← Technology and Design syllabus

Northern IrelandTechnology and Design

AS 1 Design and Manufacture

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

How are engineering materials classified, and what distinguishes each family?

Classification of materials: ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, thermoplastics and thermosets, natural and manufactured timbers, and composites and smart materials.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on classifying materials into ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics, natural and manufactured timbers, and composites and smart materials, with named examples and uses.
12 min answer →

How do designers communicate proposals accurately to clients and manufacturers?

Graphical communication: sketching, orthographic and isometric drawing, sectional and assembly drawings, dimensioning and rendering.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on communicating designs through freehand sketching, isometric and orthographic projection, sectional and assembly drawings, dimensioning conventions and rendering for clients and manufacture.
11 min answer →

What are modern composites and smart materials, and why are they used?

Composites (GRP, CFRP) and modern/smart materials (shape-memory alloys, thermochromics, piezoelectrics) and their applications.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on composite materials such as GRP and carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer, and modern and smart materials including shape-memory alloys, thermochromic and photochromic pigments and piezoelectric materials, with their applications.
11 min answer →

What makes a design specification useful, and how do its different types differ?

Writing measurable design, engineering and manufacturing specifications, and using them as evaluation criteria.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on writing clear, measurable specifications, distinguishing the design, engineering and manufacturing specification, and using specification points as the criteria for evaluation.
11 min answer →

How do designers judge whether a product actually meets the need?

Evaluation against the specification, user testing and feedback, objective and subjective evaluation, and modification.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on evaluating products against the design specification, gathering user feedback and testing, distinguishing objective from subjective evaluation, and using results to modify and improve the design.
11 min answer →

How do designers generate, develop and model ideas before committing to manufacture?

Idea-generation techniques, developing ideas through annotation and modelling, CAD and prototyping.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on generating ideas with sketching and mind maps, developing them through annotated drawings and modelling, and the roles of CAD, prototyping and modelling materials before manufacture.
11 min answer →

How are products shaped, and how does production scale change the chosen process?

Manufacturing processes for metals, polymers and timbers (casting, forming, moulding, machining, joining) and matching process to scale of production.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on manufacturing processes for metals, polymers and timbers - casting, forming, injection and blow moulding, vacuum forming, machining and joining - and how the scale of production (one-off, batch, mass) decides the process.
13 min answer →

Which material properties decide whether a material is fit for a job?

Mechanical and physical properties of materials: strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability, elasticity, stiffness, density, conductivity and corrosion resistance.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on the mechanical and physical properties of materials - strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability, elasticity, stiffness, density, thermal and electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance - and how they govern material selection.
12 min answer →

How do manufacturers keep products consistent, safe and within specification?

Quality assurance and quality control, tolerance, standards and the use of jigs, fixtures and templates in volume production.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on the difference between quality assurance and quality control, the meaning and use of tolerance, the role of standards and certification marks, and how jigs, fixtures and templates ensure consistency in volume production.
11 min answer →

How do designers gather reliable evidence, and how do ergonomics and anthropometrics shape a product?

Research methods (questionnaires, surveys, product analysis) and the use of ergonomics, anthropometric data and percentiles in design.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on research methods such as questionnaires, surveys and product analysis, and on using ergonomics, anthropometric data and the 5th to 95th percentile range to design products that fit people.
12 min answer →

How can products be designed and made with less harm to people and the planet?

Sustainability, the 6 Rs, life-cycle assessment, and the social, moral and environmental responsibilities of designers.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on designing for sustainability using the 6 Rs, life-cycle assessment from raw material to disposal, and the social, moral and environmental responsibilities of designers and manufacturers.
12 min answer →

How does a designer move from a problem to a justified, manufacturable solution?

The iterative design process: identifying needs, research, specifications, generating and developing ideas, modelling, evaluation and the role of the client and user.
A CCEA A-Level Technology and Design answer on the iterative design process, from identifying a need and researching it, through writing a design specification, generating and developing ideas, modelling and prototyping, to evaluating against the specification.
12 min answer →