Visual Guide to

MYP Design
The purpose of this guide is to give you an

introduction to design in the MYP. This guide

does not replace key IB documentation like MYP:

From principles into practice or the Design

guide. It does, however, give you an orientation for

what to look for in those guides.

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personal and should not be construed as official guidance by the IB. Please seek assistance from your school’s IB

coordinator and/or refer to official IB documents before implementing ideas and strategies shared within these

resources in your classroom.

Key features of MYP Design
MYP Design, like all MYP subject groups, is described in terms of Aims,
Objectives and Criteria.

The Aims are like the summit of a The Objectives are like the paths The Criteria are like the
mountain: what students gain by up the mountain: the way that milestones along the way: they
studying sciences students work towards the aims indicate students’ progress
towards the objectives

The design objectives are:

• Inquiring and Analyzing
• Developing Ideas
• Creating the Solutions
• Evaluating

The Criteria are the rubrics against which student progress is evaluated.
There is a rubric for each of the objectives. Each rubric has a version for
year 1, year 3 and year 5 to reflect the increasing sophistication of students’
skills as they move through the programme.

Why isn’t there any content in MYP Design?

Students do study content in MYP units. Because the MYP is a curriculum
framework, rather than a prescribed curriculum, the content that you teach
in your classroom will be determined by the locally-prescribed (or
locally-developed) curriculum.
Although each jurisdiction will have its own prescribed content, most
design curricula include a combination of two disciplines:
• Product Design
• Digital Design
They may often include disciplines such as robotics, graphics, computer
science, resistant materials, food design, and so on.
Key features of MYP Design units
Like any unit of instruction, MYP units describe the content that will be
covered, the types of lessons and activities that students will engage in, and
the assessment tasks that students will complete. However, MYP units also
include some additional features that help teachers to incorporate the IB
Approaches to Teaching in their courses.

All MYP units address at least 1 key concept and IB Approach to Teaching:
2-3 related concepts. Key concepts are broad Focused on conceptual
and generally transcend subjects, whereas understanding.

related concepts are more subject-specific.

Describing a unit in terms of key and related Concepts are explored in
Concepts concepts, as opposed to specific content or order to both deepen
topics, can help students to make connections disciplinary understanding
between units and even between subjects.

and to help students make

connections and transfer
The key concepts for design are communities, learning to new contexts.

communication, development and systems.

All MYP units are developed within one of six IB Approach to Teaching:
Global Contexts. These create the real-world Developed in local and
context for the unit and help students to see the global contexts.

relevance of what they are studying.

Teaching uses real-life

Global
The Global Contexts are described in terms of contexts and examples, and

Context
particular explorations that can be addressed in students are encouraged to
MYP units. process new information by
connecting it to their own
experiences and to

the world around them.

The statement of inquiry describes the purpose IB Approach to Teaching:

of the unit in a single sentence that includes the Based on inquiry.

Statement
key concept, related concept and global
of Inquiry
context. By succinctly stating the purpose of the A strong emphasis is placed
unit, it provides a clear focus. on students finding their
own information and

The inquiry questions help teachers and constructing their own

Inquiry
students to unpack the statement of inquiry in understandings.
Questions
terms of questions to explore
 Each MYP unit addresses at least one of the IB Approach to Teaching:
four objectives. Throughout the unit, students Informed by assessment.

develop these skills and get feedback about

their progress. At the end of the unit, they Assessment plays a crucial
demonstrate their learning in the summative role in supporting, as well as
Objectives
task which is assessed with the corresponding measuring, learning. This
criteria. approach also recognizes
the crucial role of providing
students with effective
feedback.

The Approaches to Learning skills are essential skills that transcend disciplines:
communication skills, research skills, thinking skills, social skills and
Approaches self-management skills. All MYP teachers share the responsibility to help
to Learning students develop these skills. To do this, MYP teachers identify one or two skills
skills to address explicitly in each unit. These are often related to the subject-specific
objectives being addressed, but may also be additional skills that will support
their success in the summative task.
Examples
In these examples, you can see brief descriptions of some typical design
units at the centre, with the features of MYP units layered around the
outside.

Option 1 Option 2

Branding: How colors, font choices, images, graphics, etc. project a certain
Topic
‘brand’ for companies and individuals

Globalization and
Orientation in space and Time

sustainability
The relationships between, and

GC The interconnectedness of
the interconnectedness of, individuals
human-made systems and and civilizations, from local and
communities (social media) global perspectives

KC/RC Communication/Adaptation Systems/Markets & Trends

Constant adaptation is essential for Knowing the current global and local
Sol open communication in the rapidly trends will help in development of a
changing world of online presence. system to remain relevant online.

