A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you like beautiful things?
2. What is a nice shape?
3. Do you think good looks are important?
4. What is a bright color?
5. Do you think a design must be simple?
6. What is a broken tool?
7. Do you worry about things breaking easily?
8. What is a clever idea?
9. Do you think design helps people?
10. What is a common mistake?
11. Do you like simple clothes?
12. What is a strong material?
13. Do you like fast results?
14. What are three things that have good design?
15. Do you think function is more important than look?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What is the difference between good design and bad design?
2. Why are clear instructions a sign of good design?
3. What are the good things and bad things about products that try to look too futuristic?
4. How can a person design a small room well?
5. Should all cities invest in good public space design?
6. Why is it important for a product to be easy to use?
7. Do you think a beautiful design can make a bad product successful?
8. What is the purpose of design thinking?
9. How does cultural background affect appreciation for design?
10. What is the difference between decoration and true functional design?
11. Do you think simple design is always the best?
12. What are the problems when a design is only for the designer?
13. When is the best time to redesign an old product?
14. What are two things that make a design innovative?
15. How does a lack of good design affect daily frustration?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. What are the simple ways to politely suggest an improvement to a design?
2. How does the cost of materials affect the quality of a product’s design?
3. Should the government provide resources for universal design training?
4. What is the difference between industrial design and graphic design?
5. Do you believe that design should primarily solve a problem?
6. What are the challenges of designing for a very diverse group of people?
7. How does focusing on looks affect the need for durability?
8. What is the idea of “user experience” (UX)?
9. Is it fair when a product is ugly but works perfectly?
10. How does a lack of testing affect a product’s final design?
11. What are the basic steps for drawing a simple product sketch?
12. What is the value of design in making life easier for older people?
13. Should the news talk more about the failures of bad design?
14. What are the simple reasons why some designs become timeless classics?
15. How does the history of manufacturing affect modern design principles?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. What are the simple social problems caused by demanding perfect aesthetics?
2. What are the ethical issues when a product is designed to fail quickly?
3. How does constant social media showing of beautiful things affect consumer desires?
4. Should companies be legally required to design products for long use?
5. How does the feeling of appreciation affect buying decisions?
6. Who is responsible for promoting sustainable design practices?
7. What is your simple view on the practice of copying successful designs?
8. What is the role of technology in allowing users to customize designs?
9. How does the problem of accessibility affect public building design?
10. What are the clear problems with allowing too much private control over public space design?
11. What are the legal differences between design patent and utility patent?
12. Do you think the main purpose of design is to influence behavior?
13. What steps can community groups take to promote local design talent?
14. How does the lack of clear feedback affect a designer’s improvement?
15. What are the simple psychological effects of a very intuitive design?
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Is it fair that the best designers are often paid much more than engineers?
2. What is the moral duty of a designer to create environmentally friendly products?
3. How do global supply chains affect the sustainability of design materials?
4. When should the government consider mandatory universal design standards?
5. What are the simple ethical problems of companies designing addictive interfaces?
6. How does focusing on profit affect the need for honest, durable design?
7. Discuss the effects of long-term exposure to poorly designed public spaces.
8. How should leaders use design principles to improve public services?
9. What is the idea of “design activism”?
10. What are the long-term social effects when most products are disposable?
11. What are the clear difficulties when courts try to decide if a design caused an injury?
12. How does the desire for uniqueness affect the need for simple, shared standards?
13. Do you think the most important thing is the preservation of design integrity?
14. What are the simple moral rules a person should follow when judging a new design?
15. Should the government set a clear standard for product longevity?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. What is the true difference between aesthetic taste and functional necessity?
2. Should we eliminate the system that allows for wasteful or planned obsolescence?
3. How does the idea of ownership change when a product is constantly updated?
4. What laws are needed to prevent major corporate use of manipulative design?
5. How do historical views of art, craft, and mass production affect modern design?
6. How can a society ensure that empathy is shown to people struggling with complex products?
7. Do you think total freedom in design would fix all aesthetic problems?
8. What simple rules should guide people when they critique a designer’s work?
9. How can we stop people from using personal choice as an excuse for harmful designs?
10. What did old thinkers say about beauty, truth, and the craft of creation?
11. What will happen to the need for human designers if AI can create perfect designs?
12. How do people use the idea of “I don’t care about design” to avoid discussion?
13. How does the experience of using a perfect product change a person’s expectation?
14. What is the power of a group to demand ethical and sustainable design?
15. If scientists could create a perfect, universal design language, what would happen?
