Gcse guidance

GCSE PRODUCT DESIGN
Version 2.1
Major Project Guidance

GCSE Product Design : Index
Section 1: Investigating The Design Context
Sheet 1. Context and Brief
Sheet 2. Analysis of existing products
Sheet 3. User Profile / Client Interview
either…
Sheet 4a.Research on an Art Movement or…
Sheet 4b. Observational Drawings page
Sheet 5. Research Summary and Specification
Section 2: Development of Design Proposals (inc. Modelling)
Sheets 6 & 7. Sketch Designs
Sheet 8. Evaluation of Sketches
Sheet 9. Final SKETCH Proposal
Sheet 10. Sketch Model (evidence of physical and/or CAD modelling) & Modifications
Sheet 11. “MESS” Development
Sheet 12. Graphical Development /Packaging Initial Design
Sheet 13. Packaging/Poster/Leaflet Design (Nets)
Sheet 14. Materials & Processes
Sheet 15. Standardised Part(s) Drawing with dimensions
Sheet 16. Final Design Working Drawing (including a Cutting List)
Sheet 17. Final Design 3D Drawing
Sheets 18 & 19. Making Diary
Section 4: Testing & Evaluation
Sheet 20. Finished Product
Sheet 21. Evaluation of Product
Sheet 22. Improved Design
Sheet 23. Commercial Production
Sheets 18 & 19. Making Diary

GCSE Product Design : Marking Breakdown
Each section of your coursework
folder is worth a different amount of
marks.
As you can see, the sections
covering the Development of your
design and the practical (Making)
are worth almost of the overall⅔
folder grade.
Note that the marks awarded for
communication are relatively small,
so WHAT you include in your
folder is far more important than
HOW it is presented.90

GCSE Product Design
Section 1
Investigating the Design Context

GCSE Product Design – Section 1: Investigating the Design Context
Above is the mark scheme for what you must do to gain between 7 marks and
a full 8 out of 8 for the first section of your folder.
You should include an A3 page on each of the following for this section:
Sheet 1. Context and Brief
Sheet 2. Analysis of existing products
Sheet 3. User Profile / Client Interview
Sheet 4. either…
- Research on an Art Movement
or… - an Observational Drawings page
Sheet 5. A page that includes both a Research Summary and a Specification
This whole section should take around 4-6 hours!!!
marks
out of 8

The Problem
Children today often neglect traditional toys in favour for
modern electronic toys such as tablets and computer games.
This is having an effect on their brains with children
developing a lot slower in these modern times
Your Name Candidate Number GCSE Product Design Project Title
Sheet 1. CONTEXT & BRIEF
Design Brief
I am going to design
and make a
traditional to that
will get children
interacting with
traditional toys
again.
Mind Map / Spider Diagram
Create a Spider Diagram with as many branches as you can. Use ACCESSFM
for ideas. Other questions you could ask yourself & answer might be :
What will it be used for? What materials could I use?
Who will use the end product? Where will it be used?
What sort of shop/retail outlet will it be sold through?
Are there any cost restrictions that will influence my design?
Traditional Toy
Materials
Aesthetic
s
Safet
y
Target
Market
Function

Analyse approximately 4 existing products in detail. Use ACCESSFM as a starting point for your analysis. Each product
should be annotated with at least 4 descriptive labels and perhaps one or two very descriptive paragraphs describing
them. (Don’t just state the obvious! Either research or make ‘best guesses’ at designers or other products they may be
influenced by / cost / who they may be aimed at / any environmental responses they may have / approx dimensions (in
mm) / Safety features you know about / How they work / What materials they are (or look like they are) made of.)
Sheet 2. EXISTING PRODUCTS
Example of good
annotation of one
existing clock
for added stability

