What happens during my aqa as product design?

During your first year of your course you will notice a big step up from GCSE product design. The course will be broken down into 3 sections

1. Materials and Components.
2. Design and Market Influences.
3. Processes and Manufacture.

You will not be taught these on there own but as a more ‘holistic’ overview. At the end of your AS you will create a project, in retrospect my AS product sucks, but the vision and ideas behind it were clear. My product was let down by the manufacturing technique (Ply Board).

What happens during A2? Exams?

For my AS project you get a lot more chance to explore deeper Ideas, along with a final year product you will also have a couple of exams. One in Materials, One in Electronics , one in mechanics and 4 hr Design Challenge type exam. For the design challenge you will get a brief at the begging of the exam, and you will need to create a product solution for the exam.

For my final project I create a new design of mountain board. Potential ATB.

For your final year project, I would reocmmend getting as much third party help as you can. You will most likley not have the training to weld, or play with epoxy resins.

After A levels, What I wish I had learnt during my time at 6th form.

1. If you want to do Product Design, improve your sketching.
2. Pay more attention to you basic electronics, stick with it and it will come in useful.
3. Learn to Design before you Learn to CAD.
4. Have fun, this will be the most enjoyable learning experiance of your life.

I would recommend checking out the AQA AS /A2 Design specification