Design Technology
Course Information
The results of the designer’s work will be ridden in, sat upon, looked at, talked into, activated, operated, entered, or in some way used by people individually or on masse. The work of the designer affects every part of our lives. This course brings together Product Design and Graphics Design GCSE courses and BTEC Engineering and provides a route towards all design, graphics and engineering related careers. It explores deeper the work of a designer, how designing is accomplished, and explores what makes products a success or a failure.
Assessment
The course is taught in two distinct but closely related units which are equally weighted.
Component 1 – Independent Design and Make Project (50%)
Students develop their creative, technical and practical skills through a series of competency based projects with each project having a different focus. Each project will be assessed by outcome and will reflect the care and accuracy of each skill delivered. All materials will be worked with including papers, boards, textiles, wood metals and polymers. The skills developed during these competencies will equip students to follow through into the final year of the course where they will select an independent design project. Here students adopt a more commercial approach to their work reflecting how a professional designer might deal with a problem. Students can also specialise at this point by selecting a project which is more in-keeping with their aspirations, such as architecture, advertising, engineering or furniture design. Past projects have been based around lighting, storage design, jewellery, display systems, vehicle design, architectural building design, pet care, furniture design, shop fronts, toiletry bottles, company logos, promotional gifts, boxed games, stage design, sports stadiums and many more. Assessment and reflection will take place a key points during the project, at the end of the research, design, development, manufacture and evaluation stages.
Component 2 – Principles of Design and Technology (50%)
Students will study the theoretical knowledge that underpins the work of the designer. Topics covered include materials (woods, metals, plastics, paper, boards, textiles and composites), manufacturing methods both at one off and commercial production levels. The work also covers the wider role of the designer/engineer and the impact that the manufacture of products, their use and their disposal has on society and the environment. Delivery is predominately through traditional classroom teaching with the requirement for students to produce detailed and comprehensive notes each week. Termly summative assessments will be used to support development and identify areas for focus. This section of the course culminates with an external exam at the end of Y13.
Transferable Skills
- Logical and abstract thinking
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Time management
What can I use this qualification for?
This course is a stepping-stone into a wide variety of design-based professions including product design, furniture design, Interior design, graphic designer, architecture, interior design, advertising, fashion, and many branches of engineering.