Students will produce a design Students will produce a design

portfolio that includes evidence of a portfolio that includes evidence of a
Summative task
‘branding campaign for a client that ‘YouTube strategy for a client to
focuses on a social media platform’. re-brand their image’.

Objectives A,B,C,D A,B,C,D

 Examples
In these examples, you can see brief descriptions of some typical
mathematics units at the centre, with the features of MYP units layered
around the outside.

Inquiry Questions:

Global Context: Statement of Inquiry:

Key concept:
Learning
Globalization and Constant refinement and Communication

Experiences:

What is branding?

Sustainability

adaptation is essential for change in

the human body.

Related Students will

What characteristics Exploration: concepts:
explore various
of a brand make it Interconnectedness Adapatation social media
memorable?

of human-made platforms to
systems and determine the
What social media communities (social best platform to
platforms are best media)
develop a brand
to use for branding Branding
strategy.

and why?
Students will understand how colors,
font choices, images, graphics, etc. Students will work
Approaches to
project a certain ‘brand’ for
Objectives
with a client to
Learning:
A,B,C,D design a branding
companies and individuals.

Research
campaign.

communication

Summative Assessment:

Students will produce a design portfolio that includes evidence of a

‘branding campaign for a client that focuses on a social media platform’.

Inquiry Global Context: Statement of Inquiry:

Key concept:
Learning
Questions:
Orientation in Knowing the current global and Sysytems

Experiences:

What factors space and time

local trends will help in Students will learn

need to be development of a system to remain Related concept:
about how to read
considered when Exploration: the relevant online.

Markets & YouTube analytics.

branding on Relationships Trendes

YouTube?

between, and the Students will work

interconnectednes with real-life clients
How does s of, individuals to design and
branding for and civilizations, develop a brand
Facebook differ from local & global randin
B g

strategy.

from YouTube perspectives Branding How colors, font

:
Objectives

and how are they choices, images, graphics, etc. A,B,C,D

the same?
Approaches to pro ect a certain brand for
j ‘ ’

Learning:
companies and individuals.

Communication

Summative Assessment:

Students will create a group dance routine using the movements taught and
practiced in class. Students can select the music must be language appropriate
( )

Notice that the same unit can be delivered in different ways, and can be
designed to address different ob ectives or AT skills. The following
j L

considerations can help you to decide which approach to take :

W hat ill be most engaging and relevant to students

w ?

Some possibilities include :

Social media in uencer brands that connect with a global context

fl

Inquiry questions that spark a debate or pi ue students curiosityq ’

Assessment tas s that present an interesting challenge.

k

W hat ill complement hat they are doing in other units

w w ?

Concepts: Over the course of the year, students should e plore each of the x

four key concepts -communication, communities, development, and

systems - so consider whether this is an appropriate unit to address any key
concepts that haven t been addressed yet.
’
 Objectives: During the year, each of the objectives should be addressed (and
the corresponding criteria assessed) at least twice. In the case of MYP design,
it is often advisable to assess the full range of the objectives within the context
of the MYP design cycle. This makes meeting the minimum requirements for
summative assessment easier to meet.

3. What will complement what they are doing in other subjects?

Are there concepts that students could explore or ATL skills they could
develop in this unit that could help in other subjects? Likewise, exploring a key
concept in design while exploring that concept in another subject can help
them to develop a transferable understanding.
 What it could look like: learning experiences

General advice for Examples

implementing these
programme elements in an
PHE classroom. Product Design Digital Design

Drawing attention to the Students can compare Students can experiment

concepts in learning different methods to with various graphic
experiences can help produce a physical product applications to visualize
Concept
students to make by various systems.

enhanced communication
meaningful connections techniques to interact with
between topics and build their communities.

transferable understanding.

There are lots of Students will explore the Students will explore the
opportunities to connect ways in which we extend interconnectedness of
Global Contexts

Design with global and enjoy our creativity human-made systems and
Specific explorations
contexts.

through the creation of a communities through the

shown in italics
physical product
design and development of
a digital system.

n addition to engaging
I W ho owns natural Is cooperation or
students’ curiosity, inquiry resources? Who is competition more likely to
questions are a great way responsible for the lead to innovation?

I nquiry Questions
to illustrate the kinds of consequences of extracting
questions that can be them?

answered using design.

W hile all ATL skills can be Communication (Use intercultural understanding to interpret
useful in the study of PHE, communication; Structure information in summaries, essays
the sports field and gym and reports)

offer unique opportunities

to develop certain skills.

