2024 AQA GCSE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
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 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
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
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 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
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
