← Product Design and Technologies syllabus

EnglandProduct Design and Technologies

Design theory and context

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the major design movements, and how did each shape the look and thinking of products?

The major design movements and styles and their defining characteristics, designers and influence, including the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, the Bauhaus, Art Deco, De Stijl, Modernism, Streamlining, Memphis and Postmodernism, and how movements reflect the values, technology and society of their time.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9DT0 content on design movements and styles, covering Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, the Bauhaus, Art Deco, De Stijl, Modernism, Streamlining, Memphis and Postmodernism, their characteristics, key figures and influence.
14 min answer →

How have technological developments changed products, manufacture and society?

The effects of technological developments on design and manufacture and on society, including new materials and smart materials, automation and robotics, the global marketplace and global manufacturing, the move to high-technology and digital production, and the social, economic and environmental consequences of technological change for producers and consumers.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9DT0 content on the effects of technological developments, covering new and smart materials, automation and robotics, the global marketplace and global manufacturing, the shift to high-technology production, and the social, economic and environmental consequences.
13 min answer →

What factors drive how a product is developed, and how are they balanced?

The factors that influence the development of products, including user needs, wants and values, function and purpose, the relationship between form and function (form follows function and form over function), innovation and authenticity, market pull and technology push, fashion and trends, cost and quality, and how designers balance competing factors in a design specification.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9DT0 content on the factors influencing product development, covering user needs and values, form versus function, innovation and authenticity, market pull and technology push, fashion, cost and quality, and how designers balance them.
13 min answer →

How have influential designers and companies shaped products, and what can we learn from their approach?

The work and influence of key designers and design-led companies, including their design philosophy, signature products and impact on industry and consumers (for example Dyson, Apple and Jonathan Ive, Dieter Rams and Braun, Philippe Starck, Charles and Ray Eames, Alessi, and brands such as Under Armour and fashion houses), and how studying past and present designers informs new design.
A focused answer to the Edexcel 9DT0 content on the work of influential designers and design-led companies, covering Dyson, Apple and Jonathan Ive, Dieter Rams and Braun, Philippe Starck, the Eameses and Alessi, their philosophies, signature products and industry impact.
13 min answer →