Within the Irish second level (high school) education system, technologies education is becoming an important subject, for the holistic development of a student. However designing is one such skill in the technologies, which needs clarity and structure of its pedagogical approach and subject matter. Design activity at second level is largely an ambiguous subject due to the ‘unknown’ cognitive processes professional designers apply when designing.

At present, in the Irish education system, design is ‘taught’ primarily by the use of a ‘design process’. A ‘design process’ within the Irish education system, primarily focuses on manufacturing skills and assessment. The higher cognitive skills and problem solving abilities for designing are not being challenged or assessed to a great extent. Acknowledging and applying the cognitive processes required to increase and aid ones design ability, will result in students, both practicing successful design and learning a life long transferable skill. When designing, analysis and synthesis are among the main cognitive processes used. The pedagogical approach to design education is largely systematic and linear, unlike the cyclical, interdependent or ‘light-bulb’ moment many experience when designing. Many school activities and resources, such as text books, follow a linear pattern or have a start to finish approach. The methodology of design does not always follow the same structure or path. Designing is a continual process, with constant improvements or alternatives. To deal with the unsystematic nature of design, a strategic approach is proposed, emphasising the skills to help nurture design ability.

This paper deals with establishment, implementation and refinement of a strategic approach to design education and training from the evaluation of students’ design performance in the new senior cycle technology draft sample thematic brief.