← Design and Technology syllabus

WalesDesign and Technology

Unit 1: Manufacturing and production

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do designers make products that fit the human body and are comfortable to use?

Ergonomics and anthropometrics, the use of body measurement data and percentiles, and how designers apply them to make products comfortable, safe and usable.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Design and Technology content on ergonomics and anthropometrics, covering the difference between the two, the use of body measurement data and percentiles, and how designers apply them to make products comfortable, safe and usable.
9 min answer →

How are materials cut, shaped, joined and finished into products?

Processes for shaping materials including cutting and wasting, forming such as vacuum forming and casting, joining and assembly, and surface finishing, and how these suit different materials and scales.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Design and Technology content on manufacturing processes, covering cutting and wasting, forming such as vacuum forming and casting, joining and assembly, and surface finishing, and how each process suits different materials and scales of production.
10 min answer →

How does the number of products to be made change how they are manufactured?

The four scales of production, one-off, batch, mass and continuous, their features, advantages and disadvantages, and how to match a scale to a product and quantity.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Design and Technology content on scales of production, covering one-off, batch, mass and continuous production, their features, advantages and disadvantages, and how to match a scale of production to a product and quantity.
9 min answer →

How do structures resist forces, and how can they be made stronger?

The forces of tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion, how structures resist them, and ways to reinforce and stiffen a structure such as triangulation, webbing and folding.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Design and Technology content on structures, covering the forces of tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion, how structures resist them, and ways to reinforce and stiffen a structure such as triangulation, webbing, lamination and folding.
9 min answer →