Sheet 2. EXISTING PRODUCTS

In this sheet you should look to identify the intended target market and/or end-user of your product.
Sheet 3. USER PROFILE / CLIENT INTERVIEW
User Profile
Ask yourself the following questions:
What is my intended Target Market / End-User?
Are they the same? (Target Market vs. End-User)
Who are they? (Age Range / Likes / Dislikes)
What might they look for in my product? (Price /
Design / Materials)
example:
Client Interview
Find someone you can identify as fitting your
User Profile and write a short paragraph
explaining why their opinions would be relevant to
your research..
Then, write an interview that you will ask to that
person. Make sure you ask ‘open’ questions that
are relevant, aimed at the right level for your
interviewee and that will give you answers you can
use to feed forward into your designs. It might be
useful to separate your questions into those about
FORM (how it will look) and FUNCTION (how it
will work). Use ACCESSFM to make sure you cover
lots of relevant areas.
Using the information in the Design
Brief, my USB stick will be aimed at
teenagers aged between 11 and 15
years. Many teenagers like pop
music so I am going try to use
imagery from music television
graphics (e.g. MTV) to influence my
design. My product will need bright
colours (Acrylic might be a good
material to make it from) and look
cool, as well as being relatively
cheap for teenagers to be able to
afford it.
It might be a good idea to record
or video this interview (get
permission first!) and use it to
write a transcript of the answers.
Try and get a photo of you
conducting the interview.

Using the information in the Design
Brief, my traditional toy will be
aimed at young children aged
between 6 and 9 years. Many
young children like playing with
electrical toys so I am going try to
use aspects from this to influence
my design. My product will need
bright colours (Acrylic might be a
good material to make it from) and
look cool, as well as being
relatively cheap for their parents to
buy to be able to afford it.
My Questionnaire My Results
L.O
To complete page 5 in your portfolio
Your page should look like the one
above:
Produce a paragraph
Print screen of your questionnaire
5 results (Pick your most important
questions)
Shared Work – DT – Year 11 –
2014-2015 – Year 11 Mr David &
Mr Neil – Work in Progress – Find
your folder

You will need to complete ONE of the two following sheets – EITHER a research page on an ART MOVEMENT of
your choice OR an observational drawings sheet.
Sheet 4a. ART MOVEMENT RESEARCH
Art Movement Research
Decide on the Design Movement you are going to
study.
•What are the KEY features of this movement?
•Think about…. SHAPES
THEMES or INFLUENCES
COLOURS (Palettes)
•You must use your own words and ideas (not
COPY & PASTE from Wikipedia!!)
•USE PRINTED PICTURES & HAND DRAWN
DIAGRAMS & SKETCHES TO ILLUSTRATE
THESE POINTS
The above should be the main part of your sheet –
as an extra, you could write (and illustrate) a few
paragraphs on…….
•How the movement started
•The “ethos” (or thinking) behind the movement
•Key Designers from the movement and some
examples of their work
Pop Art uses images from popular culture and
twists them with bright and unusual colour or
unexpected contexts. Themes include
celebrity icons (e.g. Marilyn Monroe) or
………………. (e.g. ………………..). Pop Art
originated in ………… in the 19…….s and
famous artists include ………………….
…………….
……………………………………………………
Example of some ways you could analyse a Design Movement

If you didn’t do a research page on an Art Movement, you must complete an OBSERVATIONAL DRAWINGS sheet.
Sheet 4b. OBSERVATIONAL DRAWINGS
Observational Drawings
Gather images of real life objects, but preferably ‘real things’ to observe and draw based on your brief.
Sketch and draw these but only use them as a STARTING POINT…. Start by looking at:
•SHAPE
•TEXTURE
•COLOUR
….and think about how you could use these things to influence your design thinking.
Next, start trying to “stylise” or simplify what you have drawn to get GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS of these objects.
You could then try to ABSTRACT these simplified drawings in some way…..
You could look at a variety of themes….
..…or other work or artists that have been influenced by similar things….
Andy
Goldsworthy
REMEMBER TO ANNOTATE &
EXPLAIN EVERYTHING!!!
and SAY HOW YOU CAN USE
THIS TO INFLUENCE YOUR
DESIGNS

Sheet 4b. OBSERVATIONAL DRAWINGS

This sheet needs to be split in two – a Summary or conclusion of what you’ve done & learnt in the previous 3 sheets,
followed by a Product Specification.
Sheet 5. RESEARCH SUMMARY & SPECIFICATION
Research Summary
This half is basically a conclusion to all your initial
research. Answer the following in a paragraph or
two for each of these previous sheets:
a) Existing Products sheet
b) Client Questionnaire sheet
c) Design Movement or Observational Drawings
• What I did.
• Why I did it.
• What did I hope to find out?
• What did I actually found out?
• What’s been influential & why?
…and most importantly…..
• HOW HAVE THESE FINDINGS
AFFECTED MY DESIGN IDEAS ????
Specification
On the other half of the sheet, you need to write a Design
Specification. This is like a ‘shopping list’ of all the things
your product must be like or do.
Use ACCESSFM questions to produce at least 10 ‘points’
and give each a reason why. You don’t need to tie down
your final design too exactly, but you should give specific
examples.
(a Grade C Specification point)
My design must not contain small parts.
(a Grade B Specification point)
My design must not contain small parts because
children could try to eat them and may choke.
(a Grade A Specification point)
My design must not contain small parts, certainly no
less than 20mmx20mmx20mm, because children could
try to eat them
and may choke
Specification
On the other half of the sheet, you need to write a Design
Specification. This is like a ‘shopping list’ of all the things
your product must be like or do.
Use ACCESSFM questions to produce at least 10 ‘points’
and give each a reason why. You don’t need to tie down
your final design too exactly, but you should give specific
examples (maybe min or max or specific possibilities).

