Planning a complete MYP Design programme around the design cycle
The MYP Design guide is the curriculum and assessment authority. This guide shows how the four stages of the design cycle map onto Criteria A–D, how each stage progresses from Grade 6 to Grade 10, and how digital literacy and sustainability strengthen the cycle without replacing MYP requirements.
- the MYP design cycle standards mapped
- 25
- Standards with a free lesson
- 25
- MYP criteria used
- 4
Why the MYP design cycle and MYP fit together
- Criterion A, inquiring and analysing: justify the need, research the problem, analyse existing products and write a design brief.
- Criterion B, developing ideas: write a testable specification, present feasible ideas, justify the chosen design and draw accurate plans.
- Criterion C, creating the solution: plan the making, use technical skills, document changes and present the finished solution.
- Criterion D, evaluating: design tests, evaluate against the specification, explain improvements and describe impact on the client.
How each MYP criterion is matched to the MYP design cycle
Criterion A: Inquiring and analysing
Explain and justify the need for a solution, carry out relevant research, analyse existing products and develop a design brief
Matched to 10 the MYP design cycle standards and 30 free lessons.
Criterion B: Developing ideas
Write a testable design specification, present feasible design ideas, justify the chosen design and develop accurate planning drawings
Matched to 5 the MYP design cycle standards and 40 free lessons.
Criterion C: Creating the solution
Plan and follow a logical sequence of making, demonstrate technical skills and document changes made while creating the solution
Matched to 5 the MYP design cycle standards and 40 free lessons.
Criterion D: Evaluating
Design and carry out tests, evaluate the solution against the specification and explain improvements and impacts
Matched to 10 the MYP design cycle standards and 40 free lessons.
the MYP design cycle strands mapped to MYP criteria
| the MYP design cycle strand | Standards | MYP criteria assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Creating the solution | 5 | Criterion C |
| Developing ideas | 5 | Criterion B |
| Digital citizenship and ethical innovation | 5 | Criterion A, Criterion D |
| Evaluating | 5 | Criterion D |
| Inquiring and analysing | 5 | Criterion A |
Grade to MYP year mapping
| School grade | MYP year |
|---|---|
| Grade 6 | MYP 1 |
| Grade 7 | MYP 2 |
| Grade 8 | MYP 3 |
| Grade 9 | MYP 4 |
| Grade 10 | MYP 5 |
Use the alignment in your planning
Every lesson lists its the MYP design cycle codes and the MYP criteria it assesses, so a unit planner can be built straight from the library. Teachers can also generate a full MYP unit or lesson plan — statement of inquiry, global context, ATL skills, command terms and criteria — with Inquira, the free MYP planning assistant. Families following the library at home can start with the homeschool guide.
The design cycle is iterative, not linear
Students rarely move once through the four stages. Testing often sends them back to their specification or their ideas, and the process journal is where that movement is evidenced.
Assess the cycle in complete projects rather than isolated stages. Every MYP year should contain at least two full opportunities for each criterion.
Vertical progression from guided to independent design
Grades 6–8 build terminology, guided research, simple measurable specifications, safe practical skills and straightforward tests.
Grades 9–10 add independence, client interviews, CAD and code documentation, detailed testing methods, justified iteration and evaluation of social and environmental impact.
Digital design, product design, systems and sustainability
The same cycle runs through graphics and interfaces, materials and prototypes, programming and electronics, and sustainable, inclusive innovation.
Contexts are grounded in Qatar and the Gulf — heat and shade, water and energy, bilingual Arabic and English communication — and always reference sources, permission and privacy when data or images are used.
Questions teachers ask about this alignment
What are the four stages of the MYP design cycle?
Inquiring and analysing, developing ideas, creating the solution, and evaluating. They correspond to Criteria A, B, C and D respectively.
How is MYP Design assessed?
With Criteria A–D on the 0–8 achievement scale, using the strands of each criterion and evidence from the process journal, the solution itself and the testing results — never a percentage.
What belongs in a design specification?
Three to five success criteria that can actually be measured or tested, derived from research rather than preference, so the evaluation in Criterion D has something concrete to check.
Other alignment guides
- Aligning MYP Science with NGSS
- Aligning MYP Mathematics with AERO
- Aligning MYP English with Common Core ELA
- Aligning MYP English with AERO ELA
- Aligning MYP Arabic with CEFR standards
- Aligning MYP PHE with SHAPE America
- Planning MYP Individuals & Societies with C3 inquiry
- All EduLib standards alignment guides
- MYP global contexts explained
- Design curriculum map