DesignClass Update
When I first started building DesignClass years ago, it was never meant to be anything grand. It was simply a place to put resources that would help my pupils — a digital extension of the classroom where they could revisit lessons, practise CAD skills, and build confidence in their own ability to design and create. Over time, it grew into something bigger, used by more teachers, more pupils, and more schools than I ever expected.
But as it grew, the cracks in the old hosting platform began to show. It wasn’t keeping up with what I wanted DesignClass to become. I found myself spending more time fighting the limitations of the system than improving the content. Eventually, I realised the site needed more than a refresh — it needed a rethink.
The new DesignClass is the result of that rethink. It’s quieter, cleaner, more focused, and more intentional. It’s built around the same values I spoke about in my TTA speech: raising standards, supporting teachers, and giving pupils a place where they can genuinely learn, not just click around.
This isn’t a flashy relaunch. It’s a reset.
One of the biggest changes is invisible: the new hosting platform simply lets me work the way I need to. I can upload videos without worrying about limits. I can organise content in a way that makes sense for learning. I can build structured pathways instead of scattered pages. It feels like I’m finally able to build the site I always imagined.
The design is deliberately simple.I wanted pupils to land on a page and immediately understand what they’re meant to do. I wanted teachers to find resources without digging through menus. I wanted the site to feel calm — a place where learning comes first.
The old site had heart, but it had become cluttered. The new one feels more like a workshop: tidy, purposeful, and ready to be used.
When I wrote my TTA speech, I talked about the responsibility we have as teachers in Design & Technology. We’re not just teaching software or tools. We’re teaching problem‑solving, creativity, resilience, and the ability to think like designers and engineers. I said that Scotland could be the best place in the world to learn these skills — but only if we build the right environment around our pupils.
DesignClass is my small contribution to that environment. The new site reflects that mindset more clearly. It’s not trying to be a national platform or a polished commercial product. It’s simply trying to be useful. It’s built from the perspective of a teacher who knows what it’s like to prepare lessons late at night, who knows the pressure of trying to give pupils the best possible experience, and who knows how valuable it is to have reliable, high‑quality resources ready to go.
This version of DesignClass feels more honest. It’s closer to the way I actually teach. My hopes for the new site aren’t complicated. They’re practical. I want pupils to be able to learn independently — to watch a CAD tutorial, pause it, try it themselves, and feel proud when they get it right. I want them to have access to clear technical drawing guidance that doesn’t overwhelm them. I want them to see examples that raise their expectations of their own work. I want to make videos on practical work too, and have make content that supports our subject.
I want teachers to save time. I want them to have access to tasks, worksheets, and challenges that fit the Scottish curriculum without needing to rewrite everything. I want them to feel supported, not burdened. And I want the site to grow steadily, not explosively. I want to add new content when it’s ready, not when it’s rushed. I want it to remain grounded in classroom reality, not in trends or buzzwords. If the site can make even a small difference to how pupils learn or how teachers teach, then it’s doing its job.
The new DesignClass isn’t finished — and I don’t think it ever will be. That’s part of the point. Teaching changes. Courses change. Pupils change. My own practice changes. The site should evolve alongside all of that.
Over the next year, I want to add more video content, more structured courses, more advanced CAD assemblies, and more teacher‑focused materials. I want to build a proper Higher section. I want to create challenge pathways that pupils can follow from S1 all the way to S6. I want to keep improving the clarity and quality of everything on the site. But I’m not rushing any of it. The new platform gives me the freedom to build slowly and properly. The new DesignClass isn’t louder or flashier than the old one. It’s calmer, more organised, and more aligned with what I care about as a teacher.
In my TTA speech, I said that we should aim to make Scotland the best place in the world to teach and learn Design & Technology. That wasn’t meant as a bold claim — it was meant as a challenge to myself and to all of us. I accept that I lost the vote to disband the TTA and form a new organisation, but my desire to support the profession I care about is still there.
This new version of DesignClass is my attempt to take one small step toward that goal.
Scott
