common model-making materials (paper, card, foam, clay, found materials), basic techniques for working them, and, importantly, the difference between rough early models and refined presentation models. The skill is matching the material to the purpose and stage: cheap and fast early, polished and realistic later.

The answer

Why designers make models

A model makes an idea tangible. It lets a designer test form, scale, proportion and how something feels in the hand, in ways a drawing cannot. Models reveal problems early, support testing and feedback, and help communicate the idea to others. Because models are central to prototyping, choosing appropriate materials for each stage is a key practical skill.

Common model-making materials

Designers use a range of materials, chosen for speed, cost and finish:

• Paper and card. Cheap, fast and easy to cut, fold and glue. Ideal for quick mock-ups, nets, and flat-faced forms.
• Foam (foam board, modelling foam). Lightweight and easy to cut, carve and sand. Good for building up forms and shaping curves; denser modelling foam takes a smooth finish.
• Clay (modelling clay, plasticine). Sculptable and reusable, excellent for exploring smooth, organic, curved forms freely.
• Found and recycled materials. Everyday objects, packaging and offcuts repurposed to mock up an idea quickly and cheaply, useful for fast exploration.
• Wood and wire. Used for sturdier or structural models and frameworks where strength or thin lines are needed.

Basic techniques

Working these materials uses simple techniques: measuring and marking out accurately; cutting cleanly with the right tool; joining with glue, tape or fixings; and shaping curved forms by carving and sanding (for foam) or sculpting (for clay). Finishing, such as filling, smoothing and painting, is added for presentation models. Safe, careful working produces neater, more useful models.

Sketch models versus presentation models

Models serve different purposes at different stages. A sketch (or study) model is quick and rough, made early to explore and test an idea's form, scale or function; it is cheap, fast and disposable, so paper, card, foam or found materials suit it. A presentation model is refined and neat, made later to communicate the resolved design convincingly; it must look polished and realistic, so finer materials, careful finishing and paint are used. Knowing which kind you are making determines the material and the effort.

Choosing materials for the stage

Early in a project, prioritise speed and low cost so you can make and change many models freely, favouring paper, card, foam and found materials. As the design resolves, shift to materials and finishes that represent the final look and feel accurately. Also match the material to the form: flat-faced products suit card, while curved organic forms suit foam or clay. Good model-making is about choosing the cheapest material that answers the question you currently have.

Examples in context

Example 1. A product designer's foam study. A designer shaping a new kettle carves several foam blocks, sanding each into a slightly different curved form, then holds and compares them. The cheap, workable foam lets the form and feel be refined fast before any expensive prototype, showing model-making materials matched to exploring 3D form.

Example 2. An architecture presentation model. For a final review, an architect builds a neat scale model from modelling board, carefully cut and finished, to communicate the building convincingly. This polished presentation model contrasts with the rough card study models made earlier, illustrating how material and finish change with the stage.

Try this

• Cue. Using only paper, card or found materials, make a quick rough model of a simple product at roughly full size. Note one thing the physical model tells you that your sketch did not.

• Cue. For an object with a curved, organic shape (a mouse, a bottle, a handle), explain why foam or clay would model it better than flat card, and describe the technique you would use.

• Cue. Take one idea and plan the models you would make from start to finish, naming the material for each stage. Explain how the materials shift from cheap and rough to polished and realistic, and why.