AQA GCSE Design &Technology - Product Design
Exam Review Questions with Correct Answers
Verified A+
Why does product evolution occur? - Answer > Continuous improvement
> Market pull
> Technology push
> Social/cultural needs
> Political/environmental needs
What is market pull? - Answer > Designing to satisfy the needs and wants of customers - costumer
demand
> Changing fashions and social attitudes affect what people want and it isn't always the same
Give an example of market pull - Answer A car is designed to get you from A to B but they have become
a status symbol and luxury extras such as seat-back TV screens are added
What is technology push? - Answer > Research and development leads to new technologies, materials
and manufacturing techniques
> New technology can make a product cheaper, perform its function better or be nicer-looking
Give an example of technology push - Answer Computers started as a hude 'adding machines' but now
microchips allow for small, fast and powerful machienes
What is continuous improvement? - Answer > Manufactures want to make more money, increase profit
> They improve the design do they can be made more easily 'continuous improvement'
> They make them as good as possible to make money, be competitive and meet standards of product
quality
What alternative reasons can a product evolve for? - Answer > Social or cultural needs (For example,
wind-up radios for Africans so they could listen to educational broadcasts about health concerns)
,> Political or environmental needs (For example, the need for environmentally friendly products such as
hybrid engine cars that are more efficient)
Name the features of the Arts and Crafts movement - Answer > Founded by William Morris
> Bases on patterns found in nature
> Upright and angular
> Made by made and skilled craftsmen
Name the features of the Art Nouveau movement - Answer > Designers include Louis C.Tiffany
> Flowing and curvy designs
> They use floral or insect motifs
Name the features of the Art Deco movement - Answer > Inspired by African and Egyptian art
> Bold colours, zigzag and stepped shapes, bold sweeping curves and the sunset motif
> Example is the Chrysler building in New York
Name the features of the Bauhaus movement - Answer > Movement from Germany
> Has the motto 'form follows function'
> Function is most important and appearance is second
> It is futuristic, simplistic and used mass production methods
> Uses chrome tubing and black leather
Name the features of the De Stijl movement - Answer > Dutch modernist movemnt
> Basic - uses simple shapes, horizontal and vertical lines
> The three primary colous only
> Well known example is Gerrit Rietveld's Red and Blue chair
Name the features of the postmodernism movement - Answer > Rejected 'form follows function'
> Put style as the focus point of design
,> Memphis used bright, contrasting colours and different materials
> Some styles contain kitsch and minimalism
What are human factors? - Answer Addressing different needs and values of target groups
> Disabled users
> Cultural and religious values
> Age groups
> Ergonomics
> Anthropometrics
Explain how products can be changed for disabled users - Answer > Some packaging has Braille for blind
users
> Buttons can be made bigger and brighter so they are easier to press and find
> Products such as smoke alarms can have visible signals as well as audio ones so deaf people are
alerted to fires
> Instructions can be given in picture or diagram form so people with difficulty reading text can use the
product
> Wheelchair access must be designed into busses, trains and working stations (like atms)
Explain how products can be changed to suit cultural and religious values - Answer > You can cater for
their dietary needs
> Create products to suit a particular custom or celebration - like Diwali uses lights
> Cultures can use things differently, the Japanese custom is to eat at a low table on the floor
> Clothing styles can vary, it could be inappropriate to wear revealing clothing
> Colours can have different meaning - Chinese brides wear red for example
Explain how products can be changed with respect to age groups - Answer > Small children or the elderly
may not be able to manipulate small parts such as tricky fastenings or open packaging
> Elderly and infirm people may have trouble holding and using products so you could make easy grip
handles
, What are ergonomics? - Answer How easy and comfortable a product is to use, efficiency in use
Why are ergonomics important? - Answer > To fit the size and proportions of the user
> It improves safety, comfort and efficiency
> Long-term damage to health can be caused by badly-designed products
Give an example of ergonomic design - Answer A chair seat must be the right height off the ground and
support the persons back in the right places
What are anthropometrics? - Answer The study of human body measurements used to make products
of the right size and shape
How are anthropometrics used in design? - Answer > Designers use them to cater for 90% of their target
market
> They use percentiles between the 5th and 95th in their design so it is suitable for most users
> If you lie outside of the 90% you need to have products custom-made
Give an example of the use of anthropometric data - Answer > Tennis racket handles width needs to fit
the size of the average hand
> Football t-shirts should be made for the average torso, arm and neck sizes
What is a design brief and what does it include? - Answer A statement of what a product should do, a
starting point
> What kind of product is needed and why
> How the product will be used
> Functions and properties it should have
> Who the product is for (target market)
What is the point in carrying out research? - Answer > To find if your product is needed/wanted
> To find what people like/dislike about the design
