Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit specifies the outcomes required to evaluate design proposals and concepts with reference to set criteria established from original design briefs and enterprise objectives.

Application of the unit 

This unit supports the attainment of skills and knowledge required for competent workplace performance in the wide variety of furniture maker operations. The competency applies to custom furniture business or design support environment and involves application of skills and knowledge at a post trade level. These skills and knowledge are to be used within the scope of the person's job and authority.

The evaluation involves assessment of own designs and designs generated by others.

This unit requires employability skills in planning and organising and problem solving to assess designs against criteria. Communication skills are used to research and document industry information and self management skills are used to analyse findings. Learning skills are required in order reflect on and assess own work against set criteria.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Establish evaluation criteria for design

1.1. Applicable legislative , OHS  and enterprise requirements  relevant to the evaluation of design proposals and concepts are verified and complied with

1.2. Original design brief  is analysed to establish criteria to use in assessing design proposals and concepts

1.3. Enterprise business objectives are reviewed to identify criteria to use in assessing designs

1.4. Enterprise production capacity is identified and strengths and limitations incorporated into evaluation criteria

1.5. Current industry design trends are researched and identified

1.6. Workplace and industry standards in relation to design presentation are researched and identified

1.7. Quality criteria that apply to design processes are researched and identified

1.8. Criteria for assessment are identified and clarified with client and colleagues

1.9. The weighting of each criteria for assessment is confirmed

1.10. Details are recorded in accordance with enterprise practice

2. Evaluate design

2.1. Design is assessed to evaluate if it fits the intention of the design brief

2.2. Form , function  and style  of the design are assessed and evaluated

2.3. Environmental impact  of the design is assessed and evaluated

2.4. Cultural relevance  of the design is analysed and evaluated

2.5. Economic significance  of the design is assessed and evaluated

2.6. Design methodology  is reviewed for adherence to the elements and principles of design

2.7. Material  choice appropriateness is analysed and evaluated

2.8. Technical integrity  of the design is assessed and evaluated

2.9. The design is evaluated for consistency with current industry trends and influences

3. Evaluate design concepts for construction and production suitability

3.1. Details of enterprise and related construction constraints  are assessed

3.2. Details of enterprise and subcontractor production constraints  are identified and reviewed

3.3. Production ability  of the design is analysed and evaluated

3.4. Equipment  selection is assessed and evaluated

3.5. Manufacturing process , assembly and finishing  techniques selected for the design are reviewed and evaluated

3.6. Design is evaluated against construction and production constraints

3.7. Changes to design are recommended and recorded in accordance with enterprise practice

4. Determine and report on design suitability

4.1. Design is evaluated against each criteria

4.2. Weighted assessment  is used to make comparisons and rank components of design

4.3. Recommendations are made for improvements to design in order to further address criteria

4.4. Design suitability in meeting criteria is determined and documented with recommendations for improvements

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• collect, organise and understand information related to design a furnishing products
• communicate ideas, information and advice to client to enable confirmation of design selection, plans and specifications
• prepare evaluation documentation
• work with others and in a team to evaluate design proposals
• work with clients to review designs
• apply listening and analysis techniques to anticipate production and construction problems and plan around them
• recognise and respond to circumstances outside instructions or personal competence
• adopt a proactive relationship with the clients to recognise issues and create alternatives
• plan activities covering the choice of evaluation method, the preparation and layout of the design information
• use mathematical ideas and techniques to correctly complete evaluation models
• clarify and confirm evaluation instructions
• plan evaluation within given task parameters
• accept responsibility for given tasks
• set, monitor and satisfy personal work goals
• satisfy the competency requirements for the job
• maintain current knowledge of production methods
• maintain current knowledge of evaluation methods
• seek learning opportunities
• use the workplace technology related to the electronic communication with colleagues and clients as well as documenting and presenting information.

