AIM

• To foster individual flair, creativity and logical thinking. 

• To encourage initiative, self-motivation and enterprise. 

• To give students opportunities to develop practical knowledge and the confidence to investigate, design, modify their ideas and make a prototype for identified purposes. 

CONTENT

• Product Design gives students the opportunity to develop their practical and creative skills using a variety of materials. We will be looking at a variety of design and modelling strategies and creating products in a range of materials including card, plastic, metal and wood with the opportunity to include electronic components. 

• Sustainability, design movements and influential designers of our time will constitute an important part of the course and students will learn how products are manufactured and marketed. 

• For their non-examined assessment, students design, develop, model, make, test and package a product to fulfil a design brief given by the exam board at the end of June in Year 10. 

• Projects will include a variety of short ‘design and make’ tasks with a range of different investigated materials.

ASSESSMENT

Unit 1: Written exam 2 hour paper (50%) 

Unit 2: Non-examined assessment coursework (20-page design folder and product) (50%)

OTHER INFORMATION 

This is an innovative course which requires students to show their individual technical and creative skills. It demands a commitment to work at the highest standard both in the theoretical and practical aspects of the course. It links well with many other subjects including Maths, Science, Business Studies, Computer Science, Art and Humanities. 

The core content covers all material types, woods, metals, polymers, new and smart materials, textiles and electronics. Additionally sustainability, industrial processes and mechanisms. The course comprises 50% theory, 30% design skills and 20% making skills, of which 15% is maths and science skills throughout. 

This course will suit students who enjoy being imaginative and innovative and may wish to continue in a career in engineering, architecture, product design, interior design, set design, graphic design and furniture design.