← Design and Technology syllabus

EnglandDesign and Technology

3.1 Technical principles

12 dot points across 12 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What is the difference between a brief, a design specification and a manufacturing specification, and why does each one matter?

The requirements for product design and development, including the purpose and demands of a design brief, writing a measurable and justifiable design specification, the role of a manufacturing specification in achieving consistent production, and considering the user throughout development.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.8, covering the demands of a design brief, how to write a measurable design specification, the role of a manufacturing specification and considering the user throughout development.
9 min answer →

How do you make sure thousands of parts come out the same, fit together and can be repaired, without checking every one by hand?

Design for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and disposal, including planning for accuracy and efficiency, the meaning and use of tolerances, the role of jigs, templates and patterns, design for maintenance and disassembly, and the use of mathematical modelling and CAD in production.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.11, covering planning for accuracy and efficiency, tolerances, jigs, templates and patterns, design for maintenance and disassembly, and the use of mathematical modelling and CAD in production.
9 min answer →

How have CAD, CAM and digital systems changed the way products are designed, made and managed across a global supply chain?

The role of computer-aided design and manufacture, CNC machining and additive manufacturing, and the digital systems that support modern production such as robotics, flexible manufacturing systems and the management of a global supply chain.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.5, covering CAD, CAM, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, robotics and the digital systems that support modern global production.
9 min answer →

How do designers power their products and turn one kind of motion or force into another inside a mechanism?

Sources of energy and how they are generated, stored and converted, the principles of mechanical systems including the four types of motion, levers, linkages, cams, gears and pulleys, and the use of electronic systems and programmable components in products.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.6, covering energy sources and storage, the four types of motion, levers, linkages, cams, gears and pulleys, and electronic and programmable systems in products.
9 min answer →

How do you make a material harder, tougher or more stable without changing the material itself?

How the properties of materials are enhanced before manufacture, including heat treatment of metals (hardening, tempering, annealing, normalising and case hardening), work hardening and alloying, the seasoning and preservative treatment and lamination of timber, and the addition of admixtures and reinforcement to polymers and composites.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.3, covering how the properties of metals, timbers and polymers are enhanced through heat treatment, work hardening, alloying, seasoning, lamination and admixtures.
9 min answer →

How does a good idea become a product that sells, and how do you decide whether it is worth making at all?

Enterprise and marketing in the development of products, including the role of entrepreneurs and how enterprise drives innovation, the marketing methods and media used to promote products and the impact of advertising, and the purpose of feasibility studies in deciding whether a design idea should proceed.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.13 and 3.1.12, covering the role of entrepreneurs and enterprise, marketing methods and the impact of advertising, and the purpose of feasibility studies in product development.
9 min answer →

Why does the way you make a product change completely as you go from one prototype to a million units?

The main shaping, forming, casting, moulding and joining processes for the material families, and how scale of production (one-off, batch, mass and continuous) drives the choice of process, tooling and cost.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.3, covering the main manufacturing processes for each material family and how the scale of production drives the choice of process, tooling and cost.
9 min answer →

How do you choose the right material for a product when properties, cost and processing all pull in different directions?

The classification of materials into papers and boards, timbers, metals, polymers, composites and technical textiles, and the physical and mechanical properties that decide which material suits a given application.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.1, covering how materials are classified into the main families and the physical and mechanical properties used to select a material for a product.
9 min answer →

How can a material sense its environment and respond to it, and what new design possibilities does that open up?

Modern materials developed through invention or improved processing, and smart materials that change a property in response to an external stimulus, including shape-memory alloys, thermochromic and photochromic materials, piezoelectric materials and electroluminescent wire.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.4, covering modern materials and smart materials that change a property in response to a stimulus, including shape-memory alloys, thermochromics, piezoelectrics and electroluminescent wire.
8 min answer →

How do real factories cut waste and cost while keeping quality, and what does that mean for the way a product is designed?

Modern industrial and commercial practice including lean manufacturing and just-in-time production, automation and the use of robotics, standardisation and the use of standard components, quality control and quality assurance, and the social, moral and ethical responsibilities of manufacturers.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.6, covering lean manufacturing, just-in-time production, automation, standardisation, quality control and assurance and the responsibilities of manufacturers.
9 min answer →

Why does the same material behave differently once it has been treated, coated or finished, and how do you test for that change?

How treatments, coatings and finishes change the performance of materials, how stock forms and standard components are supplied, and how materials are tested for strength, hardness and durability.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.2, covering treatments, coatings and finishes, stock forms and standard components, and the standard tests used to measure material performance.
9 min answer →

Why is a finish almost never just about looks, and how do you pick the right one for the material and the job?

Why finishes are applied to materials for aesthetic, protective and functional reasons, and the finishing techniques used on metals (painting, anodising, powder coating, galvanising, electroplating), polymers, timbers (lacquering, varnishing, oils, waxes, staining) and textiles (dyeing, printing, chemical finishes).
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Design and Technology Product Design 3.1.5, covering why finishes are applied for aesthetic, protective and functional reasons and the main finishing techniques for metals, polymers, timbers and textiles.
9 min answer →