Design and ManufactureQ&A by dot point

Communicating design proposals: graphic techniques (freehand and pictorial sketching, annotation, rendering), physical modelling and prototyping, and computer-aided design (CAD), and the purpose of communicating ideas clearly to clients and manufacturers.

Overview of the assignment - design: the externally assessed coursework in which a candidate develops a design proposal in response to a set brief, applying research, specification, idea generation, development, communication and evaluation, worth 55 of the 180 course marks.

The design factors that influence the design of a product: function, performance, aesthetics, ergonomics (anthropometrics, physiology and psychology), market and consumer demands, economic factors, environmental factors and safety, and the tensions and trade-offs between them.

Evaluating and resolving design proposals: testing ideas and models against the specification, using objective and subjective evaluation, identifying improvements, and refining a proposal on an ongoing basis until it is resolved and meets the brief.

Generating and developing ideas: creativity and idea-generation techniques (brainstorming, morphological analysis, mind mapping, lateral thinking), divergent and convergent thinking, and developing chosen ideas through modelling towards a workable proposal.

Researching a design problem and writing a specification: methods of research (investigating existing products, the user, the market and materials), product analysis, and turning findings into a measurable design specification used to judge proposals.

The stages of the design process from brief to resolved proposal: the design brief, specification, generating and developing ideas, modelling, evaluating, and the iterative design/make/test cycle in which ideas are refined and resolved on an ongoing basis.

Commercial manufacture: the scales of production (one-off/job, batch and mass/continuous production), their effects on cost and quantity, and the use of jigs, templates, moulds, computer-aided manufacture (CAM) and automation to ensure consistency and speed in industry.

Manufacturing processes and the tools and equipment used: marking out and measuring, wasting/cutting, shaping, forming (e.g. line bending, vacuum forming), fabrication and joining (adhesives, mechanical fixings, knock-down fittings, welding), and surface finishing and its purpose.

The main categories of material (timbers, metals, polymers/plastics) and the physical and mechanical properties that decide suitability: strength, hardness, toughness, durability, elasticity, plasticity, malleability, ductility, density, conductivity and corrosion resistance.

Overview of the assignment - practical: the coursework in which a candidate plans for manufacture and makes a prototype of their design, applying material and process knowledge and the design/make/test approach, worth 45 of the 180 course marks and teacher-assessed under SQA verification.

Sustainability and the product life cycle: the stages of a product's life (raw materials, manufacture, distribution, use, disposal/re-use), the environmental impact at each stage, and reducing impact through the 6 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse, rethink, repair).

Named materials and their uses: natural timbers (hardwoods and softwoods) and manufactured boards (MDF, plywood, chipboard), ferrous and non-ferrous metals (mild steel, aluminium, copper, brass), and thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics (acrylic, polypropylene, ABS, polythene, urea formaldehyde).