Design and technology at key stage 3    (Year 9)

Set the pupils a DMA in which they:

• think about how designing for high-volume manufacturing brings new considerations and constraints for a designer
• identify the need for a product and a group of people who might use it
• identify roles for their team members, perhaps setting up a mini-enterprise to make the product in volume
• design a product that users want
• develop and make prototypes of the product, to ensure that it can be manufactured easily
• make the product efficiently and ensure high quality

These example DMAs have been written so they can be copied and given directly to pupils. However, a more specific context and background information should be added so that the DMAs are appropriate for your pupils.

Mini-enterprise

Identify the need for a new product and think about the group of people who might use it. Design and manufacture the product in volume, making sufficient quantities to meet expected demand.

Designer-makers

Design and make a simple product to sell at a craft fair. The product must be suitable for batch production. Your design and any decoration need to be simple, so that it is easy to manufacture.

Organise a range of activities that give pupils an opportunity to:

• formulate criteria and use these to comment critically on the product’s impact on society, the extent to which it meets a need, its purpose and resource limits
• explore why users place a different value on hand-made products and products made in high volume

• In 1998, over 7,000 new food and drink products were introduced to the British market alone - about 135 each week. Discuss with the pupils why so many food products are introduced. Ask them to find out how many new types of products are developed in different sectors of the industry, eg chilled, frozen and organic foods. Discuss how long the products survive before being replaced by a new or improved version. Ask the pupils to review one food product that has been introduced recently, to discuss the need it was designed to meet, and to consider how far it meets those needs and its impact on society.

• Talk to the pupils about how well particular products are suited to manufacture in large volume. Discuss how different products are made in different ways, eg
• a decorated cake is made for a special event (a one-off)
• a ready-prepared meal may be made as a batch or in higher volume
• formed foods, such as chicken shapes and biscuits, can be made in vast quantities and each one that comes off the production line is exactly the same as others (high-volume production)

• Ask the pupils to compare hand-made and high-volume products using these questions
• How is the product designed so that it is suitable for low-volume or high-volume production?
• What are the costs of the materials/ingredients, labour, tools and equipment needed to make the product?
• Are the tools and equipment used to make the product specialised or general purpose?
• Who determines the quality of the finished product? How is the level of quality maintained?

• A century ago, most manufacturing took place where there was a local supply of raw materials and people with the necessary skills. Ask the pupils to find out what products were produced in the local area, where the resources came from, and where the products went to. Ask the pupils and discuss with them why many companies are international and have factories in different countries.

• Visit a local company to see how a product is designed and manufactured and how ICT influences manufacturing in industry. If a visit to a local company cannot be arranged, pupils could watch a video or slide show, or go on a virtual visit using the internet site of a manufacturer.

• Ask the pupils
  • What products are made in the local area?
  • Do you know anyone involved in manufacturing?
  • What do they do?

• Explain to the pupils that many manufacturing industries use huge quantities of raw materials/ingredients and resources, eg electricity, water, and also produce waste products. Ask the pupils what steps they think could be taken to make manufacturing more environmentally friendly, eg to reduce waste.

• Discuss with the pupils whether they prefer hand-made or high-volume items. Talk about why some people want hand-made products and are willing to pay a premium for them, and how we value these items in different ways, eg carry out a product analysis of chocolate products.

These practical tasks should focus on the knowledge, skills and understanding outlined in 'About the unit'. They should give pupils an opportunity to practise any new skills they will need during the DMA, eg how quality assurance systems are used.

• Discuss with the pupils, or use examples to show, different ways of achieving high quality when manufacturing a product by implementing quality assurance during all the stages of designing and making, eg accurate measuring, inspection and testing, using moulds and templates. Explain the difference between 'quality control', where the product is checked at the end of the process, and 'quality assurance', where checking throughout the process ensures quality is achieved at the end. Review with the pupils how these principles can be implemented:
  • right first time, every time
  • constantly aiming to improve and innovate products
  • always looking to exceed user expectations

• Discuss with the pupils the different roles required to run a successful business. Ask teams of pupils to talk about the best roles for each team member, eg project manager, finance manager, personnel manager, production manager, marketing manager, and what the main tasks for each might be. Ask the pupils to think about each other's skills and abilities, but remind them that the roles need to be flexible because of varying workloads.

• Ask a group of pupils to make a batch of identical, ready-designed products, using different methods, eg
  • an individual working with hand-tools
  • an individual using a mixer
  • a group working as a production line
  • a group working as a production cell

  Ask different groups to use different methods and to compare the time taken to make 10 items using each method. The product should include multiple processes, eg a biscuit that is decorated.

• Discuss with the pupils ways of making a product in high volume, or use case studies to talk about how production could be faster, more cost effective and of a higher quality.

• Reported cases of food poisoning increased 600% between 1985 and 1995. Discuss with the pupils the reasons for this and the part that commercial food processes, eg pasteurisation, and quality assurance procedures, eg HACCP, play in ensuring the production of safe food products. Use examples to show the pupils how flow charts are used, where critical control points are identified, and how food products can be checked during all stages of production, to ensure the safe production and storage of food products.

• Discuss with the pupils how to identify the users of a particular product, and how to research what they want, through product research and user research, eg by finding out what other businesses are producing, comparing existing products, asking potential customers to test products, providing questionnaires for potential users.

• Ask the pupils to describe how a product is made, by breaking the process down into tasks and drawing a simple flow chart.