R esearch (Identify primary and secondary sources; Seek a

range of perspectives from multiple and varied sources; Use
ATL S kills critical-literacy skills to analyse & interpret media
communications)

Thinking (Gather and organize relevant information to

formulate an argument; Recognize unstated assumptions and
bias; Practise flexible thinking—develop multiple opposing,
contradictory and complementary arguments)
 Self-management (Use appropriate strategies for organizing
complex information; Practise analysing and attributing causes
for failure; Consider ethical, cultural and environmental
ATL Skills implications)

Social (Advocate for one’s own rights and needs; Manage and
resolve conflict, and work collaboratively in teams)
What it could look like: assessment tasks
In these examples, you can see brief descriptions of some typical design
units at the centre, with the features of MYP units layered around the
outside.

Product Design Digital Design

Interviewing potential clients about Brainstorming characteristics of

how to make cake recipes more successful brand logos.

healthy.

Researching existing website designs

Inquiring and
Researching possible existing and considering how to improve the
Analyzing
products and considering how to navigation from one page to the next.

improve or innovate the way plastic

and wood are used in furniture
design.

Outlining the design specification Developing design specification from

from the clients requests in regards the product research to determine
to cost, form, function, and so on.

success for an email marketing

campaign.

Developing Ideas
Sketching/drawing/designing
possible solutions to 3D printed Sketch/draw/screenshot possible
prototypes of a passive speaker for a designs to an ePortfolio website.

mobile phone.

Develop an outline ofsteps to Outline of steps to complete the

complete the creation of a desk creation of a Scratch educational
Creating the organizer.

game.

Solution
Justify any changes made to the final Justify any changes made to the final
passive speaker prototype. podcast episode.

Develop several methods to test the Develop several methods to test the
product and the effectiveness of product and the effectiveness of
performance throughout the performance throughout the process.

process.

Evaluating
Explain any changes that should be
Explain any changes that should be made to the product in future
made to the product in future iterations.

iterations.
Level up your practice

Adopting MYP pedagogy is an on-going process of reflecting on and

refining your practice. Here are some suggestions for tweaking typical

classroom practices to make teaching and learning more student-centred,

inquiry-based, conceptual and contextualized.

Instead of.. Try.. For Example

Being the sage on Being the guide on the When students ask is this right? Ask them why

the stage
side
they think it might be right and why it might be

wrong

Introducing new Help students to connect Use current or recent events as an entry-point for

concepts

these concepts to their discussing concepts like communities and

prior learning
systems.

Teaching direct skills

Teaching skills in context Students can explore using the skills they already

of a larger project

have and trying new techniques whilst in the

middle of the project, like learning while on the

job!

Posing questions for Engage students in Questions like “what is the best application to use
the students to generating questions ” “What is the best joint to use to join
for this? ,

answer

and selecting the ones these two corners? ” and so on!

that can be addressed

using the design skills

that they have developed

Expecting students Demonstrate specific ’

When something doesn t work smoothly with

to employ strategies and give your projector, talk through the troubleshooting

transferable skills students opportunities to process as you find out why the projector isn t ’
like organization, practice during your working. Model and scaffold !

critical thinking or class.

reflecting
FAQs

Is direct instruction ever appropriate in MYP design?

Yes, direct instruction is appropriate in MYP classrooms, as long as it

complements other, student-centred approaches.

How can I teach all the content standards of my local curriculum and
address the MYP objectives?

The MYP objectives are not an extra curriculum that you have to teach.
Rather, they are part of a curriculum framework through which to teach your
local curriculum. While some of the objectives are better-suited to some
topics than others, most of the objectives can be addressed using several
different content standards. Likewise, most content standards fit quite
naturally with one (or more) of the MYP objectives.

How can I do all that and teach the ATL skills, develop the learner profile
attributes and provide opportunities for service as action and
interdisciplinary learning?

Remember that you are not solely responsible for ALL these aspects of
learning! MYP students take courses in 6-8 different subject groups and all
their teachers share the responsibility of developing the skills and providing
the learning opportunity that extend beyond the individual subjects. As a
design teacher, your responsibility is to develop those skills and provide
those opportunities when there are authentic and meaningful occasions to
do so. Your MYP coordinator will help you and your colleagues analyse the
whole curriculum and improve upon the whole curriculum to see if all
students are getting sufficient appropriate opportunities, and identify ways
to improve those opportunities.

Can individual strands be assessed separately?

Yes; however, there are a few things to keep in mind:
All strands should be assessed at least twice each yea
Some strands make more sense when they are connected to other
strands. For the most part, using all of the strands in a connected fashion
is advisable in MYP Design.

Can a teacher created template be used for summative assessment?

Yes. But keep in mind that this is usually only acceptable for the early years
of the MYP. Students should develop their own system and style for
documenting and evidencing their work throughout the process.
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