A Level Design & Technology

A LEVEL DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Course Outline

A Level Product Design is a linear qualification; Students will undertake one terminal examination along with an assessed design and make a coursework project consisting of a portfolio of work leading to the production of a final product.

A Level of Product Design helps students take a broad view of Design and Technology, developing the capacity to design and make products and appreciate the complex relationship between design, materials, manufacture, and marketing.

Entry Requirements

There are no special entry requirements for this subject but an interest in literature and history as well as the ability to write essays would be advantageous.

A Level External Assessment

Pupils who study A Level Product Design will be taking the AQA Product Design course. The Product Design assessment will be by one examination which will last for 3 hours and is worth 50% of the course. The other 50% is assessed through the design and make the project. This project will last for approximately one year of the course.

Skills Required and Developed

To follow this course, you should not only have good engineering, design, and maths skills but also be able to think creatively about the world around you and see opportunities in failures of design. Designers can often be described as anthropologists, observing others using and working with the made world and finding new ways to improve objects and systems.

Beyond the Classroom

The department holds trips to a variety of design studios, museums, and local industry. The department gets pupils involved regularly in local and national design and engineering competitions, giving them the opportunity to compete against other schools and colleges across the country and around the world.

ProductDesign

Thecontentsofthecoursewillbesplitintotwomainareaswhichrelatedirectlytothefinal assessments.

DesignandTechnologyinthe21stCentury(3hwrittenpaper),50%:

Forthispaper,awiderangeofproductdesignskillsandtechnicalknowledgewillbeassessedalongwith relevantmathematicandscientificprinciples.Overthetwoyears,youwillbelearningto:

Developyourabilitytodesignandenhanceyourbasicdesignskillstosolveproblems.Youwillalso developanunderstandingofarangeofexternalinfluencesanddemandswhichaffecttheworkof productdesigners

Acquiretheknowledgeandunderstandingneededtosupportdesignactivitiesthroughincreased awarenessofthedesigner’ssocial,moral,ethical,andlegalresponsibilities.Italsoallowsstudentsto exploretheenvironmentalandconsumerfactorswhichimpactdesigners,andwhichmightaffectthe finalnatureofaproduct

Developageneralappreciationofthewiderangeofmaterialsandcomponentsavailabletodesigners andmanufacturers,alongwithcoretechnicalprinciples.Thisgeneralappreciationwillbesupportedby amoredetailedknowledgeofarangeofmaterialsandprocessesusedintheindustry Youwillgainan in-depthunderstandingofvariousmethodsofproductionandbeabletoapplyappropriatecommercial practicesinpracticalprojects.

Gaintheknowledgeandunderstandingoftherequirementsaproductmustsatisfytobesuccessful, alongwiththeabilitytocriticallyassessexistingproductsandvisualisenewproductsinthecontextof past,presentandfuturepossibilities.

Exploreproductdesignanditsplaceinthemarket,forexamplehowadesignideamaybetransformed intoamarketableproduct.Itseekstoexaminethemanyfactorsinfluencingproductdesign,market researchtechniques,andtheirinfluenceonproducinginnovativeproducts Youwilldevelopan appreciationoftheeffectsofsocial,economic,cultural,andethicalissuesinadditiontomaterialand manufacturingtechnologies.

Product Design

Applying specialist knowledge – Design and Make Project (coursework), 50%: Students will be required to demonstrate the practical application of technical principles, designing and making principles, and specialist knowledge through a substantial design and making project During the course of the design and make the project you:

Develop and sustain your creativity and innovative practice. Use iterative designing principles to develop and improve prototypes. Recognise and overcome challenges and constraints when working towards the production of highquality products

Develop a critical understanding of the influences of the processes and products of design and

University Courses and Professions that require the Subject

All universities will accept Product Design as an A Level for entry onto degree courses.

We see increasing numbers of pupils going on to study a wide range of engineering and design related courses, including Architecture, Engineering with Product Design, Industrial Design, Industrial Design and Manufacture, Product Design and Interior design, to name but a few.

Student Profile

Poppy Codling

Subjects Studied at Sixth Form: Design & Technology, English and Psychology

Destination:

University of Arts London to read Product and Furniture Design