Product Design

What are the entry requirements?

5 GCSE’S at A* – C or equivalent, including at least a grade C in Product Design or Graphic Products. Students who have studied Art GCSE may apply but must realise that they will have to gain an understanding of materials and industrial processes before beginning the course.

Course Outline

AS:

Unit 1: Portfolio of Creative Skills

Unit 2: Design and Technology in Practice

A2:

Unit 3: Designing for the Future

Unit 4: Commercial Design

How will I be assessed?

AS:

One written exam and a folder of internally assessed coursework.

A2:

One written exam and a self directed study of  internally assessed coursework.

What will I study?

A two year course that gives you an insight into what it takes to be a designer in today’s fast moving society. You will develop an understanding of how products are initially designed and made as prototypes and how they become real products on the shelves.

You will have the opportunity to undertake a range of projects in AS to build up the skills necessary to complete the commercial design section of A2.

During unit 1 you will investigate, design and make a range of items which could include a hand held device, packaging for a fragrance and other models constructed initially from foam and MDF. You will also use a range of CAD software including: ‘Photoshop’, ‘2D Design’, ‘Pro-Desktop’ and ‘Google SketchUp’. Unit 2 will require you to learn about a range of modern design and manufacturing practices and contemporary design issues.

Unit 3 is a two hour exam covering a range of design issues such as sustainability, design influences and use of ICT in industry. During unit 4 you will design your own project, choosing ‘Conceptual Design’ or ‘The Built Environment’ as a theme. Previous ideas include: – architectural models, interior designs, product design and packaging.

Where can it lead me?

You could go on to study Architecture, Product Design, Graphic Design, Advertising, Art and Design, Interior Design or many other design based careers.