AQA A-LEVEL DESIGN &
TECHNOLOGY PAPER 1 UNIT 8
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS
REVISION BOOK QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025/2026
TheArequirementsAforAproductAdesignAandAdevelopmentA-
AcorrectAanswersSuccessfulAproductAdesignAandAdevelopmentArequiresAanAunderstandingAofAt
heAproductAandAitsAintendedApurpose.AByAstudyingAexistingAsolutionsAtoAtheAproblemAorAsimila
rAproblems,AdesignersAcanAformulateAaccurateAproduct
designAspecificationsA(PDS)AtoAguideAthemAwithinAtheAdevelopmentAofAfutureAsolutions.
SpecificationAcriteriaAandAfitnessAforApurposeA-
AcorrectAanswersTheAdevelopmentAofAaAdesignAspecificationArequiresAaAclearAsetAofAtestableAcr
iteriaAbasedAonAappropriateAresearchAthatAwillAallowAtheAfinalAproductAtoAbeAassessed.
StuartAPugh,AaAhighlyAinfluentialAdesignAengineerAandAfounderAofAtheAtermA'totalAdesign',Arefer
sAtoAtheAPDSAasAtheAkeyAdocumentAthatAisAusedAthroughoutAallAsubsequentAdesignAactivities.AH
eAdevisedAaAwideArangeAofAsub-sectionsAthatAaAPDSAmustAaddressA-
AknownAasAPugh'sAplates.AAAreducedAlistAofAtheAmostAcommonAelementsAisAshownAbelow,AandA
canAbeAusedAtoAguideAprojectAresearchAandAdevelopment.
●AEnvironment:AconsiderAtheAimpactAofAtheAproductAonAtheAenvironment
duringAproduction,AuseAandAdisposal/reuse.
●ATesting:AconsiderAhowAeachApartAofAtheAproductAwillAbeAtestedAandAtheAmeasurementsAthatA
willAmeanAsuccess.
●ASafety:AconsiderAallArelevantAsafetyAstandardsAandAlegislation.
●AProductAlifeAspan:AconsiderAhowAlongAtheAproductAshouldAlastAbeforeAreplacementAisAnecess
aryA(considerAtechnologyApush,AmarketApullAandAbuilt-inAobsolescence).
●AMaterials:AconsiderAtheAkeyAmaterialApropertiesArequiredAforAeachAcomponentAwithinAtheAp
roduct.
●Aergonomics:AconsiderAhowAtheAproductAwillAbeAinteractedAwith,AandAhowAtheAdesignAwillAass
istAtheAeaseAofAuseAforAtheAclient/user.
●AAesthetics:AconsiderAanyAappearanceAcharacteristicsAofAtheAshapeAandAformAtoAmeetAtheAcli
ent'sArequirements.
, ●APerformance:AconsiderAhowAwellAtheAdesignAmustAfunctionAinAcomparisonAtoAexistingAsoluti
ons.
●AProductAcost:AconsiderAallAofAtheAcostArestrictionsAuponAtheAdesignAregardingAmaterials,Ama
nufacturingAandAlabourAcosts,Aetc.
●ATimeAscale:AconsiderAtheAprojectAdeadline.
●ASizeAandAweight:AconsiderAallAsizeAandAweightArestrictionsAonAtheAproduct,AincludingArelevan
tAanthropometricAdata.
●AMaintenance:AconsiderAhowAtheAproductAwillAbeAmaintained.AConsiderAwhetherAthereAareAa
nyAconsumableApartsAandAhowAt
CriticalAassessmentAforAnewAdesignAdevelopmentA-
AcorrectAanswersDesignAisAconstantlyAevolving.ADavidAPyeAstates:
'EverythingAweAdesignAandAmakeAisAanAimprovisation,AaAlash-
up,AsomethingAineptAandAprovisional.'
