Options Booklet 2018-2021 | Page 17

Design and Technology

Head of Department: Mr J Riches

Design and Technology will prepare students to participate confidently and successfully in an increasingly technological world. Students will gain awareness and learn from wider influences on Design and Technology including historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic factors. Students will get the opportunity to work creatively when designing and making and apply technical and practical expertise as well as principles of construction.

What will I Learn?

Design and Technology allows students to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills required to undertake the iterative design process of exploring, creating and evaluating. The majority of the course is delivered through the practical application of developed knowledge and understanding. The subject content is split into three sections as follows: Core technical principles; Specialist technical principles; Designing and making principles. As part of the course, students will also demonstrate mathematical and scientific knowledge and understanding, in relation to design and technology.

Designing Skills:

You will learn how to...

* design products to meet the needs of clients and consumers

* understand the design principles of form, function and fitness for purpose

* analyse and evaluate existing products, including those from professional designers

* develop and use design briefs and specifications for product development

* generate design proposals against stated design criteria, and modify proposals in the light of on-going analysis, evaluation and product development

* reflect critically when evaluating and modifying design ideas and proposals in order to improve products throughout inception and manufacture

* use, where appropriate, a range of graphic techniques and ICT (including digital media) and CAD, to generate, develop, model and communicate design proposals

* test and evaluate the final design proposal against the design specification.

Making Skills:

You will learn how to...

* select and use tools/equipment and processes to produce quality products

* consider the solution to technical problems in the design and manufacture process

* use tools and equipment safely with regard to yourself and others

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