Product Design and Development

What this page covers

This page is mostly mind maps, and many of them look at one product at a time. You will find maps on a Tulip Chair, a Torch, a Toaster, a Perfume Bottle and the Juicy Salif Lemon Squeezer. Others look at design ideas, such as Aesthetics, Design Factors, Packaging and Client Profile.

The flashcards cover vocabulary and exam practice. DT - GCSE Glossary lists terms such as alloys, annealing, batch production and bespoke. Graphics Terms explains CAD, DTP and 3D drawing words. There is also a deck on resistant materials, covering marking out and joining wood, metals and plastics.

Where to start

1. Open the Aesthetics mind map to see how senses and responses shape a design.
2. Look at a product map, such as Mechanical Toys, to see how colors and themes suit an audience.
3. Move to IB Design Technology Unit 6 Product Design for ergonomics, anthropometrics and percentile ranges.
4. Use DT - GCSE Glossary to learn the key words.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then close it and try to recall its branches. After that, take a quiz to see what stuck. This page has a small set of quizzes, including Product Design Revision 1 and Graphics Mock Drag and Drop. If a question surprises you, go back to the matching map or flashcard deck.

The deck GCSE Exam Questions PD11 asks short questions about hard woods, man-made boards and plastics. It works well after you have read the materials cards.

Where this fits

This unit sits in the Design Specialisms strand of Design and technology. It suits school students and teachers who want ready-made examples of product thinking, from client needs to materials and manufacture.

Choose one product map today, then try a quiz and see which ideas you can explain without looking.