Inside the Middle School Design Showcase

What does learning look like when creativity, problem-solving, and real-world skills come together? At WAB’s recent Middle School Design Showcase, the answer was on full display. The showcase celebrated student work across Grades 6, 7, and 8, highlighting not only final products but also the thinking, iteration, and learning processes behind them. From digital banknotes and product packaging to fully functioning Bluetooth speakers, each project reflected students’ growing confidence as designers, makers, and problem solvers. 

In Grade 6, students explored digital design by creating their own banknotes using Adobe Photoshop. Students learned how to work with layers: stacking images, symbols, textures, and security features, while considering both aesthetics and function. Before moving to digital design, they even prototyped their ideas using acetate sheets, physically layering elements to visualize how designs worked together. For many students, the most exciting part was ownership. Each banknote was uniquely personal while grounded in shared design principles. Grade 6 student Guillermo shared: “We added logos and we added the security code, so no one would be able to copy them easily. We also added our MS Houses; we put Phoenix and Dragons on the back to make it personal.” 

In Grade 7, students shifted from digital design to product packaging, learning how two-dimensional plans transform into three-dimensional objects. Using Adobe Illustrator, students designed product packaging before printing, cutting, and constructing full prototypes. The challenge lay in precision and iteration. Tabs didn’t always align, shapes didn’t always fold as expected, and redesigns were common. Students tested scaled-down versions, identified flaws, and refined their designs, learning that failure is often the most powerful teacher. Students drew inspiration from their interests, for example, Grade 7 student Mia chose to design packaging for a Nintendo Switch because it was a product she loved, driving more meaningful engagement.  

Grade 8 students took on their most complex challenge yet: designing and building a working Bluetooth speaker. This project brought together skills developed over several years: digital design, product housing, circuitry, and systems thinking. 

Students connected circuit boards, Bluetooth chips, power sources, speakers, and switches, testing each component before final assembly. Student agency was at the core, as each person’s design decisions mattered. Grade 8 student Emily, for example, created a triangular speaker, which required careful consideration of angles, internal space, and even how the shape could double as a phone stand. 

Before working with wood, students created models using cardboard, planning how each component would fit and function together. The process demanded patience, accuracy, and persistence, especially when circuits didn’t work the first time and students had to take everything apart and start again. 

Across all grades, the Design program is intentionally sequenced. Students progress from Photoshop to Illustrator, from flat design to physical construction, and from individual components to integrated systems. Each project builds on previous learning while introducing new challenges. 

Equally important are the transferable skills students develop along the way: problem-solving, collaboration, feedback, iteration, and designing for an audience. As Design Teacher, Mr. Furmston explained, “It’s about supporting them and making sure they develop the necessary skills, but also getting students to think deeper, on whether your design fulfills a purpose or how it could be improved in the future.” 

One of the most powerful moments of the showcase came from the community's response. Parents moved through the gallery asking questions, comparing designs, and expressing pride in the learning behind the projects. Design Teacher Mr. Viljoen noted that many were surprised by what their children had created entirely from scratch. Others appreciated seeing unfinished or partial projects on display, as it made learning visible and tangible. 

Perhaps most importantly, it revealed progression. Parents could see how skills grow from Grade 6 to Grade 8, and students could imagine what they might be capable of next. The MS Design Showcase was a great opportunity to celebrate students’ learning in action: their thinking, creativity, resilience, and growth, and for students to share their ideas with the community.