A Level Product Design

Name of course

A Level Design and Technology

Examining board

OCR (H406)

Link to specification

https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/304609-specification-accredited-a-level-gce-design-and-technology-h404-h406.pdf

Course Entry Requirements

To study DT Product Design you must have studied it at GCSE and obtained a Grade 6.

Why Design and Technology?

Product Design focuses on consumer products and applications and their analysis in respect of materials, components, process and their selection and uses in products and/or systems through commercially viable products and practices.

Course Content

For a number of these principles, mathematical and/or scientific knowledge is also required; this is indicated in the specifications.

Component 01: Principles of...

• Analyse existing products
• Demonstrate applied mathematical skills
• Demonstrate their technical knowledge of materials, product functionality, manufacturing processes and techniques
• Undertake case studies to demonstrate their understanding of wider social, moral and environmental issues that impact on the design and manufacturing industries.

Component 02: Problem solving in..

• Apply their knowledge, understanding and skills of designing and manufacturing prototypes and products to given situations and problems
• Demonstrate their higher thinking skills to solve problems and evaluate situations and suitability of design solutions.

Component 03/04: Iterative design project

Central to this this non-examined assessment is the requirement for students to understand and apply processes of iterative designing in their design and technology practice: exploring needs, creating solutions and evaluating how well the needs have been met.

Students identify an engaging and challenging context of their own choice that offers design opportunity or problem to respond to in the development of a design solution. They create a chronological portfolio of evidence in real-time as they design, make and evaluate the project according to the iterative processes of explore, create and evaluate.

Where could this course lead to?

DT is a broad subject area, providing the oppurtunity for students to specialise their major project in an area they are particularly interested in. As well as the traditional areas of interest such as architecture, engineering, design, construction and manufacturing we have had students going onto to study finance, computer science and dentistry.

https://www.ucas.com/job-subjects/design-technology

Suggested reading and resources.

As part of the course students will be reading material associated with design movements including the Arts and Craft movement, Bauhaus, Modernism and Post modernism, Art deco and Minalism. Further reading is also encouraged investigating appraoches to design by leading designers such as Phillipe Starck, James Dyson, Dieter Rams, Marianne Brandt and Jonathan Ives. Wider independent reading is essential to gain a broader and holistic understanding of design in the 21^st century.

What our students say about studying DT

Students regularly comment on how DT teaches them to become completely independent in their appraoch to learning and problem solving. They enjoy the autonmoy and structure of their majot project becoming the expert in their chosen field of study. The subject truly prepares them for university, learning to take responsibility and manage their work.