Design and Manufacture

The pace of change in industry and society is constantly increasing due to the impact of new materials, processes and technologies.  This course provides a broad practical introduction to design, and materials and manufacturing processes.  It provides opportunities for learners to gain skills in designing and in communicating design proposals.  It allows learners to explore the properties and uses of materials and to make models and prototypes of products.

National 4/5

The course covers three main areas:

  • Design – This unit covers the product design process from brief to resolved design proposals.  It helps learners develop skills in initiating, developing, articulating and communicating simple design proposals.
  • Materials and Manufacturing – This unit covers the product design process from design proposals to prototype.  It allows learners to manufacture their design ideas and to develop practical skills that are invaluable in the design and make process.
  • Manufacturing Products – This unit covers materials and processes used in commercial manufacturing

The course assessment consists of two components: an assignment and a question paper.  The assignment gives pupils an opportunity to demonstrate their design skills and their practical skills to produce a design folio and a manufactured prototype. The question paper will assess the learner’s ability to retain and integrate knowledge and understanding from across the course.

Higher

The course covers two main areas:

  • Design – Learners develop skills in analysing problems, drawing up specifications, generating and developing ideas and communicating design proposals.
  • Materials and Manufacturing – Learners gain knowledge of materials and processes used in commercial manufacturing

The course assessment consists of two components: an assignment and a question paper. The assignment assesses the learner’s ability to use their design skills to generate a proposal for task set by SQA. The question paper assesses the learner’s ability to retain and integrate knowledge and understanding from across the course.