Design & Technology: Product Design

 You MUST have done GCSE DT to move on to this A level

What is the course about? 

This creative and thought-provoking qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers. Especially those in the creative industries. 

They will learn about materials, processes and industrial manufacturing techniques. They will investigate social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put their learning in to practice by producing products of their choice. 

Through a combination of traditional lessons, research tasks, practical investigations and practical tasks students will gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers. 

Where will it take me? 

This qualification supports the progression into further education, training or employment, but specifically in areas of design: Product design, Architecture, Technical architecture, Industrial design, Graphic design and many other areas of designing and making.

Assessment

Paper 1: Technical principals. 2.5 hours / 120 marks / 30% of total A Level

Paper 2: Designing and making principals. 1.5 hours / 80 marks / 20% of total A Level 

Non Examined Assessment: Practical application of technical principles, designing and making principles. 45 hours / 100 marks / 50% of total A Level

Subject Content

Materials and their applications

The requirements for product design, development and manufacture

Design Communication

Digital design and manufacture

Efficient use of materials

Health and Safety

Design for manufacturing

Protecting designs and intellectual property

Enterprise and marketing in the development of products

Design methods and processes

How technology and cultural changes can impact on the work of designers

How to evaluate products, taking into account the views of potential user 

Design Processes

Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Selecting appropriate specialist tools, techniques and processes

Accuracy in design and manufacture

Responsible design

Design for manufacture

National and international standards in product design

Performance characteristics of materials

The use of adhesives and fixings

The use of surface finishes and coatings

Forming, redistribution and addition processes

Industrial and commercial practice

Modern manufacturing systems 

Non-Examined Assessment  

Students must undertake a design and make task and produce a final prototype based on a context and design brief developed by the student.

The Brief must be of an appropriate level of complexity and contain a degree of uncertainty of the outcome so that students can engage in an iterative process of designing, making, testing and evaluating.

Students must produce a written or digital design folder clearly evidencing how the assessment criteria have been met together with photographic evidence of the final manufactured prototype outcome.

Students should produce a concise folder. The exam board recommend that the folder should not exceed 45 A3 pages or equivalent.