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Product design

Design and Technology

Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous, and practical subject encouraging students to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At Easington Academy, we encourage students to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Students acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art when designing and making. 

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. Students design and create products, carefully considering their function and purpose, that are relevant to a range of sectors (such as the home, school, leisure, society, enterprise, industry and the wider environment). 

When designing and making, the students are taught to: 

  • Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.  

  • Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.  

  • Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.   

Students learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation. 

Curriculum information

 

Project one

Project 2

Year 7

Polymer: Initial Keyring

Drawing strategies

  • Grid method
  • Construction lines
  • Rendering (plastic material and tone and shading)
  • Cabinet oblique

Practical focus

  • Using CAD software
  • Assembling keyring 
  •  

Drawing strategies 

  • Isometric drawing
  • Colour, Tone & Textures (focus on timber) 
  • Exploded drawing of block bots and rendered (exploded drawing on google sketch up if computer access is available)

Practical focus 

  • Marking and measuring with accuracy
  • Use of handheld equipment (tennon saw)
  • Use of machinery (sanders and pillar drills)

Year 8

Timber & Polymers: Phone Holder (graffiti themed) 

Design strategies 

  • Isometric joint
  • Exploded Drawings joint
  • Orthographic drawing of joint by hand
  • extension use CAD software to generate computerised version of orthographic drawing of joint 

Practical

  • Marking and measuring with accuracy
  • Use of hand held equipment to create Half Lap Joint (tennon saw, chisel and file)
  • Line bending 
  • Using CAD software to generate design for polymer

SMART materials: Polymorph Key Ring

Design strategies 

  • Thumbnail sketches
  • One point perceptive 
  • Modelling (playdough)  

 

Practical

  • Using SMART materials
  • Testing and evaluating models
  • Filing and shaping (hand held tools)

Year 9

Timber and Polymers: Sweet Dispenser 

Design Strategies 

  • Isometric sweet dispenser (3D)
  • 3rd angle orthographic drawing (2D)
  • Free hand sketches of designs for polymer front
  • 2 point perceptive 

Practical focus

  • Marking and measuring with accuracy 
  • User of hand held equipment (coping/tennon saws and files)
  • Use of machinery (pillar drill, belt and disc sander)
  • Use of laser cutter for design

Metals: Designer Influences Pewter Keyring

Design Strategies

  • Brief and specification (ACCESS FM)
  • Thumb nail sketches 
  • Use of goggle sketch up to generate 3D model 

Practical focus

  • CAD CAM
  • Casting Metal – Jigs and templates
  • Cutting, Filing and Abrading Metal

 

Year Group

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Y11 Design Technology

NEA

•Investigating Context

•Primary & Secondary Research

•Producing a Design Brief and Specification 

•Generating Design Ideas 

•3D Modelling

NEA

•Developing Design Ideas 

•Making a Prototype 

•Analysing and Evaluating Against Specification 

Exam Preparation 

Y11 Engineering

R039 – Communicating Designs

•2D & 3D Sketching

•Oblique, Isometric, Exploded and 3rd Angle Orthographic Drawing

•CAD Drawing (Google Sketch Up)

•Design Development

R040 – Design, Evaluation, Modelling

•Product Analysis

•3D Modelling

•Making a Prototype

•Evaluation

Exam Preparation

 

 

Year Group

Autumn

Spring

Summer

10  Design  Technology

New and Emerging Technologies

New and emerging technologies 

•Enterprise 

•Market pull/Tech push 

•Fashions and trends 

•Automation, FMS, JIT 

•Planned Obsolescence. 

 

Mechanisms and Systems 

•Motion 

•Linkages

•Gear ratio 

•Programmable components 

Material Properties,  and Environmental Impact

•Timbers

•Polymers

•Metal

Practical Workshop Skills Storage Box

 - Timber Joint Base

Designing and Making Principles

 

•Primary and Secondary Research

•Product Analysis (ACCESSFM)

•Writing a Design Brief and Specification

•Design Ideas

•Polymer Theory 

•CAD CAM (2D Design & Laser Cutter)

•Card Modelling

•3rd Angle Orthographic Drawing 

 

 

•Practical Workshop Skills Storage Box Project – CAD CAM Lid

Designing and Making Principles

•Electronics Theory

•Industrial Processes

•Practical Workshop Skills 

Live NEA Brief

Y10 Engineering

Topic Area 1 

•Design Strategies

•Iterative Design Process

•Interpreting a Design Brief

•Research

•Product Analysis

•Design Specifications

•Design Ideas

•CAD (Google SketchUp)

•3rd Angle Orthographic Drawing

•Isometric and Exploded Drawing

•3D Modelling

Topic Area 2 

•Design Specification

•Scale of Manufacture

•Manufacturing Processes

•Shaping, Joining, Forming & Finishing

•Production Costs

 

•Product Analysis

•Product Disassembly

•Components & Materials

•Virtual Modelling

•Production Plan

•Making a Prototype

•Evaluation Against Specification

Topic Area 3

•Engineering Drawings – Oblique, Block Diagrams, Flowcharts, Circuit Diagrams, Isometric, Orthographic. 

•Working Drawings

•CAD Drawings

•Live Brief Announced.

I enjoy learning about the different materials available and learning how to design products allows me to be creative.
Year 10 student
It's good because it keeps me interested in my work as we cover a range of topics. Practical lessons are fun and engaging and the designing and drawing aspects allow us to take control of the work we produce
Year 9 student