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    • Design Technology

    KS3

    Introduction

    Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

    AIMS. The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils: develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

    All will analyse the work of past and present professionals and others to develop and broaden their understanding investigate new and emerging technologies, test, evaluate and refine their ideas and products against a specification, taking into account the views of intended users and other interested groups understand developments in design and technology, its impact on individuals, society and the environment, and the responsibilities of designers, engineers and technologists.

    How to support your child

    We are sure that you already do many of these things to support your child but here is a useful reminder for you to refer to:

    • Encourage wider reading
    • Ask them what they have learnt today
    • Help them to structure revision for tests and assessments
    • Make good use of BBC Bitesize
    • Encourage them to look at real life Design such as Products, Architecture and Fashion.
    • Take photos and sketch interesting things you see ( look to nature for inspiration)

    Web Links

    Resources

    KS4

    Introduction

    • Design & Technology is a really diverse area and can lead into all sorts of careers.          
    • This might lead into a job in a manufacturing industry or a career in design (graphics/textiles/cad/resistant materials etc) involving Higher Education. It is also excellent preparation for careers in many other fields, for example science based careers, architecture & building, law/ health & safety, computer sciences.       
    • There are university degree courses in just about every topic you could imagine from Advertising Design to Yacht Design.
    • Design is something that affects all lives whether as a designer or a consumer and is involved in most things that we buy, use and do.
    • The world is filled with products that are designed, marketed, developed and produced by teams and individuals.

    There are 2 assessed units:

    1. Designing and Making Practice (50 %) a controlled assessment.
    2. Design theory paper (50%)

    Students will develop a design idea which has been provided by the exam board AQA.  They will be expected to design, manufacture and market a product to shop quality standard.

    Subject - Product design

    Exam Board - AQA

    Internal - Controlled Assessment (50%) 

    Exam Paper - Theory Exam (50%) 2hrs

    How to support your child?

    As a designer of tomorrow we need to ask questions of why? or how? So the best thing you can do to support your child in DT is to encourage questioning of every problem they or you encounter. Try to ask them how they think they could solve the issue or how someone solved it or built it or designed it? Visit lots of new and exciting places looking at architecture and unusual things….We should encourage out of the box thinking, nothing is wrong when designing, just different.

    Web Links

    Additional Reading

    • DATA magazine

    • Why Things Break: Understanding the World by the Way It Comes Apart – Mark E. Eberhart
    • Drawing for Product Designers (Portfolio Skills) – Kevin Henry
    • Product Design Sketches – Cristian Campos
    • Inclusive Designing: Joining Usability, Accessibility, and Inclusion – P. M Langdon
    • Sustainable Materials – With Both Eyes Open – Julian Allwood and Jonathan Cullen
    • The Gecko’s Foot: How Scientists are Taking a Leaf from Nature’s Book – Peter Forbes
    • Invention by Design – How Engineers get from Thought to Thing – Henry Petroski
    • Small Things Considered: Why there is No Perfect Design – Henry Petroski
    • Product Design (Portfolio) – Paul Rodgers
    • Material Innovation: Product Design – Andrew H. Dent
    • Process: 50 Product Designs from Concept to Manufacture – Jennifer Hudson

    Resources