A LEVEL
PRODUCT DESIGN

What does this qualification cover?

This creative and thought-provoking qualification gives students the practical skills, theoretical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a number of careers. Especially those in the creative industries.

They will investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put their learning in to practice by producing prototypes of their choice.

Students will gain a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, alongside the knowledge and skills sought by higher education and employers.

In A Level Product Design, you will develop a deep understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, and design principles. The course will help you build the knowledge and skills needed to design and create innovative products.

What You Will Learn:

Materials & Their Uses
- Identify a wide range of materials and explain why they are suitable for specific products.
- Understand different material classifications and give examples of each.
Testing & Performance
- Learn how workshop and industrial tests are carried out and what they measure.
- Explore the performance characteristics of different materials, including papers, boards, polymers, timbers, metals, and elastomers.
Production & Manufacturing
- Understand the different scales of production and the methods used in industry.
- Learn about stock forms of timber and metals and how they are used in manufacturing.
- Explore the advantages and disadvantages of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and how it compares to manual design methods.
- Discover how Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) is used to produce products efficiently.
Smart & Sustainable Materials
- Understand what smart materials are and how they respond to external stimuli.
- Learn about biodegradable polymers and why they are important for sustainable design.

Throughout the course, you will develop your problem-solving skills, work on real-world design challenges, and use industry-standard software to bring your ideas to life.

What’s included?

Through the study and critical analysis of existing products, students should develop an understanding of the requirements of the following:

The design, development and manufacture of products to meet specification criteria
Fitness for purpose
Accuracy of production
How the critical assessment of products can lead to the development of new designs.

Key Features

Assessments

Paper 1
- What’s assessed: Technical principles
- How it’s assessed: Written exam: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- 120 marks: 30% of A-level
- Questions are a mixture of short answer and extended response.
Paper 2
- What’s assessed: Designing and making principles
- How it’s assessed: Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- 80 marks: 20% of A-level
- Questions are a mixture of short answer and extended response questions.

Non-exam assessment (NEA)

What’s assessed: Practical application of technical principles, designing and making principles.
- How it’s assessed: Substantial design and make project
- 100 marks: 50% of A-level
- Evidence can be written or digital design portfolio and photographic evidence of final prototype.

Links to workplace

This course is particularly appropriate if you are considering a career such as Engineering, Architecture, Product designer, Theatre, Film or Set Designing where you might do any of the following:

Calculation of quantities of materials, costs and sizes
Use scale drawings
Determining quantities of materials
Calculation of sides and angles as part of product design
Representation of data used to inform design decisions and evaluation of outcomes
Presentation of market data, user preferences, outcomes of market research
Use of datum points and geometry when setting out design drawings
Interpret statistical analyses to determine user needs and preferences
Use data related to human scale and proportion to determine product scale and dimensions
Ensure products are designed to take account of potential corrosion due to environmental factors
Understand the appropriate use of materials, including glass and ceramics, polymers, composites, woods, and metals, based on their physical properties