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 Development
- 6 subtopics
- 18 things to know
- AS 2
What Product Development covers
Product Development is examined in Unit AS 2, Product Development — internally assessed coursework. It covers choosing a product to redesign, analysing the function and fitness for purpose of existing products, materials, manufacture and sustainability of existing products, ergonomic and aesthetic analysis, redesign modifications, sketching and viability and modelling, testing and evaluating a redesign.
Where it is assessed
AS 2
Product Development — internally assessed coursework.
Check the CCEA specification ↗The 6 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Choosing a product to redesignProduct redesign and why manufacturers do it, choosing a product, user feedback, new technology, planned obsolescence, sustainability, target markets, life cycles and legislation.Open →
- Analysing the function and fitness for purpose of existing productsProduct analysis, function and purpose, design features, fitness for purpose, ACCESS FM, cost and safety, comparing products and disassembly.Open →
- Materials, manufacture and sustainability of existing productsIdentifying materials, manufacturing methods and scale, evidence of injection moulding, product sustainability and the 6 Rs, repair, end of life, life cycle assessment and packaging.Open →
- Ergonomic and aesthetic analysisErgonomic analysis and user trials, hand-held products, aesthetics, mood boards, colour, texture and form, balancing ergonomics and aesthetics, semantics and accessibility.Open →
- Redesign modifications, sketching and viabilitySpecifications for a redesign, innovative and sustainable modifications, annotated sketches, viability and manufacture, development drawings, CAD and planning for making.Open →
- Modelling, testing and evaluating a redesignThree-dimensional models and materials, 3D printing, models against prototypes, recording changes, testing against the original, objective evaluation and a worked mass reduction.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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What makes a product a good candidate for redesign, and how can user feedback guide it?
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What is product analysis?
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Why should a designer identify the materials of existing products?
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Why is ergonomic analysis part of evaluating an existing product?
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How does a specification for a redesign differ from one for a new product?
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Why does a redesign need a three-dimensional model?
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What is the function of a product?
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How can a designer identify how an existing product was manufactured?
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How can the ergonomics of an existing product be analysed?
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What makes a design modification innovative?
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What materials are commonly used for quick design models?
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What is product redesign?
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What is the purpose of a product?
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What evidence on a plastic product shows it was injection moulded?
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What features affect the ergonomics of a hand-held product?
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What makes a design modification sustainable?
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When is 3D printing useful for a redesign model?
Take Product Development further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Function vs Purpose
Function: what a product does, such as holding or cutting. Purpose: the need a product meets for the people who use it.
Model vs Prototype
Model: a representation mainly showing a design's appearance and form. Prototype: a working version built to test how a design functions.
Reduce vs Rethink
Reduce: using less material or energy in a product. Rethink: questioning whether a product and its features are needed at all.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is product redesign?
Model answer
Product redesign is improving an existing product or an aspect of it rather than inventing a new one. Redesign may improve function, appearance, cost or sustainability.
- 2
Why do manufacturers redesign existing products?
Model answer
Manufacturers redesign products to fix faults, meet new user needs, use new materials or cut costs. Redesign keeps a product competitive.
- 3
What makes a product a good candidate for redesign?
Model answer
A good candidate has clear weaknesses that users notice, such as poor grip or wasteful packaging. The product should offer enough scope for real improvement.
- 4
How can user feedback identify an aspect of a product to redesign?
Model answer
Reviews, complaints and interviews reveal what frustrates users. Common problems point to the aspect most worth improving.
- 5
How can new technology prompt a redesign?
Model answer
New components, such as rechargeable lithium-ion batteries or LEDs, can make an existing product lighter, cheaper or more efficient. Older designs quickly look outdated.
- 6
What is planned obsolescence?
Model answer
Planned obsolescence is designing a product to become outdated or stop working after a limited time. The practice encourages repeat purchases but creates waste.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Product Development revision questions
- What does Product Development cover in CCEA A-Level Technology and Design?
- 6 subtopics: choosing a product to redesign, analysing the function and fitness for purpose of existing products, materials, manufacture and sustainability of existing products, ergonomic and aesthetic analysis, redesign modifications, sketching and viability and modelling, testing and evaluating a redesign. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Product Development organised?
- By the CCEA 8900 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Product Development, 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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