Required knowledge 

• State or Territory OHS legislation, regulations, standards and codes of practice relevant to the design and construction of furnishing products
• design methodology
• furniture styles and movements
• visual aesthetics of furnishing products
• environmental and ethical issues in making a furnishing product
• materials used to produce furnishing products
• production methodologies of furniture makers
• assessment and evaluation techniques
• overhead components and costing techniques
• contemporary techniques for collating and preparing visual information
• established communication channels and protocols
• problem identification and resolution
• document control methods.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

• Comply with legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and established safe practices and procedures for planning of evaluation of design proposals
• Use of calculators, computer programs and other aids in the calculation of proposal rankings
• Documentation of evaluation criteria clearly from original design brief
• Assessment and documentation of evaluation of product proposals or concepts to move forward in the design process
• Recommendations for design improvements for concepts, construction, production and final design presented
• Work effectively with others
• Modify activities to cater for variations in workplace contexts and environment

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

• The application of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace
• Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints
• Assessment of essential underpinning knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context
• Assessment is to comply with relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements
• The following resources should be made available:

• workplace location or simulated workplace
• realistic product proposals
• specific information covering materials, constructions and production methods
• design brief and client instructions
• details of the product requirements

Method of assessment 

• Assessment must satisfy the endorsed assessment guidelines of the Furnishing Industry Training Package
• Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of underpinning knowledge
• Assessment methods must be by direct observation of tasks and include questioning on underpinning knowledge to ensure its correct interpretation and application
• Assessment may be applied under project related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process
• Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances
• Assessment may be in conjunction with other related units of competency e.g. LMFFM4021A Research product needs, LMFFM4022A Create ideas in response to a brief and inspirational information

Guidance information for assessment 

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Legislative requirements 

• are to be in accordance with applicable legislation from all levels of government that affect enterprise operation. Requirements may include but not be limited to award and enterprise agreements, industrial relations, Australian Standards, confidentiality and privacy, OHS, the environment, equal opportunity, anti-discrimination, relevant industry codes of practice, duty of care, heritage, copyright, design right and patent law

OHS requirements 

• are to be in accordance with Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation and regulations, enterprise safety policies and procedures

Enterprise requirements 

• may include but not be limited to legal, enterprise, guidelines, policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility, quality assurance, procedural manuals, quality and continuous improvement processes and standards, OHS, emergency and evacuation, ethical standards, recording and reporting, access and equity principles and practices, equipment use, maintenance and storage, environmental management (waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines)

Design brief 

• may include but not be limited to client needs and objectives, client aims and objectives and criteria for evaluation, milestones for the design project, organisational or personal profiles and aims, image requirements and function, target market, budget, timeline and consultation requirements

Form 

• may include but not be limited to proportion and aesthetics

Function 

• may include but not be limited to ergonomics and practicality

Style 

• may include but not be limited to traditional, contemporary, modern, functional, commercial and artistic

Environmental impact 

• may include but not be limited to how the use of raw materials effects the ecology and environment and how its continued use will affect the area it has been sourced from, energy consumption in achieving the material, greenhouse gases created, waste levels, resource utilisation and transport effects. Similarly what impact will be felt by reducing or stopping material from the source

Cultural relevance 

• may include but not be limited to demography, geography (local, regional, national), religious, climatic, societal, lifestyle, attitudinal, gratification, honour, living conditions, infrastructure, status and habitude

Economic significance 

• may include but not be limited to the potential financial return which the product could return, including sales volume and profitability

Design methodology 

• is to include but not be limited to the approach taken in addressing the design brief

Material 

• may include but not be limited to native timber (native and imported), man-made timber products, plastic, metal, alloys, stones, glass, textiles, fibreglass, foam, cardboard, paper products or any other manipulable substance

Technical integrity 

• is to include but not be limited to the intended structural qualities and construction methods of a designed product

Construction constraints 

• are the types of construction methods of joining parts and sub-assemblies together to make the structure and form of the product produced within the enterprise. These will depend on the skills and knowledge of the makers within the enterprise

Production constraints 

• are the methods of producing the individual parts and sub-assemblies of a product. These are dependent on the enterprise's machinery and skills and knowledge of their operators

Production ability 

• is to include but not be limited to how readily a design can be produced, the cost in producing it, the availability of equipment and skilled personnel

Equipment 

• may include but not be limited to hand tools, static machinery, portable power tools and computer numerically controlled equipment
• may also include procedures for lock out protecting operators and co-workers from accidental injury by isolating the machine from the power source

Manufacturing process 

• may include but not be limited to the methods by which the product will be produced, these steps usually entail working from working drawings and specifications, producing components utilising machine operations, assembly of the components and finishing techniques

Finishing 

• may include but not be limited to paints, waxes, lacquers, stains, pigments, oils and plastic coatings

Weighted assessment 

• must be developed from original criteria to rank the proposals allowing for the weighting of each criteria

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Co-requisite units