Design and Technology (Product Design)

Course summary

This exciting course helps you take a broad view of design and technology, develop your capacity to design and make innovative new products and products, and appreciate the complex relations between design, materials, manufacturing, and marketing. Practical work is an important aspect of this subject so you will be allowed to design and make a product or a number of products in both years of the course. WHAT WILL I STUDY In year 12 you will study the following: Materials and Components ➢ The physical and mechanical properties of a broad range of materials and components, why these are used in specific applications with particular emphasis on the life-cycle of products including manufacture, use, and disposal. ➢ The methods by which materials and components can be manipulated to manufacture products. ➢ The health and safety issues relevant to working with materials. ➢ Processes and Manufacture The use of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM), and the use of basic quality control measures. ➢ Design and Market Influences The broader issues for the designer such as: the environmental sustainability of products and their manufacture, ergonomic and anthropometrics, inclusive design, and consumer safety. In year 13 you will study the following: ➢ Design and Market Influence - The evolution, selection, and application of materials for the manufacture of modern products. How the use and conservation of both energy and raw materials affect the selection and application of materials for the production and function of products today. ➢ Processes and Manufacture - The application of materials and components to suit specific production processes, from one-off to mass-production.