Sheet 5. RESEARCH SUMMARY & SPECIFICATION
Use
mm, not
cm or
inches

GCSE Product Design
Section 2
Design Development (inc. modelling)

GCSE Product Design – Section 2: Design Development (inc. modelling)
The Design Development section is worth almost of your TOTAL⅓
coursework mark so you must do it well. Above are details how to gain
between 26 and 32 marks out of the full 32 for this section.
marks
out of 32

To complete this (large!) section of your folder, you will need to complete the
following sheets:
Sheets 6 & 7. Sketch Designs
Sheet 8. Evaluation of Sketches
Sheet 9. Final SKETCH Proposal
Sheet 10. Sketch Model (evidence of physical and/or CAD modelling) & Modifications
Sheet 11. “MESS” Development
Sheet 12. Graphical Development /Packaging Initial Design
Sheet 13. Packaging/Poster/Leaflet Design (Nets)
Sheet 14. Materials & Processes
Sheet 15. Standardised Part(s) Drawing with dimensions
Sheet 16. Final Design Working Drawing (including a Cutting List)
Sheet 17. Final Design 3D Drawing
You will also be awarded marks in this section for the way you record and evidence the
Making of your finished practical piece.
Sheets 18 & 19. Diary of Making
You are expected to take
approx 16 hours to complete
this entire section of work!

Fill the next couple of pages with at least 10 ideas, play around with various shapes and ideas that meet the
needs of your Design Brief and Design Specification. Add notes to explain each of your ideas (mention your
specification, brief and research where appropriate), Only use a splash of colour at this stage.
Give each sketch a number.
Sheets 6 & 7. SKETCH DESIGNS
You don’t need to create 10 completely
different designs – use 4x4 and/or cloning
exercises to produce different variations
too.
1.
4.
2.
5.
3.
Mention possible
materials and
approximate sizes
(in mm) for each.

Sheets 6 & 7. SKETCH DESIGNS

•Construct a table in Word or Excel with all the Specification points you outlined on Sheet 5 down the left
hand column.
•Rate each design out of 10 for each Specification point - Some will be difficult to judge from a drawing, make
your best guess.
•Total up all the scores to give an overall Total mark for each design.
•Finally and very importantly, write a Summary of Results at the bottom. A paragraph or two explaining in
depth any reasons why you think each design achieved that particular total score. Focus particular attention on
the ones that scored lowest & highest, but you need to make clear why they are good or bad.
Sheet 8. EVALUATION OF SKETCHES (against Specification)

Sheet 8. EVALUATION OF SKETCHES (against Specification)

Sheet 9. FINAL SKETCH PROPOSAL
Using the Sketch Designs (on Sheets 6 & 7) and the Evaluation Table
results and Summary on Sheet 8, develop your design into one final sketch
proposal.
•This design can be one of
your sketch designs that
got the best rating (or
feature parts of the other
designs that scored well)
•Draw in three-dimensions using a standard 3D
drawing technique (isometric, 1-point or 2-point
perspective) and include colour (tonal shading
techniques) & possibly thick-and-thin-lines for
impact
•Annotate this drawing well –
use the guidelines for Sheet 2 to
make sure your notes are
DESCRIPTIVE.

