The Hertfordshire & Essex High School Sixth Form
Transition to A-Level Design and Technology: Product Design Pack
A-level Design and Technology: Product Design Overview: This course will engage you in both practical and theoretical study and encourage you to develop a broad view of design. A-level Design and Technology: Product Design is both modern and relevant. You will learn about contemporary technologies, materials and processes, as well as established practices. There is an emphasis on understanding and applying iterative design processes using your creativity and imagination to design and make prototypes that solve real and relevant problems. During the course you will draw on and apply a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas to inform their decisions in design and the application or development of technology. Computer Science (section ‘The use of computer systems’ and section ‘Digital design and manufacture’) Business Studies (section ‘Enterprise and marketing in the development of products; Art and Design (section ‘Design communication’) History (section ‘Design Theory’) Maths and science skills and knowledge can be applied in the context of design and technology. The skills and knowledge you will gain are separated into two sections: o 3.1 Technical principles o 3.2 Designing and making principles Further details of the subject content an overview can be found here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/design-and-technology/as-and-a-level/design-and- technology-product-design-7552/subject-content
Transition work: To support your transition to A-level Design and Technology: Product Design, below are introductory tasks to complete. The tasks in this transition pack are designed to give you an introduction to many of the concepts explained above. They will also further develop your understanding of design principals. These tasks will take you around 15 hours. This includes research time.
Alessi - Research and Design Task
Research – Use a variety of research methods to find out about Alessi. Represent your findings as a single side of A3 that could be used as a display board. Choose a way of presenting your work that suits your style and the nature of the work you are researching. Find out about Alessi principles, notions, designers, materials, products, scales of production, cultural influences, styles, aesthetic qualities, function and traditions.
Design - Find an everyday stationary object. Using your research redesign your stationary object in the style of Alessi. Sketch a range of initials ideas for your redesigned product on A3 paper.
o Avoid design fixation. o Ask yourself - Does your design have to look like current object?
Develop your ideas.
o Select one of your initial ideas that you would like to develop further to a final design. o Research a list of SCAMPER questions and sketch a range of developed designs in response to the elements. You may find that not all elements are suitable for your design. o This resource is a good starting point as these questions will help you think of adaptions and developments.- https://www.interaction- design.org/literature/article/learn-how-to-use-the-best-ideation- methods-scamper) o Annotate your developments explaining the questions your asked yourself and evaluate how successful your improvements are using your Alessi Research.
Prototype – Present your idea in one of the following:
o High quality final presentation drawing of your product. o Realise your product in 3d using modelling materials and take a picture. o Create your product in 3d CAD software e.g. Fusion 360. o Any other suitable method of your choice.
In this task you will be assessed on your ability to: o develop designs from research to include your own creativity o annotate design development o create non-fixated designs with creativity and imagination o evaluate your designs for suitability Design Questions: Q1. (a) Name one designer you have previously studied.
Name one specific product associated with your named designer. (1)
(b) Describe how your chosen designer has used different inspiration, materials and technologies in their work. (6) (Total 7 marks)
Q2. Kettles are designed with a user in mind.
A Jug kettle B Travel kettle C Camping kettle
Choose one kettle from the images above.
Identify three design features to explain how the kettle you have chosen meets the needs of the user. (Total 9 marks) Q3. The Dyson cleaners shown below have become design classics.
(a) List three features that have made the Dyson cleaner a successful product. (3)
(b) Explain in detail one of these features. (3) (Total 6 marks)
Q4. Figures 1–3 Lounge chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames (1956)
Figures 4–6 Barcelona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe (1929)
Study the photographs of the two chairs above. • Figures 1 – 3 Lounge chair (designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1956) • Figures 4 – 6 Barcelona chair (designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1929)
In each case explain how the designer has made use of specific materials in order to achieve the form and aesthetics of the chair. (Total 28 marks) Q5. Explain how the school chair shown in Figures 1 and 2 below has been designed to be suitable for use in the classroom.
(Total 14 marks)
Q6. Figures 1–3 Two different lemon squeezers
Figures 4–7 Two different corkscrews
The photographs above show two pairs of different products, lemon squeezers (Figures 1–3) and corkscrews (Figures 4–7).
Select one of the pairs of products. Analyse how both function and aesthetics have influenced the design, use of materials and manufacture of each of the two products in the pair. (Total 28 marks) Film, video, and TV Resources: Abstract: The Art of Design
“Step inside the minds of the most innovative designers in a variety of disciplines and learn how design impacts every aspect of life.” https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80057883 There are a range of interesting and informative episodes. The most relevant are:
Ralph Gilles: Automotive Design Neri Oxman: Bio-Architecture Cas Holman: Design for Play
Gary Huswit films - Filmmaker Gary Hustwit is streaming his documentaries free at the current time. https://www.ohyouprettythings.com/free
War on Plastic - “Every minute of every day, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic is emptied into the world’s oceans. Thanks to other BBC series like Blue Planet and Drowning in Plastic, we’ve all seen the devastating effect this is having on our world’s wildlife. “ https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0005xgz/war-on-plastic-with-hugh-and-anita-series- 1-episode-1
Inside the Factory - “Gregg Wallace and Cherry Healey get exclusive access to some of the largest factories in Britain to reveal the secrets behind production on an epic scale.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07mddqk
How to Make - “Designer, maker and materials engineer Zoe Laughlin dismantles and dissects three classic items to understand the wonders of form, function and material that go into making them, before building her own truly bespoke versions, step by step” https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000gwzg
Handmade - Three-part series filmed without voiceover or music so the focus is entirely on the craft process. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b05ttnd7/handmade
YouTube: Search for the following Youtube channels:
The Culture Show - The Unstoppable Thomas Heatherwick Sketch A Day producttank product designer maker
Reading Resources: 50 Great British Inventions
Find out more about Britain's best inventions by downloading this free booklet. http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/fiftygreatestinventions/50_greatest_inventions.pdf
AQA AS/A-Level Design and Technology: Product Design
Hodder Education; January 2018 ISBN: 9781510413641 Author: Will Potts; Julia Morrison; Ian Granger; Dave Sumpner