InAthisAquote,APyeAisAreferringAtoAtheAfactAthatAdesignersAmustAassessAandAimproveAuponAwhatA
hasAcomeAbeforeAtoAavoidAmakingAtheAsameAmistakes.ADesignersAmustAbeAwillingAtoAacceptAth
atAtheyAwillAneverAfullyAsolveAaAproblem,AbutAcanAonlyAdeviseAaAtemporaryAsolutionAthat,AwithA
current
technologyAandAknowledge,AaddressesAtheAspecificationAtheyAwereAgiven.
ByAcriticallyAassessingAcurrentAproducts,AweAareAableAtoAuseAtheAexperiencesAofAconsumersAtoA
guideAtheAdevelopmentAofAfurtherAproducts.
CriticalAanalysisA-
AcorrectAanswersDesignersAandAmanufacturersAevaluateAcurrentAproductsAtoAhelpAthemAdevel
opAideasAforAnewAorAimprovedAproducts,AbyAcarryingAoutAvariousAanalyses:
●AProductAanalysis:AanAeffectiveAproductAanalysisAcanAonlyAbeAcompletedAonAaAproductAthatAyo
uAhaveAdirectAaccessAto,AsoAyouAcanAinteractAwithAit.AYouAcanAonlyAassessAhowAwellAaAproductAs
ucceedsAinAperformingAitsAperceivedAfunctionAifAyouAhaveAusedAitAforAtheAtaskAitAwasAdesignedA
toAfulfil.
●AFunctionA(perceived):AtoAanalyseAtheAfunctionAofAaAproduct,AyouAmustAperformAaAtaskAanalys
is,AusingAtheAproductAandAassessingAitsAsuccessAinAperformingAeachAstageAofAtheAtask.
●ATaskAanalysis:AtheAideaAofAaAtaskAanalysisAisAtoAbreakAaAspecificAtaskAdownAintoAindividualAsta
ges.AWeAoftenAforgetAtoAincludeAwhatAweAwouldAregardAasA'commonAsense'AorAobviousAstagesA
inAtheAtask.AByAbreakingAtheAtaskAdownAfurther,AweAcanAlookAmoreAcloselyAatAhowAaAproductAisA
suitedAtoAaAparticularAtaskAandAifAthereAareAanyAelementsAthatAmayAbeAimproved.
TECHNOLOGY PAPER 1 UNIT 8
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS
REVISION BOOK QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025/2026
TheArequirementsAforAproductAdesignAandAdevelopmentA-
AcorrectAanswersSuccessfulAproductAdesignAandAdevelopmentArequiresAanAunderstandingAofAt
heAproductAandAitsAintendedApurpose.AByAstudyingAexistingAsolutionsAtoAtheAproblemAorAsimila
rAproblems,AdesignersAcanAformulateAaccurateAproduct
designAspecificationsA(PDS)AtoAguideAthemAwithinAtheAdevelopmentAofAfutureAsolutions.
SpecificationAcriteriaAandAfitnessAforApurposeA-
AcorrectAanswersTheAdevelopmentAofAaAdesignAspecificationArequiresAaAclearAsetAofAtestableAcr
iteriaAbasedAonAappropriateAresearchAthatAwillAallowAtheAfinalAproductAtoAbeAassessed.
StuartAPugh,AaAhighlyAinfluentialAdesignAengineerAandAfounderAofAtheAtermA'totalAdesign',Arefer
sAtoAtheAPDSAasAtheAkeyAdocumentAthatAisAusedAthroughoutAallAsubsequentAdesignAactivities.AH
eAdevisedAaAwideArangeAofAsub-sectionsAthatAaAPDSAmustAaddressA-
AknownAasAPugh'sAplates.AAAreducedAlistAofAtheAmostAcommonAelementsAisAshownAbelow,AandA
canAbeAusedAtoAguideAprojectAresearchAandAdevelopment.
●AEnvironment:AconsiderAtheAimpactAofAtheAproductAonAtheAenvironment
duringAproduction,AuseAandAdisposal/reuse.
●ATesting:AconsiderAhowAeachApartAofAtheAproductAwillAbeAtestedAandAtheAmeasurementsAthatA
willAmeanAsuccess.
●ASafety:AconsiderAallArelevantAsafetyAstandardsAandAlegislation.
