Product Design allows students to experience the design and manufacture of innovative and personalised products. You will solve real-life design problems and research and model your ideas in tasks linked to the real world of commercial design.

You will investigate historical, social, cultural, environmental and economic influences on design and technology, whilst enjoying opportunities to put your learning into practice by producing products of your 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. 

Course content and assessment criteria 

Year 12

This year promotes creativity, teaches core knowledge and encourages a commercial design approach to your work. You are taught key communication and presentation skills, advanced drawing techniques and learn to use CAD programs, workshop tools and equipment. Various projects are undertaken that will develop these core skills, alongside theoretical knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes. 

Year 13 

You will undertake a substantial design, make and evaluate a project. 

Non-exam assessment (NEA) design portfolio and final prototype, practical application of technical principles, designing and making principles and specialist knowledge.  

Substantial design and make task 45 hours 

100 marks, 50% of A Level 

  

Assessment  

Paper 1: Technical principles  

• Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes 
• 120 marks, 30% of A Level 
• Mixture of short and extended responses, no more than 12 marks per question. 

 Paper 2: Designing and Making principles 

• Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes 
• 80 marks  
• 20% of A Level 

Section A: Mixture of short answers, product analysis and extended response questions based on visual stimuli of products 

Section B: Commercial Manufacture — mixture of short and extended response questions. 

 

Exam Board: AQA 

Entry Requirements: 5 in Design & Technology, 5 in Maths, 5 in English Lit or Lang  

Suitable course if you are interested in: practical making skills, using CAD software, traditional drawing techniques, working properties of materials, the relationship between design and manufacturing.

Future paths: industrial design, product design, engineering, carpentry, furniture design, architecture, set design, computer aided design, computer aided manufacture, manufacturing, new product development, technical sales  

This subject goes well with: art, maths, physics, chemistry