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Lemur14
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#1
Are you considering taking any Design Technology course as a GCSE or A level option? Read below for more information to help educate your decision!
GCSE(9-1)
A level (new specification)
If you have any more questions, you can ask in the thread below and we'll try and help
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GCSE(9-1)
A level (new specification)
If you have any more questions, you can ask in the thread below and we'll try and help
Last edited by CheeseIsVeg; 1 year ago
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h.i_773
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Eliza1233
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#3
(Original post by h.i_773)
just dont do it
just dont do it
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CoolCavy
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#4
(Original post by Eliza1233)
Im thinking of taking it - it it not good?
Im thinking of taking it - it it not good?
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PetitePanda
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#5
(Original post by CoolCavy)
Good is subjective, some people struggle with it and others really enjoy it as with any subject. I did product design at GCSE , Alevel and university, if you have any questions about what it's like am happy to answer them
Good is subjective, some people struggle with it and others really enjoy it as with any subject. I did product design at GCSE , Alevel and university, if you have any questions about what it's like am happy to answer them
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Eliza1233
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#6
(Original post by CoolCavy)
Good is subjective, some people struggle with it and others really enjoy it as with any subject. I did product design at GCSE , Alevel and university, if you have any questions about what it's like am happy to answer them
Good is subjective, some people struggle with it and others really enjoy it as with any subject. I did product design at GCSE , Alevel and university, if you have any questions about what it's like am happy to answer them
)
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Tomh0003
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#7
(Original post by CoolCavy)
Good is subjective, some people struggle with it and others really enjoy it as with any subject. I did product design at GCSE , Alevel and university, if you have any questions about what it's like am happy to answer them
Good is subjective, some people struggle with it and others really enjoy it as with any subject. I did product design at GCSE , Alevel and university, if you have any questions about what it's like am happy to answer them
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CoolCavy
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#8
(Original post by Eliza1233)
Ohh okay thank you! I really enjoy the subject, so I would like to take it for A-level, but I'm a lot better at the theory than the practical side of it - do you think this would be an issue? Or is the practical also mainly to do with the writing that goes with the product? (if that makes sense)
Ohh okay thank you! I really enjoy the subject, so I would like to take it for A-level, but I'm a lot better at the theory than the practical side of it - do you think this would be an issue? Or is the practical also mainly to do with the writing that goes with the product? (if that makes sense
)
) Honestly i dont think it would be an issue, in fact it might even be a strength as a lot of people neglect the theory side and focus solely on the practical. Both are 50% of the overall grade but schools often run out of time to teach the theory properly as some focus too much on the practical (i would advise reading your textbook where you can just in case this happens). Some schools run theory lessons alongside the practical ones (usually one every week or every two weeks) but ramp up the teaching after the practical is submitted around about april.
For the practical you do a portfolio alongside it, on average this tends to amount to 40-50 A3 pages at the end. The portfolio is stuff like initial design ideas (drawings and sketches) and mind maps but the majority of it writing that goes with the product you are correct
. The writing is stuff like why you designed what you did, what went well with your models, each stage of the manufacturing you did and stuff like that make sure to include lots of photos even of stuff that didnt turn out great as examiners like to see trial and error. Don't worry too much about the practical side, there should be a school technician that can help you work out what the best processes would be and to guide you on how to use any machinery
(Original post by Tomh0003)
How much time did you put into it everyday? What grade did you get? Thanks
How much time did you put into it everyday? What grade did you get? Thanks
I think for GCSE i maybe did like 6 hours on it a week out of class? I did 10 GCSEs so only had one or two product design lessons a week depending on if it was week A or week B on the timetable. For GCSE i recieved an A*.
For Alevel the amount of work you do outside of class goes up quite a lot, it was maybe 15-20 hours a week? I'm not quite sure i just know it was more than GCSE but not unmanageable. To be completely honest i enjoyed A-level art a lot more so my main focus was on that a lot of the time as that was a lot more work than product design. I received an A for product design, i probably could have got an A* if i had diverted more time to it from art but i really wanted to get an A* for art more than i did for product design so that was my reasoning
.
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Tomh0003
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#9
(Original post by CoolCavy)
Honestly its quite hard to say since i rotated around the subjects i was doing as a way of keeping my mind fresh for designs (i.e i would move onto another subject when i found myself running into a wall with ideas)
I think for GCSE i maybe did like 6 hours on it a week out of class? I did 10 GCSEs so only had one or two product design lessons a week depending on if it was week A or week B on the timetable. For GCSE i recieved an A*.
For Alevel the amount of work you do outside of class goes up quite a lot, it was maybe 15-20 hours a week? I'm not quite sure i just know it was more than GCSE but not unmanageable. To be completely honest i enjoyed A-level art a lot more so my main focus was on that a lot of the time as that was a lot more work than product design. I received an A for product design, i probably could have got an A* if i had diverted more time to it from art but i really wanted to get an A* for art more than i did for product design so that was my reasoning.
