GCSE Product Design

PRODUCT DESIGN

 

GCSE 2012: 100% A/A*

The overriding aim of the Product Design course at Westminster is to produce fully functioning, beautifully made products.

 Product Design offers  pupils a range of opportunities to develop their traditional craft skills and learn modern computer aided manufacturing techniques. In the 5^th Form, pupils explore how designers are inspired by nature and design and construct an acrylic MP3 Amplifier based on a natural form. They move on to working with timber and metals, learning a variety of fabrication, forming and CNC manufacturing techniques. In the Lower Shell the practical skills learnt in the 5^th form are built on during projects based on Art Deco jewellery design using pewter, bending and moulding polymers, lathe turning and lamination. During Lower Shell, the pupils are set more open ended design briefs and encouraged to work independently by prototyping different ideas before going into production. Rather than following  a prescriptive list of instructions, pupils in the Lower Shell focus on the development of design proposals, a skill that is key  to success at GCSE. In addition to this, the pupils learn a range of communication techniques such as isometric and orthographic projection and rendering.

 The practical aspects of the course are underpinned by an academically vigorous curriculum that encourages students to draw from their knowledge of other areas such as the sciences and geography. In addition to learning how to use a range of workshop tools, fabrication methods and industrial manufacturing processes, students develop their understanding of materials and their uses, design history, the impact of famous designers, artists and architects and design movements from the rise of Modernism to Post Modernism and  “Blobitecture.”  Recent curriculum developments and an emphasis on sustainability provide numerous opportunities to explore the ethical and environmental issues arising from design activity and analyse Green Design. Pupils who like to keep their finger on the pulse and have a keen interest in current affairs are particularly adept at responding to this part of the curriculum and  are able to tackle the open ended design question in the GCSE exam with confidence. Whenever possible,  the pupils’ understanding of design is enhanced by trips to exhibitions such as the Victoria and Albert’s Postmodernism and The Power of Making and hands on workshops at the Design Museum.

Work covered in the Upper Shell extends beyond the confines of the GCSE specification as we explore the psychological aspects of design, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, why we desire and accumulate products and the power of branding and advertising. Class discussions provide an opportunity to discuss the rise of youth culture in the twentieth century, how designers exploit our need to belong to social groups and the cyclical nature of design.

The Product Design GCSE is divided into two units, a written paper which comprises 40% of the final grade and an extended project (Controlled Assessment Task) which comprises 60% of the final grade. Pupils are required to organise and manage their time affectively and meet deadlines over several months. Sustained effort and commitment are required to secure the highest grades and it is expected that Upper Shell pupils attend at least one Open Workshop session per week. Pupils are required to work independently in a relaxed environment  but are supported by the setting of short term targets and focused tasks. GCSE Product Design is not a subject in which it is advisable to leave things until the last minute and pupils who rely their natural ability to “pull it out of the hat” at the eleventh hour place themselves under unnecessary  pressure. Product design requires a disciplined, motivated approach and the ability to organised one’s time effectively – an important life skill as well as the key to GCSE success!

See last year's masterpieces in the gallery.