Design and Technology

Overview Product Design is the study of how we interact with everyday things and how we can improve the quality of people’s lives through better, more thoughtful and intelligent design.

At Rugby School Thailand students will combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products and systems that meet human needs. Students will learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. As a student at Rugby School Thailand you will be taught to think creatively and how to intervene to improve the quality of life, solving problems as individuals and as members of a team. Students will evaluate present and past design and technology, and its uses and effects.

Students will work in a stunning, inspiring environment with access to a range of cutting edge design and manufacture equipment. Award winning department staff have an international reputation for the quality of work produced by students under their guidance and, in particular, they have led the way in Design, the use of Computer Aided Design and Manufacture (CAD / CAM), and 3D Additive Rapid Prototyping (3D printing) technology.

Syllabus AQA A Level Design and Technology Product Design (7552)

Course Aims The aims of the AQA Product Design in Design & Technology are to enable students to: • be open to taking design risks, showing innovation and enterprise whilst considering their role as responsible designers and citizens • develop intellectual curiosity about the design and manufacture of products and systems, and their impact on daily life and the wider world • work collaboratively to develop and refine their ideas, responding to feedback from users, peers and expert practitioners • gain an insight into the creative, engineering and/or manufacturing industries • develop the capacity to think creatively, innovatively and critically through focused research and the exploration of design opportunities arising from the needs, wants and values of users and clients • develop knowledge and experience of real world contexts for design and technological activity • develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of materials, components and processes associated with the creation of products that can be tested and evaluated in use • be able to make informed design decisions through an in-depth understanding of the management and development of taking a design through to a prototype/product • be able to create and analyse a design concept and use a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas, including maths and science, to inform decisions in design and the application or development of technology • be able to work safely and skilfully to produce high-quality prototypes/products • have a critical understanding of the wider influences on design and technology, including cultural, economic, environmental, historical and social factors • develop the ability to draw on and apply a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas, including the use of maths and science for analysis and informing decisions in design Course Content The course is split into the following areas:

You will study, through taught lessons and independent research, materials (including properties), components and their application, product analysis, model making, Advanced CAD skills, mathematical engineering design questions, and a theory of design.

Written examination papers will test students’ knowledge on Materials, Components and Application, technical and core principles of design, and mathematical understanding (worth 15% of all marks). Students will also learn advanced industrial design skills and techniques, along with Computer Aided Design (CAD) proficiency, for the coursework unit worth 50% of the total marks. 10

Course Content The course is split into the following areas:

You will study, through taught lessons and independent research, materials (including properties), components and their application, product analysis, model making, Advanced CAD skills, mathematical engineering design questions, and a theory of design.

Written examination papers will test students’ knowledge on Materials, Components and Application, technical and core principles of design, and mathematical understanding (worth 15% of all marks). Students will also learn advanced industrial design skills and techniques, along with Computer Aided Design (CAD) proficiency, for the coursework unit worth 50% of the total marks.

Assessment The course is assessed by a Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) project (50% of the final mark) and two terminal examination papers at the end of E Block (Year 13). Paper 1 carries a 30% weighting and Paper 2 carries a 20% weighting of A-level:

Exam Content: Question Style: Paper 1 Technical Principles written paper. Paper 2 Designing and making principles written paper. Duration: 150 minutes. 90 minutes Marks: Paper 1 = 120 marks. Paper 2 = 80 marks