WJEC GCSE Design and Technology Designing principles: communication and CAD, sustainability, the work of others, investigation and specifications

What the designing principles demand

The designing principles are the knowledge of the design process itself: how to communicate ideas, design sustainably, learn from others, and turn a problem into a brief and specification. WJEC tests these in Unit 1, and they also underpin the whole non-exam assessment, where you investigate, design, make and evaluate. This guide walks through the designing principles and links to the dot-point page for each part, where worked exam questions live.

Communicating design ideas and CAD

Designers communicate in several ways, each suited to a stage. Freehand sketching is fast and cheap for exploring many early ideas. Isometric drawing shows an object in a single 3D pictorial view, while orthographic drawing shows separate, dimensioned 2D views (front, plan, side) for manufacture. Working drawings carry the exact sizes a maker needs. Modelling and prototyping test ideas in three dimensions, revealing problems a drawing cannot. CAD produces accurate, editable 3D models, and CAM drives machines such as CNC routers, laser cutters and 3D printers from that data, so designs go from screen to product accurately.

Sustainability and the 6 Rs

Sustainable design reduces harm to the planet and to people. The 6 Rs are the checklist: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle. A product's life cycle runs from raw material through manufacture and use to disposal, each stage using energy and resources, summed up as its ecological (carbon) footprint. Design also has a social footprint, affecting workers and communities, so ethical choices such as fair trade (fair pay and safe conditions) and responsible sourcing (such as FSC timber) matter alongside the environmental ones. These ideas carry high-value extended-response marks.

Learning from the work of others

Designers learn from the work of others, past and present designers, companies and design movements (recognisable styles such as Arts and Crafts, the Bauhaus and Modernism, Art Deco, and Memphis). Studying their work shows how problems were solved, reveals a style or set of principles to draw on, helps avoid past mistakes, and gives a benchmark to analyse and improve. Successful companies and brands set styles, drive trends and shape consumer expectations. The work of others is used as inspiration to adapt, never simply copied, which would breach intellectual property.

Investigation, briefs and specifications

Designing starts by investigating the problem: identifying the user's needs and wants, the design context, and the target market. This leads to a design brief, a short statement of the problem and aim. The brief is developed into a design specification, a detailed list of measurable, justified criteria covering function, size, cost, materials, safety, ergonomics and sustainability. Measurable points (such as "must cost under GBP 15") can be tested, and justifying each point keeps the design driven by real user needs. The specification guides development and provides the checklist for the final evaluation.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall and application questions across communication, sustainability, the work of others and investigation. Attempt them, then check against the solutions.

1. State one advantage of freehand sketching early in a project. (1 mark)
2. Name the three views in an orthographic drawing. (3 marks)
3. State the difference between CAD and CAM. (2 marks)
4. List the 6 Rs of sustainability. (3 marks)
5. State the difference between reusing and recycling. (2 marks)
6. Give two reasons a designer studies the work of others. (2 marks)
7. State the difference between a design brief and a design specification. (2 marks)
8. Rewrite "must be cheap" as a measurable specification point. (1 mark)