•Make a model (usually from card or modelling foam).
•You may wish to create a CAD model in 2D (e.g. 2D Design) or, better still, 3D (e.g.
Google Sketchup / ProDesktop) – SHOW SCREENSHOTS OF THIS CAD MODEL TOO.
•Photograph and evaluate this model listing the good and bad points and further
improvements and modifications you have made or could make.
Sheet 10. SKETCH MODEL(s) & MODIFICATIONS

Sheet 10. SKETCH MODEL(s) & MODIFICATIONS

Sheet 11. M.E.S.S. DEVELOPMENT
(Moral, Environmental, Social and Sustainability Implications)
Place a photocopy of your “Final Sketch Proposal” and evaluate / annotate it against the
6 R’s, suggesting ways/reasons to improve it against environmental & sustainability considerations.
Also think about social and moral factors that may affect the way you design/package your
product.1. Explain how you think your design is Sustainable
2. Explain how your design is not Sustainable.
3. Suggest ways to make your design more Sustainable.
My finished design could be considered to be Sustainable because ….
My finished design is not Sustainable because ….
My finished design could be made more Sustainable by ….
Moral and cultural issues
Some products might not be suitable for certain markets because of moral, cultural or religious reasons. If this is
the case you need to highlight this in your evaluation and suggest how the product might be altered to make it
acceptable e.g. your jewellery design might be based on a “Gothic” theme; some people would object to the
satanic/evil imagery associated with that style. Or, your clock might be based on Pop Art; Pop Art is closely
associated with American culture and it might not sell very well in countries that are occupied by American
forces.
Add notes on your page where you think it is appropriate.

Sheet 11. M.E.S.S. DEVELOPMENT
(Moral, Environmental, Social and Sustainability Implications)

Sheet 12a. GRAPHICAL DEVELOPMENT
Colours
The careful choice of colours and fonts in your graphic work can have a very significant affect on how
people relate to the design.
This is what is known as ‘emotional response’ and as the designer you can control how the public relate to
and feel about your design.
MY DESIGN
Upper case letters make the words
look important like headlines
my design
Lower case letters make the words
seem child-like and unthreatening
My Design
Adding italics gives the words
energy and movement
MY DESIGN
Letters with serifs make the words
look formal…
My Design
…even in lower case
MY DESIGN
Letters of different height and angles
make the words look playful and fun
Putting letters into perspective makes the
words look dynamic and give the appearance of depth
Fonts
Bright spectrum
colours appeal
to a young
market
More muted
shades appeal
to an older
more
sophisticated
market
You can also
darken colours
as well as
making them
less intense
Lightening the
colours makes
them fresher
looking and
arguably more
feminine

Sheet 12a. GRAPHICAL DEVELOPMENT

Sheet 12b. PACKAGING INITIAL DESIGN
Inform
Protect
Advertise
Contain
•Generate a RANGE (not lots of rectangular boxes!) of designs for a suitable package for your product (5–10 ideas)
•For each design show a 3D sketch, net layout and annotate using IPAC and discuss suitable manufacturing
methods
•Use the colours you selected in the colour development section to emphasise the important information
1. Product and Company Name
2. Logo
3. Barcode
4. Instructions
5. Ingredients/contents
6. Recycling symbols
7. Colour and Product Branding
MUST
INCLUDE!

You may wish to
analyse some
existing
packaging to help
you create your
design
Make a note of
colours, symbols,
logos and all
information
shown and
describe what’s
there and why.
Sheet 12b. PACKAGING INITIAL DESIGN

Sheet 13. PACKAGING/ POSTER/ LEAFLET DESIGN
Final Design for Packaging/Leaflet/Poster
Include screen shot of 2d Design Drawing of the
net OR manufacturing plan if other than a
cardboard net. Annotate with notes describing
which tools you used to create the drawing…
…And a QUALITY 3d sketch of the
final design with annotation

Sheet 13. PACKAGING/ POSTER/ LEAFLET DESIGN

Sheet 14. MATERIALS & PROCESSES
It is vital that you experiment with different materials and joining techniques to achieve similar outcomes
(e.g. CAD/CAM vs. traditional methods) so you can use the best / most efficient for the making of your
Final Product. You must RECORD EVIDENCE of this process & describe what you learn by doing it.
This sheet must
include the
following:
•Joining Methods
•Finishes Samples
•Process Trials

Sheet 15. STANDARDISED PART(s) DRAWING(s)
As a designer, you may not need to design every single part of your product.
Often, standardised components are bought in to be used. If one is relevant to
Your design, it is important you have a thorough knowledge of the restrictions
its size and shape may place upon your product’s design.
Create a sheet completing an accurate third-angle orthographic
projection (with dimensions in mm) of any standardised
components
that you may need to incorporate into your design.
9mm

Sheet 15. STANDARDISED PART(s) DRAWING(s)

Sheet 16. FINAL DESIGN WORKING DRAWING
(inc. Cutting List)
Part
Name/Description
Material Size
(Length x Width x Thickness)
Quantity
(Number required)
Produce a “Third-Angle Orthographic Projection” of your product (possibly in 2D Design).
Add all the sizes needed to make it (in mm),
show the SCALE you’ve drawn it at & the correct notation
You should also add a Cutting List on
this sheet listing all the materials
(&sizes) needed to make your product.

