Print the six cards on card stock, one set per table, and cut. Print the Needs and Wants List (page 2) one per student.
The six client cards
Each card has: who the client is, the room and its measurements, where the door, window, and closet are, what the client must have (needs), what the client would like (wants), the budget, and one rule that cannot be broken. Every number on the card is fixed. Everything else is yours to decide.
Card 1: The Okafor family (Path A, Design Your Own Bedroom for a client)
Picture line: a walker
Who: Grandpa Emeka Okafor, 78, is moving in with his son's family. He uses a walker. He is sharp, likes the news, and keeps his photos close. He gets the spare bedroom.
The room: 11 feet by 12 feet. The door is 3 feet wide, on an 11-foot wall, 1 foot from the corner; it swings into the room. One window, 4 feet wide, is centered on the opposite 11-foot wall. The closet is 2 feet deep by 5 feet wide, on a 12-foot wall, at the corner nearest the window. Ceiling 8 feet.
Must have (needs):
- A bed he can get in and out of with the walker, with one open side facing the path
- A clear path at least 36 inches wide from the door to the bed, and from the bed to the closet
- Nothing on the floor that can catch the walker's feet
- A chair with arms and a firm seat
- A lamp he can turn on from the bed
- A night light on the path
Would like (wants):
- A place for his photos where he can see them from the bed
- A small TV
- His favorite color is blue
Budget: $400 [update]
The rule: no loose rugs. A rug must be flat and taped down, or there is no rug.
Card 2: The Delgado family (Path A)
Picture line: a desk and two beds
Who: Mia Delgado, 13, shares a bedroom with her sister Luz, 8. Mia has homework every night and no quiet place to do it. Luz's toys are everywhere.
The room: 12 feet by 14 feet. The door is 3 feet wide, on a 12-foot wall, at the corner; it swings into the room. One window, 4 feet wide, is centered on a 14-foot wall. The closet is 2 feet deep by 6 feet wide, on the 12-foot wall opposite the door. Ceiling 8 feet.
Must have (needs):
- Two sleeping spots (two twin beds, or a bunk bed)
- A study corner for Mia with a desk, a light, and a shelf, that Luz's toys do not spill into
- Storage for both sisters' clothes
- A place for Luz's toys that is not the floor
- A clear path at least 30 inches wide from the door to each bed and to the closet
Would like (wants):
- A divider or curtain between the two sides
- A spot for Luz to play on the floor
- Mia wants purple; Luz wants yellow
Budget: $400 [update]
The rule: if there is a bunk bed, the older sister takes the top.
Card 3: The Nguyen family (Path A, a mudroom in the front entry)
Picture line: a coat hook and a boot
Who: Two parents, two kids in elementary school, and a dog. Every morning four people and a dog leave through one small front entry, and every afternoon everything they carried comes back in and lands on the floor.
The room: the front entry is 6 feet by 9 feet. The front door is 3 feet wide, on a 6-foot wall, and swings into the entry. An open doorway (no door), 3 feet wide, is on the opposite 6-foot wall, leading to the living room. One small window, 2 feet wide, is on a 9-foot wall near the front door. No closet. Ceiling 8 feet.
Must have (needs):
- A place to sit and take shoes off
- Hooks for four coats and four backpacks, at heights the kids can reach
- A bin or cubby for each person's shoes
- A spot for the dog's leash and a towel
- A mat for wet shoes inside the front door
- The front door must open all the way
- A clear path at least 36 inches wide straight through from the front door to the living room doorway
Would like (wants):
- A mirror
- A spot for mail and keys
- A bench with storage inside it
Budget: $400 [update]
The rule: nothing in the swing of the front door.
Card 4: The Ahmed family (Path A)
Picture line: a crib
Who: Sami and Leyla Ahmed live in a one-bedroom apartment. Their first baby is due next month. The baby will sleep in their bedroom for the first year.
The room: 11 feet by 13 feet. The door is 3 feet wide, on an 11-foot wall, at the corner; it swings into the room. One window, 4 feet wide, is centered on a 13-foot wall. The closet is 2 feet deep by 5 feet wide, on the other 13-foot wall, near the door. Ceiling 8 feet.
Must have (needs):
- Their full-size bed stays
- A crib with clear space around it, at least 3 feet from the window and from any cord, heater, or shelf that could fall
- A changing spot with supplies within arm's reach, so no one turns away from the baby
- A chair for night feedings, near the crib
- A clear path at least 30 inches wide from the door to the bed, the crib, and the closet
- Window coverings with no dangling cords
Would like (wants):
- A lamp that can dim
- Soft, calm colors
- A small dresser for baby clothes
Budget: $400 [update]
The rule: nothing goes in the crib but the baby and a fitted sheet (safe sleep, from Lesson 3.17).
Card 5: Jordan and Sam (Path B, Tiny House)
Picture line: a tiny house on a trailer
Who: Jordan and Sam are a couple in their late twenties. They both work from laptops. They want to own a home without a mortgage, so they are building a tiny house on a trailer. The shell is built. The inside is empty.
The home: the inside is 8 feet wide by 24 feet long (192 square feet). The ceiling is 10 feet at the high end. A sleeping loft, 8 feet by 8 feet, sits over one end of the house, with 4 feet of headroom (nobody can stand up there). Under the loft the ceiling is 6 feet. The door is 3 feet wide, on a long wall, 3 feet from the loft end, and swings out. There are two windows, 3 feet wide each, on each long wall, and one small window at the far end.
