Design and Manufacture is delivered at the following levels here at GUHS:

• National 4
• National 5
• Higher

The Course is broad, providing opportunities for learners to develop practical/design skills, as well as gaining knowledge and understanding of design, and materials and manufacturing processes. The Course is practical, exploratory and experiential in nature. It combines elements of creativity and designing for aesthetic or visual impact with a requirement to consider a product’s function and performance. It helps the learner appreciate the tensions that exist between factors such as aesthetics, function, economics and the environment.

The Course allows learners to consider the various factors that impact on a product’s design. It will consider the life cycle of a product from its inception through design, manufacture and use, including its disposal or re-use — a ‘cradle-to-cradle’ approach to design.

The Course provides learners with opportunities to develop skills that are of general value for learning, life and work: the ability to read drawings and diagrams; the ability to communicate design ideas and practical details; the ability to devise and develop practical solutions to design problems; and the ability to manufacture their design ideas.

The Course allows learners to engage with technologies and to consider the impact that design and manufacturing technologies have on our environment and society. It allows them to consider how technologies have impacted on the world of the designer and on manufacturing.

This Course is of broad general benefit to all learners. It also provides a foundation for those considering further study, or a career, in design, manufacturing, engineering,
science, marketing, and related disciplines.

The aims of the Course are to enable learners to develop:

• skills in design 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

Information about typical learners who might do the Course:

This Course is a broad-based qualification, suitable for learners with a general or specific interest in design and technology generally. It is suitable for learners with an
interest in product design and manufacture in particular. It is suitable for those wanting to progress onto higher levels of study in the subject.

The Course is largely learner-centred and includes practical and experiential learning opportunities. The world of design and manufacturing covers a broad spectrum of experiences. Some products are designed to create an emotional or visual impact; others are more functional in their requirements. These facts allow the Course to be flexible in nature and allow scope for personalisation and choice for each learner.

On successfully completing the Course, learners will be able to:

• create, develop and communicate design proposals

• solve design problems in applied contexts

• contribute to the evaluation and improvement of design proposals and manufacturing practicalities

• manufacture models prototypes and products of their design ideas.

In addition, learners will have developed: knowledge and understanding of a range of materials and manufacturing processes; an appreciation of the factors that impact on the design and manufacture of products; and an understanding of the impact of design and manufacturing technologies on our environment and society.