●AProductAlifeAspan:AconsiderAhowAlongAtheAproductAshouldAlastAbeforeAreplacementAisAnecess
aryA(considerAtechnologyApush,AmarketApullAandAbuilt-inAobsolescence).
●AMaterials:AconsiderAtheAkeyAmaterialApropertiesArequiredAforAeachAcomponentAwithinAtheAp
roduct.
●Aergonomics:AconsiderAhowAtheAproductAwillAbeAinteractedAwith,AandAhowAtheAdesignAwillAass
istAtheAeaseAofAuseAforAtheAclient/user.
●AAesthetics:AconsiderAanyAappearanceAcharacteristicsAofAtheAshapeAandAformAtoAmeetAtheAcli
ent'sArequirements.
, ●APerformance:AconsiderAhowAwellAtheAdesignAmustAfunctionAinAcomparisonAtoAexistingAsoluti
ons.
●AProductAcost:AconsiderAallAofAtheAcostArestrictionsAuponAtheAdesignAregardingAmaterials,Ama
nufacturingAandAlabourAcosts,Aetc.
●ATimeAscale:AconsiderAtheAprojectAdeadline.
●ASizeAandAweight:AconsiderAallAsizeAandAweightArestrictionsAonAtheAproduct,AincludingArelevan
tAanthropometricAdata.
●AMaintenance:AconsiderAhowAtheAproductAwillAbeAmaintained.AConsiderAwhetherAthereAareAa
nyAconsumableApartsAandAhowAt
CriticalAassessmentAforAnewAdesignAdevelopmentA-
AcorrectAanswersDesignAisAconstantlyAevolving.ADavidAPyeAstates:
'EverythingAweAdesignAandAmakeAisAanAimprovisation,AaAlash-
up,AsomethingAineptAandAprovisional.'
InAthisAquote,APyeAisAreferringAtoAtheAfactAthatAdesignersAmustAassessAandAimproveAuponAwhatA
hasAcomeAbeforeAtoAavoidAmakingAtheAsameAmistakes.ADesignersAmustAbeAwillingAtoAacceptAth
atAtheyAwillAneverAfullyAsolveAaAproblem,AbutAcanAonlyAdeviseAaAtemporaryAsolutionAthat,AwithA
current
technologyAandAknowledge,AaddressesAtheAspecificationAtheyAwereAgiven.
ByAcriticallyAassessingAcurrentAproducts,AweAareAableAtoAuseAtheAexperiencesAofAconsumersAtoA
guideAtheAdevelopmentAofAfurtherAproducts.
CriticalAanalysisA-
AcorrectAanswersDesignersAandAmanufacturersAevaluateAcurrentAproductsAtoAhelpAthemAdevel
opAideasAforAnewAorAimprovedAproducts,AbyAcarryingAoutAvariousAanalyses:
●AProductAanalysis:AanAeffectiveAproductAanalysisAcanAonlyAbeAcompletedAonAaAproductAthatAyo
uAhaveAdirectAaccessAto,AsoAyouAcanAinteractAwithAit.AYouAcanAonlyAassessAhowAwellAaAproductAs
ucceedsAinAperformingAitsAperceivedAfunctionAifAyouAhaveAusedAitAforAtheAtaskAitAwasAdesignedA
toAfulfil.
●AFunctionA(perceived):AtoAanalyseAtheAfunctionAofAaAproduct,AyouAmustAperformAaAtaskAanalys
is,AusingAtheAproductAandAassessingAitsAsuccessAinAperformingAeachAstageAofAtheAtask.
●ATaskAanalysis:AtheAideaAofAaAtaskAanalysisAisAtoAbreakAaAspecificAtaskAdownAintoAindividualAsta
ges.AWeAoftenAforgetAtoAincludeAwhatAweAwouldAregardAasA'commonAsense'AorAobviousAstagesA
inAtheAtask.AByAbreakingAtheAtaskAdownAfurther,AweAcanAlookAmoreAcloselyAatAhowAaAproductAisA
suitedAtoAaAparticularAtaskAandAifAthereAareAanyAelementsAthatAmayAbeAimproved.