Sheet 16. FINAL DESIGN WORKING DRAWING
(inc. Cutting List)
Make sure you show
stock size of material
(e.g. 3mm Acrylic (Blue)
Scale should be shown

Sheet 17. FINAL DESIGN 3D Drawing
Use a standard 3-dimensional view (isometric / 1- or 2- point perspective) or create your model in a 3D CAD
package (e.g. ProDesktop or Google SketchUp) and create a final presentaion drawing of your product. You
may try drawing an “Exploded View” (below) showing all joining and production method, dimenions
and materials.

Sheet 17. FINAL DESIGN 3D Drawing

Sheets 18 & 19. MAKING DIARY
Your Making Diary will be an essential feature of your coursework and will allow you to gain some good
marks in the Design Development section if completed to a good standard (and it’s really easy to do!)
Record EVERY STAGE of the process you go through to make your final product model with
PHOTOGRAPHS and NOTES.
For each stage of the process, make a record of:
•What you did (the process)
•What Health & Safety rules you observed
•What tools/machinery/software you used
•What materials you were using
•How long that particular process took
It is really important that you include anything that went wrong or if you re-did any
part (and explain why.)

Sheets 18 & 19. MAKING DIARY

GCSE Product Design
Section 3
Making

GCSE Product Design – Section 3: Making
The actual MAKING of your finished product is a very important part of your overall
coursework mark (32 marks out of 90).
**As already noted in Section 2, marks will ALSO be awarded for the way you record
and evidence your Making in the Design Development section (Making Diary)**
You are expected to spend approx. 16 hours on
this section
marks
out of 32

GCSE Product Design
Section 4
Testing & Evaluation

GCSE Product Design – Section 4: Testing & Evaluation
The Testing and Evaluation section of your folder is worth 12 marks out of 90 and is
an important part of the design process where you can assess how well your product
meets the Brief & Specification and decide how to make it better.
**Remember – even the best designs have room for improvement**
Sir James Dyson is continually evaluating & improving the design of his
ground-breaking vacuum cleaner to make it better.
marks
out of 12
You are expected to
spend approx. 6 hours
on this section
Sheet 20. Finished Product
Sheet 21. Evaluation of Product
Sheet 22. Improved Design
Sheet 23. Commercial Production

Sheet 20. FINISHED PRODUCT
Include as many photos of your finished product as you can to show clearly the skills and quality
of finish you have achieved.
Explain why you changed what you did; this
could be a personal preference or as a result of
having difficulty making something.
(Note the differences can be aesthetic, material,
scale etc.)

Sheet 21. EVALUATION OF PRODUCT
List the specification points and assess how
well you have addressed them.
Ask other people’s opinions about your
design. Ask them closed questions as you get
much clearer answers.
e.g.
Do you think the design matches the look
of Pop Art?
Do you think that the chosen materials
work well or would you choose different
materials?
Do you think it is easy to read the time
on the clock?
Would you wear this piece of jewellery?
Do you think it would appeal to the
target market?
What self image do you think the wearer
is trying to promote?
Take pictures of the clock or jewellery in
use; is it stable or comfortable? does it fit
the packaging? is it easy to get on and
off? is the battery easy to change?

Sheet 21. EVALUATION OF PRODUCT

Sheet 22. IMPROVED DESIGN
Using the responses from
your evaluation and testing
draw an improved design.
State on the drawing what
the improvements/
alterations are and why you
have made them.

Sheet 22. IMPROVED DESIGN

Sheet 23. COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
Only include pictures/diagrams of relevant production methods.

Sheet 23. COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION

GCSE Product Design
Section 5
Communication
marks
out of 6

TEACHER ONLY- Development
No doubt there will be some development of this resource, any thoughts can be added on these two pages,
PLEASE INFORM R BOND SO THAT THIS VERSION CAN BE UPDATED READY FOR NEXT YEAR
Your Name Form GCSE Product Design Project Title

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