Key term
CCEA A-Level Technology and Design 8900
Material Selection and Wood
Metals
Plastics
Composite and Emerging Materials
Processing Materials
Product Analysis and Design Communication
Design for Manufacture, Quality and Safety
Electronic Control SystemsOption A
Topic overviewControl systems, feedback and electronics safetyResistors, Ohm's law and power ratingsCapacitors and RC timingPotential dividers, sensors and comparatorsSwitches, pull-up and pull-down resistorsOutput devices and LEDsTransistors, Darlington pairs and thyristorsLogic gates, truth tables and flip-flops555 monostable and astable timers
Microelectronic Control SystemsOption A
Topic overviewMicrocontroller systems, ADCs and DACsStrain gauges and bridge circuitsOptical switches, encoded discs and Schmitt triggersOp-amp amplifiers and gainZener diodes and voltage regulatorsKarnaugh maps and binary countersSeven-segment, LCD and dot matrix displaysPIC flowcharts and programmingDC motors, stepper motors and driver circuits
Mechanical and Pneumatic ComponentsOption B
Topic overviewOpen and closed loop mechanical and pneumatic controlSafe working with compressed air and mechanismsLevers, linkages and momentsGear types and gear trainsPulleys, belts, chains and shaft fixingsCams, cranks and converting motionCompressed air supply and pneumatic valvesCylinders, shuttle valves, restrictors and reservoirsPneumatic circuits for logic, timing and speed control
Mechanical and Pneumatic SystemsOption B
Topic overviewHydraulics, system limitations and plant safetyTorque, work, power and air consumptionVacuum handling, proximity sensors and 5/3 valvesSequential and cascade pneumatic circuitsCam profiles and follower displacement diagramsGear geometry, pulley blocks and ratchetsToggles, treadles, shafts and couplingsFriction, brakes and clutchesBearings, lubrication and seals
Designing and Manufacturing ProductsOption C
Topic overviewResearch, questionnaires and specificationsIdea generation, critiques and computer simulationManufacturing planning and product evaluationCFRP, GRP, Kevlar and tungsten carbideSmart materials, nanotechnology and biophotovoltaicsIsometric, perspective and assembly drawingLaminating, steam bending, cutting and printing processesRisk assessment and product safety lawScales of production, JIT and cell productionQuality assurance, ISO 9001 and continuous improvementDesign influences and intellectual property rights
Product Design in Industry and SocietyOption C
Topic overviewLife-cycle environmental impact and climate changeThe 6Rs, waste and environmental legislationSustainable metals, plastics and degradable polymersProduct life cycles, consumer types and relaunchesCAD, CAM, 3D scanning and quick-change mouldingMarket pull, technology push and market strategyPrice, place and promotionJigs, fixtures and ICT in quality controlDesign for maintenance, inclusion and scale productionRendering, typography and presentationDyson, Baylis, Memphis and Apple
Product Development
Product and System Design and Manufacture
Product and System Design and Manufacture
- 6 subtopics
- 18 things to know
- A2 2
What Product and System Design and Manufacture covers
Product and System Design and Manufacture is examined in Unit A2 2, Product–System Design and Manufacture — internally assessed coursework. It covers clients, end users and design briefs, Researching existing solutions and writing a specification, generating and appraising design proposals, developing a concept with numerical analysis, ergonomics and aesthetics, working drawings and planning manufacture and testing and evaluating a prototype.
Where it is assessed
A2 2
Product–System Design and Manufacture — internally assessed coursework.
Check the CCEA specification ↗The 6 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Clients, end users and design briefsClients and end users, consultation, identifying genuine needs, design briefs, product-systems with energy and control, input, process and output, user personas and inclusive design.Open →
- Researching existing solutions and writing a specificationAnalysing existing solutions, disassembly, questionnaires, client interviews and user trials, anthropometric data and percentiles, measurable specifications, referencing and British Standards.Open →
- Generating and appraising design proposalsInnovative proposals, idea generation and biomimicry, integrating systems and control, weighted evaluation matrices with a worked score, modelling, concept selection and iterative design.Open →
- Developing a concept with numerical analysis, ergonomics and aestheticsJustified development, numerical analysis with worked gear and power calculations, CAD and circuit simulation, ergonomic and aesthetic development, environmental impact and design for disassembly.Open →
- Working drawings and planning manufactureWorking drawings, third-angle projection, dimensions and tolerances, exploded drawings, making plans, Gantt and flow charts, cutting lists, CAM, rapid prototyping, quality control and safety.Open →
- Testing and evaluating a prototypeTesting against the specification, user and performance tests, fair and repeatable testing, recording results, client feedback, conclusions, further development and batch production.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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Who are the client and the end user in product design, and how can they differ?
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Why does a designer analyse existing solutions to a problem?
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What makes a design proposal innovative?
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What does developing a chosen concept involve?
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What is a working drawing?
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Why is a prototype tested?
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What is product disassembly as a research technique?
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How can a designer generate a wide range of initial ideas?
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Why must development decisions be justified?
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What is third-angle orthographic projection?
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What is testing against the specification?
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What is a client in product design?
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How can a questionnaire support design research?
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What is biomimicry in design?
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How is numerical analysis used in developing a concept?
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Why are dimensions on working drawings given in millimetres?
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What is a user test of a prototype?
Take Product and System Design and Manufacture further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Client vs End user
Client: the person or organisation who commissions a product and approves the solution. End user: the person who operates the finished product in daily life.
Design brief vs Design specification
Design brief: a short statement of the problem, the intended users and the context. Design specification: a list of measurable criteria the finished product must meet.
Anthropometrics vs Ergonomics
Anthropometrics: measurements of human body dimensions such as reach and hand width. Ergonomics: the study of fitting products to people for comfort, safety and efficiency.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is a client in product design?
Model answer
A client is the person or organisation a designer works for, who sets the need and approves the solution. A client may be different from the end user of the product.
- 2
What is an end user?
Model answer
An end user is the person who will actually use the finished product. A stair-lift controller has an elderly homeowner as its end user, even if a care provider is the client.
- 3
Why must a designer consult the client throughout a project?
Model answer
Regular consultation keeps the design matched to the client's real needs. Early feedback avoids costly changes late in development.
- 4
How can a designer identify a genuine problem or need?
Model answer
A designer can observe people, interview potential users and study how existing products fail them. A genuine need is one that real users confirm, not one the designer assumes.
- 5
What is a design brief?
Model answer
A design brief is a short statement of the problem, the intended users and what the product must achieve. The brief sets the direction for research and ideas.
- 6
What should a good design brief include?
Model answer
A good design brief names the problem, the client or end user and the context of use. A good brief also states any major constraints without prescribing a solution.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Product and System Design and Manufacture revision questions
- What does Product and System Design and Manufacture cover in CCEA A-Level Technology and Design?
- 6 subtopics: clients, end users and design briefs, researching existing solutions and writing a specification, generating and appraising design proposals, developing a concept with numerical analysis, ergonomics and aesthetics, working drawings and planning manufacture and testing and evaluating a prototype. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Product and System Design and Manufacture organised?
- By the CCEA 8900 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Product and System Design and Manufacture, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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