Must have (needs):
- A kitchen with a two-burner cooktop, a sink, a mini fridge, and at least 4 feet of counter
- A bathroom, 3 feet by 5 feet, with a shower and a composting toilet, with a door or a curtain
- A table where two people can work and eat at the same time
- Seating for two
- Storage for clothes and for food
- The loft is the bedroom: a mattress up there and a ladder or stairs to reach it
- A clear path at least 30 inches wide from the door to every zone
Would like (wants):
- A spot for one bike inside
- A window seat
- Plants
- They like white, natural wood, and green
Budget: $1,500 for the interior (furniture, fixtures, storage, finish; not the building itself) [update]
The rule: every piece has to fit through the 3-foot door or fold.
Card 6: The Rivera family (Path A)
Picture line: a wheelchair
Who: Marco Rivera, 15, uses a manual wheelchair after a car accident last year. He is back at school, plays video games, and is tired of a bedroom he cannot get around in.
The room: 12 feet by 14 feet. The door is on a 12-foot wall, at the corner, and is being widened to 36 inches clear; it swings into the room. One window, 4 feet wide, is centered on a 14-foot wall. The closet is 2 feet deep by 6 feet wide, on the 12-foot wall opposite the door. Ceiling 8 feet.
Must have (needs):
- A turning circle 60 inches (5 feet) across, somewhere in the open floor, and space to turn beside the bed
- A clear path at least 36 inches wide from the door to the bed, the desk, the closet, and the window
- A bed about 20 inches high (the same as his chair seat), with open space on one side for the transfer
- A desk he can roll under: open underneath, 27 to 30 inches high
- A closet rod at 48 inches or lower, and shelves he can reach from the chair
- Light switches and outlets he can reach from the chair
- Nothing on the floor that catches wheels (no thick rugs)
Would like (wants):
- A gaming setup
- A wall for posters
- He likes gray and orange
Budget: $400 [update]
The rule: every path is 36 inches.
Needs and Wants List (one per student)
Name: ______________________ Date: __________ Client card number and name: ______________________
Path (circle one): A, Design Your Own Bedroom for a client / B, Tiny House
Working (circle one): alone / with ______________________
Part 1: The facts from the card
| Fact | From the card |
|---|---|
| The client (who lives with this room) | |
| The room's measurements | ______ feet by ______ feet |
| Where the door is, and how wide | |
| Where the window(s) are | |
| Where the closet is (or "none") | |
| The budget | $______ |
| The one rule |
Part 2: Sort every line
Copy every "must have" and "would like" line from the card. Write N (need: the design fails without it) or W (want: nice if the money and space allow). Then add two hidden needs: things the card did not say out loud, but a designer would know this client needs.
| Line from the card (or hidden need) | N or W | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden need 1: | N | |
| Hidden need 2: | N |
Sentence frame for the "why" column: "___ needs ___ because ___."
Part 3: The design problem
Write one sentence. It must name the client, the need, and the limit (the room size or the budget or both).
"______________________ needs a room that ______________________________________ within ______________________."
Part 4: Exit slip (tear off and hand in)
My client is ______________________. The one thing this room fails without is ______________________. The one thing I am not sure how to fit is ______________________.
Word bank: need (ihtiyaç / necessidade / necesidad), want (istek / desejo / deseo), client (müşteri / cliente / cliente), budget (bütçe / orçamento / presupuesto), rule (kural / regra / regla). [check with a native speaker]
Teacher key
There is no single right sort, but these are the hidden needs a strong list finds. Use them for the Step 3 push.
| Card | Hidden needs a designer would catch |
|---|---|
| 1 Okafor | Bed height so he can stand up from it with the walker (about 20 to 23 inches); a place to park the walker beside the bed; a firm chair he can push up from (arms); the closet rod within reach without stepping over anything; a clear path to the door at night, so the night light matters; no cords across the path |
| 2 Delgado | Light at the desk that does not keep Luz awake (a desk lamp, not the ceiling light); Luz's storage low enough for an 8-year-old to use it herself; a bunk bed's top rail and ladder safety; the path to the closet does not cross the study corner |
| 3 Nguyen | The mat must not slide (rubber-backed); the dog's things low and by the door; hooks at two heights (adult and kid); nothing under the window that a wet coat drips onto; a bench narrow enough (about 15 to 18 inches) to keep the 36-inch path |
| 4 Ahmed | A dresser top can be the changing spot if it is the right height and has a strap or rail; furniture anchored to the wall (a toddler will climb it later); outlet covers; a night light or dimmable lamp so no one turns on the ceiling light at 3 a.m.; the crib mattress new and firm |
| 5 Jordan and Sam | Everything has to do two jobs (a table that folds, a couch with storage, stairs with drawers); the loft ladder needs a place to be when not in use; the bathroom needs ventilation (a window or fan); the fridge and cooktop cannot be under the loft's low ceiling if they need clearance; a place for shoes and coats by the door |
| 6 Rivera | Knee space under the desk (27 inches clear); a dresser with drawers he can pull from a seated position (not above 48 inches); a mirror at seated eye height; the window latch reachable; the gaming setup on a low surface with cords off the floor; door hardware he can grip (a lever, not a knob) |
Path sort: Cards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are Path A. Card 5 is Path B.