← England Design and Technology
England · AQASyllabus
Design and Technology syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the England Design and Technologysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
3.1 Core technical principles
Module overview →- Where does the energy that powers products and manufacturing come from, and how is it stored?Sources of energy including fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy, the generation and storage of energy, and how energy is used to power products and processes.9 min answer →
- What are the main categories of material, and what physical and working properties make each suitable for a job?The categories of materials including papers and boards, timbers, metals, polymers and textiles, and the physical and mechanical properties that make a material suitable for a particular use.9 min answer →
- How do mechanical devices change the size, direction or type of a movement?Mechanical devices used to produce different sorts of movement, including the four types of motion, levers and linkages, rotary systems such as gears, pulleys and belts, and cams and followers.9 min answer →
- What are modern and smart materials, and how do their special properties create new design possibilities?Modern materials, smart materials, composite materials and technical textiles, including their properties and how their ability to respond to changes can be used in products.9 min answer →
- How do new and emerging technologies change industry, society and the wider world?New and emerging technologies and their impact on industry and enterprise, sustainability, people, culture, society, the environment and production techniques and systems.9 min answer →
- How can we describe any electronic or controlled product as a system of inputs, processes and outputs?Systems thinking using input, process and output, including sensors and other input devices, the processing of signals and control, and output devices such as motors, lamps and buzzers.9 min answer →
3.3 Designing and making principles
Module overview →- How do designers communicate ideas clearly to clients, users and manufacturers?Communicating design ideas using freehand sketching, 2D and 3D drawing such as isometric and perspective, working drawings, annotation, modelling and digital tools including CAD.9 min answer →
- How do you turn a problem into a clear brief and a measurable specification?Writing design briefs and design specifications, including identifying problems, the needs of users, and writing specification criteria that are measurable and justified.9 min answer →
- What strategies help a designer generate and develop creative ideas?Design strategies used to generate and develop ideas, including collaboration, user-centred design, systems thinking, iterative design and the avoidance of design fixation.9 min answer →
- How do environmental, social and economic challenges shape the decisions a designer makes?How environmental, social and economic challenges influence design decisions, including designing for different cultures and societies, inclusive and accessible design, fair trade, and the pull of the market against the push of technology.9 min answer →
- How does research and the work of others inform a successful design?Investigation, primary and secondary data, understanding the needs of clients and users, and the work of past and present designers and companies that influence design thinking.9 min answer →
- How do you plan, measure and cut materials accurately while reducing waste?Selecting and using tools and equipment, accurate marking out, measuring and cutting, using templates, jigs and patterns, tolerances, and managing material efficiently to reduce waste.9 min answer →
- How is a design idea developed and tested into a working prototype?Prototype development, including making models and prototypes to test and evaluate ideas, gathering feedback from users, and refining a design against the specification.9 min answer →
3.2 Specialist technical principles
Module overview →- What impact does making and using products have on the planet and on people?The ecological and social footprint of products, including the 6 Rs, the use of finite and non-finite resources, the impact of manufacturing on the environment, and the social impact of production and disposal.9 min answer →
- What forces act on products, and how can materials be reinforced to withstand them?How materials and objects are affected by forces and stresses including tension, compression, bending, torsion and shear, and how materials can be reinforced and stiffened to resist them.9 min answer →
- How does a designer choose the right material for a specific product?The selection of materials and components, considering functional, aesthetic, environmental, availability, cost, social, cultural and ethical factors when choosing what a product is made from.9 min answer →
- Where do raw materials come from, and how are they turned into usable stock?The sources and origins of materials and how they are converted into workable forms, including the growth and conversion of timber, the extraction and refining of metals, and the production of polymers from crude oil.9 min answer →
- What standard stock forms do materials come in, and how are products made in quantity?Stock forms, types and sizes of materials and standard components, and the manufacturing processes and scales of production from one-off to mass and continuous production.9 min answer →
- Why are products finished, and which treatment suits each material?Surface treatments and finishes applied for functional and aesthetic purposes, including finishes for timbers, metals and polymers, and how they protect and improve products.9 min answer →
- What tools and techniques are used to shape, cut and join materials accurately?Working with materials to make a prototype, including techniques for wastage, addition, deforming and reforming, and the use of tools and equipment to cut, shape, form and join materials safely and accurately.9 min answer →