National challenge: Design a billboard
Education Scotland has launched a national challenge for learners to design a double-sided billboard to be seen by people entering and leaving Scotland.
Design challenge 1: Design a modern Mappa Mundi
Explore mappa mundi, mental maps which illustrate ideas based on the social and cultural perceptions of the map maker. They take to extremes the fact that even the most 'accurate' maps reflect cultural bias. How might some of the major issues in today’s society be represented on a map?
Curriculum subjects: Geography / Art and design
Responsibility of all: Literacy
Curriculum level: Fourth level
Design challenge 2: Design an artwork for Scotland
Create a work of art for the customs and immigration areas of a ferry port or an airport to signal the entrance and exit to Scotland using words, images or objects. The work might offer different perspectives for people who are arriving and people who are leaving. Themes might reflect why people need to leave their native countries nowadays or why they would want to come and live in Scotland today.
Curriculum subjects: Social studies / Art and design
Responsibility of all: Literacy
Curriculum level: Second level
Design challenge 3: Design a room based on an unusual shape
Charles Jencks designed an entire room around the Octagon. Most building and room designs are based around the rectangle. Can you develop an inspiring room based on a different mathematical shape?
Curriculum subjects: Mathematics / Art and design
Responsibility of all: Numeracy
Curriculum level: Third level
Design challenge 4: Design a computer game
Create a virtual landform to provide the stimulus for a computer game. After designing challenging, physical features see if you can come up with a theme, a plot and some characters. Themes can include a place to play, an area in conflict or the heroes and villains in carbon capture.
Curriculum subjects: Technologies / Art and design
Responsibility of all: Literacy
Curriculum level: Third level
Design challenge 5: Design a logo
Landscape architect Charles Jencks used Scottish themes and the Scottish landscape as inspiration for his logo for the Fife Earth project. He experimented with the ideas, lines and shapes in the Mappa Mundi in order to develop a project identity. Now you can design you own logo through research and indentifying key themes within the Fife Earth project.
Curriculum subjects: Technologies / Art and design
Responsibility of all: Literacy
Curriculum level: Third level
Design challenge 6: Design a brainteaser puzzle
Charles Jencks is interested in human life and frequently uses ideas from biology, such as DNA and cells, as an inspiration for his landforms, gardens and sculptures. This challenge extends the scientific theme encouraging learners to study different types of enzymes and consider their qualities, shapes and functions to design a brainteaser puzzle.
Curriculum subjects: Sciences
Responsibility of all: Health and wellbeing
Curriculum level: Fourth level
Design challenge 7: Design a space for reflection
The artist Charles Jencks uses ideas about humankind’s relationship with the physical environment in his landscape work to bring to our notice some of the key ultimate questions of life. This design challenge asks learners to design a space for people to think and reflect on life.
Curriculum subjects: Religious and Moral Education / Art and design
Responsibility of all: Literacy
Curriculum level: Third level
Find us on