Design and TechnologyQ&A by dot point

Communicating design ideas: freehand and formal sketching, rendering, isometric and orthographic (third-angle) projection, exploded and assembly drawings, working drawings and CAD visualisations, and choosing the right technique for the audience and purpose.

Design briefs and design specifications: the difference between them, writing measurable and justified specification criteria (using a framework such as ACCESSFM), and the role of the specification in evaluating a design and judging its viability.

Iterative design as a cycle of explore, create and evaluate, and the design strategies that drive it: user-centred design, collaboration and co-design, systems thinking, and the distinction between iterative and linear design.

Primary and secondary research methods, the use of anthropometric and market data, and modelling and prototyping (sketch models, CAD models, working prototypes) to develop, test and refine design ideas through the iterative cycle.

The design approach of major companies (Apple, Dyson, Braun, Alessi, IKEA, Gtech), their use of brand identity, design language, user-centred design and manufacture, and how a company's philosophy shapes its products.

The major design movements (Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, Art Deco, Modernism, Streamlining, Post-modernism and Memphis), their time periods, principles, visual features and typical materials, and their influence on product design.

Iconic products and the role of design teams: the features that make a product iconic (innovation, fitness for purpose, aesthetics, influence), how multidisciplinary teams develop products, and analysing an iconic product against design principles.

The work and influence of major designers (James Dyson, Dieter Rams, Charles and Ray Eames, Philippe Starck, Marc Newson, Margaret Calvert, Harry Beck, Raymond Loewy), their design philosophies, signature products and influence on later design.

Anthropometric data and percentiles: static and dynamic measurements, the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles, and choosing the right percentile (and percentile range) to size a product for clearance, reach or adjustability.

Ergonomics and the human factors of design: physical ergonomics (posture, reach, grip, force, comfort) and cognitive ergonomics (clarity, feedback, affordance, error prevention), and how they are applied to interfaces, handles and controls.

Inclusive design and user-centred design: designing for the widest range of users regardless of age, ability or size, the use of adjustability and percentile ranges, and involving users throughout the design process through research and testing.

Product analysis and product disassembly: evaluating an existing product against function, materials, manufacture, ergonomics, aesthetics, sustainability, cost and market, and taking products apart (reverse engineering) to understand construction and inform new designs.

Digital design and manufacture: CAD modelling, CAM and CNC machining, 3D printing (additive manufacture), laser cutting, and their effects on accuracy, repeatability, iteration speed, mass customisation and the role of the designer.

Quality control and quality assurance, tolerances and how they are stated and checked, jigs and fixtures for accuracy, and quality standards and marks (ISO 9000, BSI Kitemark, CE marking) in manufacture.

The scales of production (one-off or bespoke, batch, mass and continuous), their use of jigs, fixtures and automation, the relationship between fixed cost, volume and unit cost, and Just in Time (JIT) stock control.

Shaping and forming processes for metals (casting, forging, machining), polymers (injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion, vacuum forming, rotational moulding) and timber (sawing, turning, laminating), and the tooling, accuracy and scale each suits.

The classification of materials used in product design: papers and boards, natural and manufactured timbers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers, and composites, with the defining features of each category.

The physical and mechanical properties of materials (strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability, elasticity, plasticity, density, conductivity, durability) and how they govern the suitability of a material for a product.

The selection of materials and standard stock forms (sheet, bar, rod, tube, extrusion, granules, pre-formed sections) for a product, weighing functional, aesthetic, economic, manufacturing, availability and environmental factors.

Smart materials that change a property in response to an external stimulus (shape memory alloys, thermochromic and photochromic pigments, piezoelectric and electroluminescent materials) and modern materials developed by research (Kevlar, graphene, nanomaterials, polymorph), and their use in products.

Calculating material quantities and cost: areas and volumes, percentage material waste, material and total cost (materials, labour, overheads), mark-up and selling price, with worked calculations applied to manufacture.

Applied electrical and mechanical calculations: electrical power and energy, Ohm's law in context, mechanical advantage, velocity ratio, efficiency and the moment of a force, and selecting and applying the right formula to a design problem.

Scale, ratio and tolerance calculations: scale factors and reading scale drawings, ratio and proportion, tolerance limits and bands, and the use of these in technical drawings and dimensioning, with worked calculations.

Stress, strain and Young's modulus: the definitions and formulae, their units, the stress-strain relationship and the meaning of stiffness, with worked calculations applied to product components.

Electronic systems as input, process and output blocks: sensors and switches as inputs, processing devices, and output transducers, with Ohm's law, series and parallel resistors, and the potential divider used to sense light and temperature, including calculations.

Rotary mechanisms: gears and gear trains (gear ratio and output speed), cams and followers (converting rotary to reciprocating motion), and pulleys and belt drives (velocity ratio and speed), with calculations of ratio and speed.

Mechanisms based on levers and linkages: the three classes of lever, mechanical advantage and velocity ratio, the principle of moments applied to levers, and linkages (reverse motion, parallel motion, bell crank) that change the direction or type of motion.

Structures and forces: types of structure (frame, shell, monocoque), the forces of tension, compression, shear, bending and torsion, the principle of moments and equilibrium, and methods of reinforcing and stiffening to improve strength and rigidity.

Life cycle assessment (LCA): the stages of a product's life (raw material extraction, processing, manufacture, packaging and transport, use, end of life), carbon footprint, embodied energy, and how an LCA guides design decisions to cut impact.

The sustainability of materials and resources: finite versus renewable resources, sustainable timber (FSC), recycling of polymers and metals, the WEEE directive, and how material choice affects a product's environmental impact.

Social, moral and ethical issues in product design: planned and built-in obsolescence, fair and ethical trade (Fairtrade), worker conditions and globalisation, inclusive design, consumer culture, and the designer's social responsibility.

The 6 Rs of sustainable design (rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle), design for disassembly, the circular economy and cradle to cradle, and how designers apply them to reduce a product's environmental impact.