Design & Technology

Head of Design & Technology: Mr A Glossop

Design and Technology: Graphic Products (4550) AQA

GCSE Design and Technology: Graphic Products enables students to design and make products with creativity and originality, using a range of graphic and modelling materials.

Students will be enthused and challenged by the range of practical activities possible. They will be encouraged to learn to use, understand and apply colour and design through images, to develop spatial concepts, and to understand graphic materials and their manipulation. They will design and make product(s) using graphic media and new technologies to prepare them for the world of work.

This course has 60 per cent controlled assessment in order to recognise the importance of practical work within this subject.

Subject content

Design and Technology is a practical subject area which requires the application of knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, planning, producing products and evaluating them. The distinction between Designing and Making is a convenient one to make, but in practice the two often merge. For example, research can involve not only investigating printed matter and people’s opinions, but also investigating e.g. proportions, adhesives, colour, structures and materials through practical work.

 Designing Skills

Candidates should be taught to:

  • be creative and innovative when designing;
  • design products to meet the needs of clients and consumers;
  • understand the design principles of form, function and fitness for purpose;
  • understand the role that designers and product developers have, and the impact and responsibility they have on and to society;
  • analyse and evaluate existing products, including those from professional designers;
  • develop and use design briefs and specifications for product development;
  • consider the conflicting demands that moral, cultural, economic, and social values and needs can make in the planning and in the designing of products;
  • consider environmental and sustainability issues in designing products;
  • consider health and safety in all its aspects;
  • anticipate and design for product maintenance where appropriate;
  • design for manufacturing in quantity and be aware of current commercial/industrial processes;
  • generate design proposals against a stated design criteria, and to modify their proposals in the light of on-going analysis, evaluation and product development;
  • reflect critically when evaluating and modifying their design ideas and proposals in order to improve the products throughout inception and manufacture;
  • use, where appropriate, a range of graphic techniques and ICT (including digital media), including CAD, to generate, develop, model and communicate design proposals;
  • investigate and select appropriate materials and components;
  • plan and organise activities which involve the use of materials and components when developing or manufacturing;
  • devise and apply test procedures to check the quality of their work at critical/key points during development, and to indicate ways of modifying and improving it when necessary;
  • communicate the design proposal in an appropriate manner;
  • be flexible and adaptable when designing;
  • test and evaluate the final design proposal against the design specification;
  • evaluate the work of other designers to inform their own practice;
  • understand the advantages of working collaboratively as a member of a design team;
  • understand the need to protect design ideas.

 

Making Skills

Candidates should be taught 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 themselves and others;
  • work accurately and efficiently in terms of time, materials and components;
  • manufacture products applying quality control procedures;
  • have knowledge of Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) and to use as appropriate;
  • ensure, through testing, modification and evaluation, that the quality of their products is suitable for intended users and devise modifications where necessary that would improve the outcome(s);
  • recognise the advantages of working as part of a team when designing and making products.

Aims and Learning Outcomes     This specification in Design and Technology: Graphic Products encourages candidates to be inspired, moved and challenged by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study and gain an insight into related sectors, such as manufacturing and engineering. It prepares candidates to make informed decisions about further learning opportunities and career choices.

GCSE specifications in design and technology enable candidates to:

  • actively engage in the processes of design and technology to develop as effective and independent learners.
  • make decisions, consider sustainability and combine skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make quality products explore ways in which aesthetic, technical, economic, environmental, ethical and social dimensions interact to shape designing and making
  • analyse existing products and produce practical solutions to needs, wants and opportunities, recognising their impact on quality of life
  • develop decision-making skills through individual and collaborative working
  • understand that designing and making reflect and influence cultures and societies, and that products have an impact on lifestyle
  • develop skills of creativity and critical analysis through making links between the principles of good design, existing solutions and technological knowledge.

OCR GCSE (9-1) Food Preparation and Nutrition?

Whether it’s training students to give them careers in the food industry or teaching them how to grow and cook food from scratch, our GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition shows that simple choices can make a big difference.

Our new GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition will be supported with resources produced by one of the world’s most renowned chefs, Heston Blumenthal®. His natural curiosity and scientific approach to cooking is an ideal collaboration that will enthuse learners as they discover the essentials of food science, build strong practical cookery skills and a good understanding of nutrition

Exciting and contemporary – It’s designed to motivate students to develop the high level of knowledge, understanding and skills
 to cook
and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating.

Keeps the subject meaningful – Students learn about improving lives through better knowledge of food, where it comes from and how it affects our bodies.

Inspiration from around the world – Explore a range of ingredients and processes from different culinary traditions (traditional British and international) to inspire new ideas or modify existing recipes.

Skills for the future – Progression Into higher education through general or vocational qualifications and into a career.