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Guide to A Level Product Design (AQA)

Minimum recommended entry requirements:
Grade B in GCSE Graphic Products or Resistant Materials.

This course will provide an excellent opportunity for budding artists, designers and engineers to develop an extensive and exciting portfolio of work. You will be given opportunities to develop your capacity to design and make and to appreciate the complex relationships between design, materials, manufacture and marketing.

Advanced Subsidiary (AS)

The Advanced Subsidiary examination will consist of:

A Written Paper, primarily on Materials and Components: 1½ hours (30% of the total AS mark).
Coursework portfolio that includes Industrial Practice: Processes and Manufacture: (40% of the total AS mark).
A Written paper, primarily on Design and Market Influences: 2 hours (30% of total AS mark).

The Subject Content includes:

a) Materials and Components

You will have the opportunity to work and study a variety of resistant materials so that you understand their working characteristics, physical properties, cost and availability, which influence the choice of materials in design situations.

b) Design and Market Influences

You will develop an understanding of the broader perspectives of the designed world. This will encompass the perception and appreciation of line, shape, form, proportion, colour, movement and texture within a critical awareness of aesthetics. It will also encourage the application of personal judgement and appropriate criteria in the appraisal of manufactured objects and systems, whilst at the same time influencing you in your approach to designing and making quality products that meet specific needs of the identified users. You will engage in creative activities in which ideas take forms that satisfy the claims of originality, excellence and utility.

c) Process and Manufacture

You will have a broad knowledge of the manufacturing systems used to make and finish materials used in the production of commercial products. Through critical appraisal of specified products, you will understand how materials and components are utilised to become a design realisation. You will be encouraged to explore practical applications of processing methods as appropriate to the products you design and make.

Advanced Level (A2)

The Advanced level examination will consist of:

A Product Study, a twenty-five hour long in-depth study: (15% of the total A level mark).
Coursework, a single, integrated ‘Major Project’: (15% of the total A level mark).
A Written Paper based on the Subject Content outlined below: 3 hours (20% of the total A level mark).

The Subject Content includes:

a) Materials and Components

Your knowledge base of materials manufacturing, which is expected to exist at the completion of AS Level, will be further developed in your Major Project.

As a result of the deeper understanding to be gained through personal experience of selection and application of materials, you will be able to make informed judgements concerning the suitability of materials and components based upon technical knowledge, aesthetic qualities, performance parameters and relative costs.

b) Design and Market Influences

As related to consumer products in particular, but also to include design movements and the inherent influences of socio-economic changes. To include patenting and its importance to the designer and manufacturer.

c) Processes and Manufacture

You will develop an appreciation and understanding of industrial and commercial practice, product manufacture, systems and control.

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