Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.

We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.

The intent of the Standard

In this Achievement Standard, ākonga will generate product or spatial design ideas using visual communication techniques in response to both te ao Māori and another design influence. Designers are responsive to the whakapapa and tikanga of the people, purposes, and places they design for.

Within this Achievement Standard, ākonga will be encouraged to explore and experiment with different design ideas, revealing new possibilities that lead to the generation of their own product or spatial design ideas.

This will include the process of ideation, where designers research, review, and consider different concepts, aesthetics, approaches.

Design influences will be used in order to discover new ideas and open up new possibilities from different, sometimes unconventional, sources which then inform their design thinking and design idea generation. A design influence may include multiple design elements that are characteristic of either a design movement, a designer's body of work, or a design. These design ideas will familiarise ākonga with the first stages of the design process and will allow them to envision how their ideas could potentially be developed into design outcomes in future.

Making reliable judgements

To attain this Standard, ākonga must explain their rationale for the chosen design influence from te ao Māori and the other chosen design influence. They must show how design ideas relate to characteristics of the source materials for both design influences. They must explain visually with annotations or brief written statements, why they have chosen them and what aspects of them they are drawing on to influence their designs.

Examples of a design influence from te ao Māori could reflect regional (design) styles and the meanings and stories behind them. They could also be types of objects, spaces or buildings that have a particular purpose.

For higher levels of achievement, ideas need to be further developed using visual communication techniques to show an exploration of function and aesthetics. Ideas will be enhanced by using divergent thinking to respond to the design influences to regenerate new design ideas.

Collecting evidence

Ākonga will curate and submit a portfolio of evidence of up to 15 A3 pages (or equivalent) showcasing their design work.

Evidence in the portfolio can take a range of visual forms, digital or physical, and may include drawings, annotations, models, and animations.

For digital formats submissions will be:

• an mp4 movie file of no more than 1 minute in length
• an mp4 file of an animation or flythrough of no more than 1 minute length.

Possible contexts

The Significant Learning within this Achievement Standard focuses on developing design thinking skills. Through responding to different design influences, including that of te ao Māori, ākonga gain influence, inspiration, and understanding of diverse perspectives.

By gaining influence from te ao Māori and exploring different design influences, ākonga will not only begin to understand and appreciate different perspectives and approaches to design, but they will also begin to develop their own design style and designer voice.

The rationale for exploring a design influence from te ao Māori includes a description of the significance of the design. It may show its whakapapa as far back as the ākonga can go, in terms of finding out where a design originated. It also includes finding out about relevant tikanga — such as why the design is used in a certain way and in a certain place. This will allow ākonga to take meaning from the design and make a connection to the stories behind the design appropriately. A rationale can consist of visuals with supporting notes that explain the thinking behind the ideas generated.

Where possible teachers should seek the expertise of local iwi, hapu, whānau, or kaumātua to help understand and give respect to relevant mātauranga Māori.

Practising divergent thinking and risk-taking as part of their design ideation encourages ākonga to explore design ideas in ways that can give rise to innovation. Visual techniques assessed in this Achievement Standard could include quick sketching and quick computer modelling, which aid the learner’s playing with form and the generation of design ideas.

Ākonga can bring their own designer voice that connects their personal experiences with the perspectives of different design influences. By using visual communication techniques that are appropriate for the ideation process, they are able to convey divergent thinking through design idea generation. They will also extend their use of visual communication techniques to further support ideation by experimenting with shape and form using visual techniques such as drawing and modelling (both analogue and digital). Design ideas will then be derived from their ideation for future development into a product or spatial context.

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.