DT - Product Design

Course summary

Product design provides an opportunity for students to develop their creativity, problem solving and to collaborate with others. Students apply knowledge and understanding to a range of technological activities, leading to a final major ‘design and make’ assignment of the student’s own choosing. The course applies engineering and product design principles from KS4 and encourages students to think laterally to solve real world problems. Skills such as managing deadlines, critical analysis and evaluation, communication and critique of others’ design work are developed throughout the programme. Students will consider their responsibility as designers to make inclusive and ecologically sound design interventions and we explore the work of contemporary, as well as up and coming designers through platforms such as the James Dyson Foundation award, blogs and design publications. Teaching takes the form of theory lessons, design workshops, group crits, focussed practical sessions, independent study and workshop practice. We strongly encourage students to use the DT department resources for their work outside of directed study time Students who have studied this subject have gone on study degree courses in Product Design, Furniture Design, Interior Design, Architecture, Integrated Engineering, Politics, Marketing Communications Management, Business Management, Industrial Design & Technology and Aerospace Engineering. Students have also gone on to secure sought-after Apprenticeships with a variety of engineering companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Renishaw, Dyson, GE Aviation.