DESIGN & PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY DESIGN The AQA Student Guide gives a strong flavour of the A Level Product Design course: Think about the objects that you love. Your mobile phone with its delicious curves was designed on a computer screen. The car you yearn for started life as a reduced size clay model. A building that you admire sprang from the drawing board of an architect. And it’s not a new phenomenon. Our fascination with 3D design goes back to flint arrow heads and earthenware pots. As a 3D designer you are at the crossroads of a number of skills. Of course you need creativity, in order to imagine the shape and function of the object. But you’ll also need to know about manufacturing processes, materials and marketing. 3D Design is an enormously satisfying career. You have an idea and - with the use of tools like clay or computers - it comes to life. Imagine how satisfying it must be for the person who designed the iPhone to hold the finished product in their hand. 3D design could take you into a number of exciting career paths. Of course, there’s product or automotive design. But what about computer generated cartoons? Or maybe CAD for industry appeals to you more? This course could take you into architecture, teaching, manufacturing, advertising or engineering. Subject content A Level Design & Technology is linear. The course itself is split into two main areas, Technical principles and Designing and Making principles. All coursework, (Non-Examined Assessment), will be submitted, and examinations taken at the end of the two-year period. The A Level course is designed to offer students the opportunity to study, propose and realise products and solutions closely related to the real world of product manufacture. From the start of Year 12, students will begin to realise what it means to be a designer. Design and Make and focussed tasks will develop their understanding of the physical and mechanical properties of a broad range of materials and components. In Year 13, students can look forward to a varied and rewarding designing and making experience, which is geared to the acquisition of a broad knowledge of materials and their properties. A great emphasis is placed upon product research, design and development modelling and the production of experimental prototypes. How the assessment works NEA (non-examined assessment)
Exam paper 1
Exam paper 2
50% of the A Level.
50% of the A Level.
50% of the A Level.
(Maths and science count for up to 15% of the exam).
(Maths and science count for up to 15% of the exam).
Paper 1: duration 2 hours
Paper 2: duration 2 hours
The paper will be a mixture of multiple choice and extended response questions.
The paper will consist of shorter product analysis questions and longer, extended response questions.
This is a substantial design and make task and is worth 100 marks. The context of the task will be determined by the student. Students will produce an electronic portfolio and final outcome.
Students will be assessed on their knowledge of technical principles, designing and making principles and specialist technical principles.
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Students will be assessed on their knowledge of technical principles, designing and making principles and specialist technical principles.
