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.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to understand the commercial side of design: how entrepreneurs and enterprise turn ideas into successful products, how products are marketed and advertised, and how a feasibility study decides whether an idea is worth pursuing at all. Paper 1 tests this through applied discussion, often about a new or named product.
The role of entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs matter to design because they turn a good idea into a real product. They judge whether there is a market, raise money, organise manufacture and marketing, and accept the risk of failure. Examples such as James Dyson (who self-funded years of prototypes) show how entrepreneurial risk-taking can drive a genuinely new product to success.
How enterprise drives innovation
Enterprise is the wider activity of starting and running ventures to create value. It contributes to innovation by funding new product development, driving improvements in processes and services, and fostering collaboration between designers, engineers and businesses. Start-ups, spin-offs and licensing all help new technologies and products spread through the market.
Marketing methods and media
The right mix depends on the product and budget. A start-up with little money often relies on targeted social media, which is cheap and reaches a chosen audience precisely, while a large firm launching a mass-market product may use national advertising and major launches. Market research underpins all of it, identifying who the product is for and how to position it.
The impact of advertising
Advertising has a powerful effect on commercial success and on society:
- it raises awareness of products and brands,
- it influences consumer perception and demand, shaping how a product is seen,
- it creates or responds to trends and fashions, which can drive sales but also fuel overconsumption.
A strong answer weighs the ethical, social and economic implications: advertising can inform and support choice, but it can also create artificial wants, encourage disposable consumption and mislead, which links to responsible design and sustainability.
Feasibility studies
A feasibility study weighs several kinds of feasibility:
- Technical: can it be made with the available materials, technology and skills?
- Economic: will the likely cost let it sell at a profit?
- Legal and regulatory: does it meet safety standards and avoid infringing intellectual property?
- Environmental and social: is it sustainable and acceptable to stakeholders?
It draws on user data, anthropometric data and market information to justify the decision, which protects the firm from spending heavily on an idea that cannot succeed.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20196 marksA start-up has designed a new reusable coffee cup. Discuss the marketing methods and media it could use to promote the product, and explain how advertising could influence its commercial success. [6 marks]Show worked answer →
A Paper 1 extended item assessing AO2 and AO3. Markers reward methods linked to the product and market, plus the effect on success. Award marks for marketing methods and media: building a brand and corporate identity so the cup is recognisable and trusted; using social media and online campaigns, which are low cost and ideal for a start-up reaching environmentally minded younger consumers; advertising in print and digital media; and using exhibitions, trade fairs and a product launch to reach retailers. Award marks for the impact of advertising: it raises awareness of the product and brand, influences consumer perception (positioning the cup as ethical and stylish, not just functional), and creates or responds to the trend away from disposable cups, driving demand. A top answer notes the ethical dimension, that advertising can also encourage overconsumption, and that for a small firm targeted social media usually gives the best return.
AQA 20214 marksExplain what a feasibility study is and state two things it should consider before a design idea proceeds. [4 marks]Show worked answer →
A short-answer item. Award marks for the definition: a feasibility study assesses whether a proposed design idea is practical and achievable before resources are committed, identifying risks and constraints early so the firm can decide to proceed, modify or abandon the idea. Award marks for two valid considerations, such as: technical feasibility (can it be made with the available materials, technology and skills?); economic feasibility (will the likely cost allow it to sell profitably?); legal feasibility (does it meet safety standards and avoid infringing intellectual property?); and environmental or social feasibility (is it sustainable and acceptable to stakeholders?). Full marks need the purpose plus two genuinely different aspects, not two versions of "can we make it".
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