Exam Review Questions with Correct Answers
Verified A+
Why does product evolution occur? - Answer > Continuous improvement
> Market pull
> Technology push
> Social/cultural needs
> Political/environmental needs
What is market pull? - Answer > Designing to satisfy the needs and wants of customers - costumer
demand
> Changing fashions and social attitudes affect what people want and it isn't always the same
Give an example of market pull - Answer A car is designed to get you from A to B but they have become
a status symbol and luxury extras such as seat-back TV screens are added
What is technology push? - Answer > Research and development leads to new technologies, materials
and manufacturing techniques
> New technology can make a product cheaper, perform its function better or be nicer-looking
Give an example of technology push - Answer Computers started as a hude 'adding machines' but now
microchips allow for small, fast and powerful machienes
What is continuous improvement? - Answer > Manufactures want to make more money, increase profit
> They improve the design do they can be made more easily 'continuous improvement'
> They make them as good as possible to make money, be competitive and meet standards of product
quality
What alternative reasons can a product evolve for? - Answer > Social or cultural needs (For example,
wind-up radios for Africans so they could listen to educational broadcasts about health concerns)
,> Political or environmental needs (For example, the need for environmentally friendly products such as
hybrid engine cars that are more efficient)
Name the features of the Arts and Crafts movement - Answer > Founded by William Morris
> Bases on patterns found in nature
> Upright and angular
> Made by made and skilled craftsmen
Name the features of the Art Nouveau movement - Answer > Designers include Louis C.Tiffany
> Flowing and curvy designs
> They use floral or insect motifs
Name the features of the Art Deco movement - Answer > Inspired by African and Egyptian art
> Bold colours, zigzag and stepped shapes, bold sweeping curves and the sunset motif
> Example is the Chrysler building in New York
Name the features of the Bauhaus movement - Answer > Movement from Germany
> Has the motto 'form follows function'
> Function is most important and appearance is second
> It is futuristic, simplistic and used mass production methods
> Uses chrome tubing and black leather
Name the features of the De Stijl movement - Answer > Dutch modernist movemnt
> Basic - uses simple shapes, horizontal and vertical lines
> The three primary colous only
> Well known example is Gerrit Rietveld's Red and Blue chair
Name the features of the postmodernism movement - Answer > Rejected 'form follows function'
> Put style as the focus point of design
,> Memphis used bright, contrasting colours and different materials
> Some styles contain kitsch and minimalism
What are human factors? - Answer Addressing different needs and values of target groups
> Disabled users
> Cultural and religious values
> Age groups
> Ergonomics
> Anthropometrics
Explain how products can be changed for disabled users - Answer > Some packaging has Braille for blind
users
> Buttons can be made bigger and brighter so they are easier to press and find
> Products such as smoke alarms can have visible signals as well as audio ones so deaf people are
alerted to fires
> Instructions can be given in picture or diagram form so people with difficulty reading text can use the
product
> Wheelchair access must be designed into busses, trains and working stations (like atms)
Explain how products can be changed to suit cultural and religious values - Answer > You can cater for
their dietary needs
> Create products to suit a particular custom or celebration - like Diwali uses lights
> Cultures can use things differently, the Japanese custom is to eat at a low table on the floor
> Clothing styles can vary, it could be inappropriate to wear revealing clothing
> Colours can have different meaning - Chinese brides wear red for example
Explain how products can be changed with respect to age groups - Answer > Small children or the elderly
may not be able to manipulate small parts such as tricky fastenings or open packaging
> Elderly and infirm people may have trouble holding and using products so you could make easy grip
handles
, What are ergonomics? - Answer How easy and comfortable a product is to use, efficiency in use
Why are ergonomics important? - Answer > To fit the size and proportions of the user
> It improves safety, comfort and efficiency
> Long-term damage to health can be caused by badly-designed products
Give an example of ergonomic design - Answer A chair seat must be the right height off the ground and
support the persons back in the right places
What are anthropometrics? - Answer The study of human body measurements used to make products
of the right size and shape
How are anthropometrics used in design? - Answer > Designers use them to cater for 90% of their target
market
> They use percentiles between the 5th and 95th in their design so it is suitable for most users
> If you lie outside of the 90% you need to have products custom-made
Give an example of the use of anthropometric data - Answer > Tennis racket handles width needs to fit
the size of the average hand
> Football t-shirts should be made for the average torso, arm and neck sizes
What is a design brief and what does it include? - Answer A statement of what a product should do, a
starting point
> What kind of product is needed and why
> How the product will be used
> Functions and properties it should have
> Who the product is for (target market)
What is the point in carrying out research? - Answer > To find if your product is needed/wanted
> To find what people like/dislike about the design
