Design Department

Design is an established, challenging and vibrant area of the curriculum and one of the few where Stoics can forge and maintain close comparisons with the practices and processes found in the world of industry and design today. It explores the design process from simple concept sketch on paper through Computer Aided Design (CAD) and on to a developed prototype ready for commerical viability.

Design is a subject of application and requires Stoics to apply related knowledge from many disciplines including Art, Maths, History (timelines of design and technological development), Languages and Science as well as generate an awareness of cultural diversity with regard to the designing of products in a world market.  

The subject aims to foster this application of knowledge, skills and understanding in order to facilitate the design and manufacture of innovative products that address real needs. In this respect Design is a unique subject that requires and promotes the combined use of academic and practical skills through a wide range of differing media. It asks the question: How does one actually engineer desire?

The Department wants Stoics to approach their design work with a divergent and creative state of mind; to realise products that not only function very well, but that also stimulate the emotions in terms of aesthetic appeal.

The courses we offer enable Stoics to:

• Apply a range of intellectual, technical and creative skills to solving problems
• Design and manufacture their own innovative products
• Develop a wide range of skills (in both design and manufacture) that can be applied across other subjects and ultimately be applied in the real world of employment
• Analyse, synthesise and improve upon existing designs and products

Head of Department: Mr Myles Nash

Design GCSE

The Design Department currently offers two courses in Design:

• Graphic Design and
• Resistant Materials

Both follow the Edexcel Examination Board's specification.

Resistant Materials:
Provides Stoics with the opportunity to work within a range of more traditional material areas (woods, metals and plastics) that allows them to design and manufacture innovative, high quality outcomes in response to a real client brief.

Graphics:
Focuses on the design and development of ideas and concepts and allows experimentation within a range of more compliant materials. Stoics are encouraged to explore advertising, promotion, display of information, packaging, architecture, product design and CAD in order to design and manufacture products that solve specific problems.

The structure and weighting of the courses are identical and share two distinct components:

Paper 1: Internally Assessed Coursework - 60% of Final Grade
Stoics working in both the Graphical and Material disciplines submit a design portfolio (A3) that explores a range of problems. Then, working through the design process, they manufacture products and solutions that address the situation highlighted at the project outset. Ideas are communicated using a variety of drawing techniques that include sketching, rendering, technical drawing, image manipulation, digital film and video, desk top publishing and CAD. Stoics manufacture their products from quality materials in an environment well-equipped to meet exacting standards of accuracy.

Paper 2: Externally Assessed Examination - 40% of Final Grade
Regular theoretical lessons are integrated into the course to ensure that experiences learned in the workshops, graphics and design studios are supported and extended through formal teaching. This formal input is assessed regularly in order to impart vital examination experiences as well as providing a gauge of the level of knowledge and understanding imparted.

Creativity, diversity and a willingness to challenge current solutions are all encouraged and Stoics may follow any area that interests them in either Resistant Materials or Graphic Design.

It should be noted that Stoics following a course in Design will benefit from having the use of a laptop PC to help support their design and written work during the two year course.

A Level

There are currently two courses offered in Design Department. Both share the theme of Product Design and Development:

• Product Design (Resistant Materials Technology)
• Product Design (Graphics with Materials Technology)

The subject of Design has existed in many forms as a mainstream subject since the curriculum began. When the term the '3R's' was coined in Parliament in 1840, Hansard recorded that it stood for Reading, Wroughting and Arithmetic. Wroughting as in "I have wrought a wonderful design."

It has been said, "all that is not nature is art." I think you can go one step further and suggest "all that is not nature, is, in fact, design." If a product is not from nature itself then someone has had to sit down and sketch/pen a solution for it - an answer to the problem - a creative and practical solution.

"A well designed product radiates an almost physical sense of purpose. It's the battle of the first 35 nanoseconds - between reflex and intellectual determinism lies the battleground - that's the domain that we must capture as designers." Richard Seymour.

Designing and manufacture is a truly creative and intellectually challenging activity. It is entirely compatible with high levels of numeracy and literacy - the design process itself draws on areas such as Maths, Science, Technology, Communication and Art; developing divergent and creative abilities is a basic function of education. One of our main aims is to inspire and empower our future designers and engineers and excite passion in our teaching so that they can develop products they love with sensitivity to an ever-changing world market and clientele.

The courses we offer suit a variety of student; from the artistic to the more technically minded. We welcome students who have a background via GCSE (or other recognized qualification) in any Design related discipline, and we are also willing to consider students who have not studied the subject before but show a passion for design in any area (this is done via portfolio, interview and short exam paper). It should be noted that the courses are quite demanding of your time. It should also be noted that all students following an A Level course in Design will need a laptop for their studies.

This subject is very useful for a career in any sphere of Product or Industrial Design and Engineering, Graphics, Fashion, Theatre or Television. It is also a good supporting A Level for degree courses in any of the Pure or Applied Sciences and Architecture. Some students do extremely well in this subject, taken solely out of interest. It is wise to consult the Department regarding this aspect as goalposts change almost yearly regarding tertiary education and the increased demand for those with a Design and Technology discipline.

The Edexcel Product Design syllabus is structured as follows:

Unit 1: Product Development - 50% of AS (25% of A2)
Internally assessed. Requires candidates to design and make a product that meets a context or need that they have identified.

Unit 2: Knowledge and Understanding of Product Design - 50% of AS (25% of A2)
Externally assessed. Written component focusing on the candidate's knowledge and understanding of materials and how these are manipulated both industrially and by hand. Candidates are expected to have an appreciation of the influences that fashion, style, technology and commerce have on the design of products.

Unit 3: Further Study of Product Design - 25% of A2
Externally assessed. Written component focusing on the candidates' knowledge and understanding of new materials and how science can be used to alter material properties. Candidates are expected to have an appreciation of the influences that ICT, systems, advertising and economics have on the design of products.

Unit 4: Commercial Product Development - 25% of A2
This internally assessed assignment requires the candidates to design and make a commercially viable product that meets a context or need identified by an external client or user group.

Both the Resistant Materials and Graphics with Materials Technology follow the same structure.