Honestly its quite hard to say since i rotated around the subjects i was doing as a way of keeping my mind fresh for designs (i.e i would move onto another subject when i found myself running into a wall with ideas)
I think for GCSE i maybe did like 6 hours on it a week out of class? I did 10 GCSEs so only had one or two product design lessons a week depending on if it was week A or week B on the timetable. For GCSE i recieved an A*.
For Alevel the amount of work you do outside of class goes up quite a lot, it was maybe 15-20 hours a week? I'm not quite sure i just know it was more than GCSE but not unmanageable. To be completely honest i enjoyed A-level art a lot more so my main focus was on that a lot of the time as that was a lot more work than product design. I received an A for product design, i probably could have got an A* if i had diverted more time to it from art but i really wanted to get an A* for art more than i did for product design so that was my reasoning
.
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Tomh0003
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#10
(Original post by CoolCavy)
Honestly its quite hard to say since i rotated around the subjects i was doing as a way of keeping my mind fresh for designs (i.e i would move onto another subject when i found myself running into a wall with ideas)
I think for GCSE i maybe did like 6 hours on it a week out of class? I did 10 GCSEs so only had one or two product design lessons a week depending on if it was week A or week B on the timetable. For GCSE i recieved an A*.
For Alevel the amount of work you do outside of class goes up quite a lot, it was maybe 15-20 hours a week? I'm not quite sure i just know it was more than GCSE but not unmanageable. To be completely honest i enjoyed A-level art a lot more so my main focus was on that a lot of the time as that was a lot more work than product design. I received an A for product design, i probably could have got an A* if i had diverted more time to it from art but i really wanted to get an A* for art more than i did for product design so that was my reasoning.
Honestly its quite hard to say since i rotated around the subjects i was doing as a way of keeping my mind fresh for designs (i.e i would move onto another subject when i found myself running into a wall with ideas)
I think for GCSE i maybe did like 6 hours on it a week out of class? I did 10 GCSEs so only had one or two product design lessons a week depending on if it was week A or week B on the timetable. For GCSE i recieved an A*.
For Alevel the amount of work you do outside of class goes up quite a lot, it was maybe 15-20 hours a week? I'm not quite sure i just know it was more than GCSE but not unmanageable. To be completely honest i enjoyed A-level art a lot more so my main focus was on that a lot of the time as that was a lot more work than product design. I received an A for product design, i probably could have got an A* if i had diverted more time to it from art but i really wanted to get an A* for art more than i did for product design so that was my reasoning
.
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CoolCavy
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#11
(Original post by Tomh0003)
I really appreciate that, thank you!
I really appreciate that, thank you!
best of luck with everything
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Eliza1233
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#12
(Original post by CoolCavy)
Hey (sorry for the late reply
)
Honestly i dont think it would be an issue, in fact it might even be a strength as a lot of people neglect the theory side and focus solely on the practical. Both are 50% of the overall grade but schools often run out of time to teach the theory properly as some focus too much on the practical (i would advise reading your textbook where you can just in case this happens). Some schools run theory lessons alongside the practical ones (usually one every week or every two weeks) but ramp up the teaching after the practical is submitted around about april.
For the practical you do a portfolio alongside it, on average this tends to amount to 40-50 A3 pages at the end. The portfolio is stuff like initial design ideas (drawings and sketches) and mind maps but the majority of it writing that goes with the product you are correct
. The writing is stuff like why you designed what you did, what went well with your models, each stage of the manufacturing you did and stuff like that make sure to include lots of photos even of stuff that didnt turn out great as examiners like to see trial and error.
Don't worry too much about the practical side, there should be a school technician that can help you work out what the best processes would be and to guide you on how to use any machinery
Hey (sorry for the late reply
) Honestly i dont think it would be an issue, in fact it might even be a strength as a lot of people neglect the theory side and focus solely on the practical. Both are 50% of the overall grade but schools often run out of time to teach the theory properly as some focus too much on the practical (i would advise reading your textbook where you can just in case this happens). Some schools run theory lessons alongside the practical ones (usually one every week or every two weeks) but ramp up the teaching after the practical is submitted around about april.
For the practical you do a portfolio alongside it, on average this tends to amount to 40-50 A3 pages at the end. The portfolio is stuff like initial design ideas (drawings and sketches) and mind maps but the majority of it writing that goes with the product you are correct
. The writing is stuff like why you designed what you did, what went well with your models, each stage of the manufacturing you did and stuff like that make sure to include lots of photos even of stuff that didnt turn out great as examiners like to see trial and error. Don't worry too much about the practical side, there should be a school technician that can help you work out what the best processes would be and to guide you on how to use any machinery
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sijeh
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#13
for A-level im doing an architectural model and im really stuck on my development pages and how to lay it all out? if anyone has any suggestions would be great
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