The purpose of this course is to be creative, practical, exploratory and innovative in nature while designing and making functional products. The course combines elements of designing and making while considering aesthetics, function, economics, performance, target market and the total life cycle of a product from the beginning idea through design, manufacture, use and disposal or re-use.
National 5
The course enables candidates to develop:
- skills in designing and manufacturing models, prototypes and products
- knowledge and understanding of manufacturing processes and materials
- an understanding of the impact of design and manufacturing technologies on our environment and society
DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE
The course consists of two main units
Design Unit
The aim of this unit is to enable you to gain skills in analysing design briefs, creating a design specification and then generating, developing and communicating design ideas towards a final proposal for a product. As you complete these design tasks you will develop knowledge and understanding of: factors that influence design, sustainability, creative idea generation techniques, annotation techniques that identify, justify and explain, researching techniques, evaluation techniques and a range of manual and computer graphic techniques.
Materials and Manufacturing Unit
The aim of this unit is to enable you to gain skills of: how to mark out materials for component parts, cutting shaping and finishing component parts, assemble and join component to create a prototype, identify and justify suitable materials and manufacturing processes for commercial manufacture and identify ways in which design and manufacture impacts on the environment and society.
Assessment Structure
The exam is split into two parts; the Design and Manufacture Assignment Task which is worth 60% of the overall National 5 mark and the written exam that is worth the remaining 40%.
For the Design and Manufacture Assignment Task the learner need to produce a design solution to a design brief set by the SQA. This task allows the learner to show off their knowledge and understanding of their designing skills and their practical craft skills.
Written exam paper the learner will answer questions to show off their knowledge and understanding gained through the course work units in a 90-minute written exam.
Entry requirements
At entry, you would be expected to have attained the skills and knowledge acquired from Broad General Education Design and Manufacture or a minimum of a C pass in Graphic Communication.
Progression
This course can lead to Higher and is a University Entrance subject.
University and Career pathways from Design & Manufacture include many types of Engineering, Product Design, Furniture Design, Industrial Design, Computer Aided Design & Manufacture, Architecture and many others.
