Design and TechnologyQ&A by dot point

Techniques to develop, communicate, record and justify design ideas, including freehand sketching, annotated and isometric and perspective drawing, orthographic and exploded views, schematic diagrams, CAD and written justification.

How design takes place within contexts, investigating environmental, social and economic challenges, opportunities and constraints, including fair trade, carbon offsetting, green design, recycling, human capability, cost and life cycle analysis.

The use of different design strategies to generate initial ideas and avoid design fixation, including collaboration, user-centred design and systems thinking, within an iterative design process.

Strategies for investigating and analysing the work of past and present professionals and companies and existing products, using specification criteria such as form, function, user requirements, materials, cost, sustainability and marketability.

The non-exam assessment design and make project (component 2), its four parts (Investigate, Design, Make, Evaluate), the iterative process, the contextual challenges and how the 100 marks are awarded.

Sources, generation and storage of energy, including fossil fuels, biofuels and renewable sources, and the factors that decide which source is appropriate for a product or system.

Gear types and pulley and belt systems, including simple and compound gear trains, idler gears, bevel gears and rack and pinion, with velocity ratio, gear ratio and revolutions per minute calculations.

The functions of mechanical devices including the four types of motion, the three classes of lever with mechanical advantage and velocity ratio calculations, linkages, cams, followers and cranks and sliders.

How electronic systems power and control products using inputs (sensors), process and control devices, and outputs, and how programmable components embed functionality through flowcharts, inputs, decisions and outputs.

Developments in composite materials and technical textiles, including concrete, plywood, fibre and carbon reinforced polymers, and agro, geo, medical, protective and sports textiles, with their characteristics and applications.

The categorisation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including mild steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminium, copper and brass, and the properties of ductility, malleability and hardness that decide their use.

Developments in modern and smart materials, including shape-memory alloys, nanomaterials, reactive glass, piezoelectric materials, temperature-responsive polymers and conductive inks, with their characteristics, applications, advantages and disadvantages.

The categorisation of papers and boards, including copier, cartridge and tracing paper, and folding boxboard, corrugated board and solid white board, and the properties of flexibility, printability and biodegradability.

The categorisation of thermoforming and thermosetting polymers, including acrylic, HIPS, biodegradable polymers, polyester resin and urea formaldehyde, and the properties of heat and electrical insulation and toughness.

How all design and technological practice takes place within contexts that inform outcomes, selecting materials, components and manufacturing processes by their properties, advantages, disadvantages and justification for a given context.

The categorisation of natural, synthetic, blended and mixed fibres and of woven, non-woven and knitted fabrics, including wool, cotton, polyester, acrylic, calico, denim and felt, with the properties of elasticity, resilience and durability.

The categorisation of natural and manufactured timbers, including hardwoods (oak, mahogany, beech, balsa), softwoods (pine, cedar) and manufactured boards (plywood, MDF), and the properties of hardness, toughness and durability.

How the critical evaluation of new and emerging technologies informs design decisions, considering contemporary and future scenarios from ethical and environmental perspectives, including budget, timescale, fair trade, carbon footprint and life cycle analysis.

The impact of new and emerging technologies on industry, enterprise and production techniques and systems, including unemployment, workforce skill set, funding routes and the scales of production.

The impact of new and emerging technologies on people, culture, society, sustainability and the environment, including the workforce and consumers, working patterns, the Internet of Things, pollution and the demand on natural resources.

Sustainable design thinking and the 6 Rs (Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle) used to lower the environmental impact of new technologies and products, linked to natural resources, pollution and waste.

The impact of forces and stresses (compression, tension, shear) on natural and manufactured timbers and the techniques used to reinforce and stiffen them, including frame structures, lamination, bracing and composites.

Processes to manufacture timber products at different scales of production (one-off, batch, mass, continuous) and the techniques for quantity production, including marking out, jigs, templates, CAM, quality control and working within tolerance.

The factors that influence the selection of natural and manufactured timbers, including aesthetic, environmental, availability, cost, social, cultural and ethical factors such as seasoning, upcycling and built-in obsolescence.

Specialist techniques, tools, equipment and processes used to shape, fabricate, construct and assemble high-quality timber prototypes, including shaping processes, lamination, adhesives, the main timber joints and assembly fittings.

Appropriate surface treatments and finishes for natural and manufactured timbers for functional and aesthetic purposes, including painting, staining, varnishing, waxing, oiling and the use of preservatives.

The sources, origins, physical and working properties of natural and manufactured timbers and their social and ecological footprint, including additional timbers, geographical origins, the physical characteristics and the impact of logging and deforestation.

Typical stock forms, types and sizes of natural and manufactured timbers used to calculate and determine the required quantity, including regular sections, mouldings, dowels and sheets, with cross-sectional area and board-size calculations.