* This is a Material Intensive Elective. Confirmed enrolment in this Elective is conditional on payment of the Material Intensive charge of $55.

Units 1 & 2 Product Design and Technology (Textiles)

• No prerequisites for Units 1 & 2

Unit 3 & 4 Product Design and Technology (Textiles)

• Unit 3 No prerequisites
• Unit 3 MUST be completed to undertake Unit 4

In VCE Product Design and Technology students assume the role of a designer-maker. In adopting this role, they acquire and apply knowledge of factors that influence design. Students address the design factors relevant to their design situation.

VCE Product Design and Technology: Textiles enables students to

• generate and communicate multiple creative ideas, concepts and product design options using a range of techniques to develop viable solutions to problems
• explore and determine characteristics and properties of materials that make them suitable for use
• examine methods of sourcing, processing, production and assembly of materials and their social, economic, ethical, legal and environmental implications
• apply appropriate, efficient and safe methods of working with materials, tools, equipment and machines using risk assessment
• apply project management techniques of time and sequence, and choose appropriate processes
• analyse and evaluate the appropriateness of production activities and product design
•  understand the requirement for ethical, social, environmental, economic and legal considerations involved in designing for the needs of the broader community.
• understand design practice and product development and how these occur in a variety of contexts and environments

Unit 1 Product re-design and sustainability

This unit focuses on the analysis, modification and improvement of a product design with consideration of the materials used and issues of sustainability. Finite resources and the proliferation of waste require sustainable product design thinking. Many products in use today have been redesigned to suit the changing needs and demands of users but with little consideration of their sustainability.

Knowledge of material use and suitability for particular products is essential in product design. Additionally, knowledge of the source, origin and processing of materials is central to sustainable practices. Students consider the use of materials from a sustainable viewpoint. Sustainable practices claimed to be used by designers are examined.

Area of study 1:Product re-design for improvement (Links to Outcome 1)

Provides an introduction and structured approach towards the Product design process and Product design factors. Students learn about intellectual property (IP), its implications related to product design and the importance of acknowledging the IP rights of the original designer.

Area of study 2:Producing and evaluating a re-designed product (Links to Outcome 2)

Students produce a re-designed product safely using tools, equipment, machines and materials, compare it with the original design and evaluate it against the needs and requirements outlined in their design brief. If appropriate, a prototype made of less expensive materials can be presented; however, the specific materials intended for the final product would need to be indicated. A prototype is expected to be of full scale and considered to be the final design of a product before production of multiples.

Outcomes

Outcome 1 (Links to Area of Study 1)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to re-design a product using suitable materials with the intention of improving aspects of the product’s aesthetics, functionality or quality, including consideration of sustainability.

Outcome 2 (Links to Area of Study 2)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to use and evaluate materials, tools, equipment and processes to make a re-designed product or prototype, and compare the finished product or prototype with the original design.

Unit 2 Collaborative Design

In this unit students work in teams to design and develop an item in a product range or contribute to the design, planning and production of a group product. They focus on factors including: human needs and wants; function, purpose and context for product design; aesthetics; materials and sustainability; and the impact of these factors on a design solution.

School Production year: During the School Production year, students work within a team to design and construct the costumes for the Production.

Area of study 1:Designing within a team (Links to Outcome 1)

Students work both individually and as members of a small design team to address a problem, need or opportunity and consider the associated human-centred design factors. They design a product within a range, based on a theme, or a component of a group product. They research and refer to a chosen style or movement.

Area of study 2: Producing and evaluating a collaboratively designed product (Links to Outcome 2)

The product produced individually or collectively and is evaluated.

Outcomes

Outcome 1 (Links to Area of Study 1)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to design and plan a product, a product range or a group product with component parts in response to a design brief based on a common theme, both individually and within a team.

Outcome 2 (Links to Area of Study 2)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to justify, manage and use appropriate production processes to safely make a product and evaluate, individually and as a member of a team, the processes and materials used, and the suitability of a product or components of a group product against the design brief.

Unit 3 Applying the product design process

In this unit students are engaged in the design and development of a product that meets the needs and expectations of an end-user, developed through a design process and influenced by a range of complex factors. These factors include the purpose, function and context of the product; human-centred design factors; innovation and creativity; visual, tactile and aesthetic factors; sustainability concerns; economic limitations; legal responsibilities; material characteristics and properties; and technology.

Design and product development and manufacture occur in a range of settings. An industrial setting provides a marked contrast to that of a ‘one-off situation’ in a small ‘cottage’ industry or a school setting. Although a product design process may differ in complexity or order, it is central to all of these situations regardless of the scale or context. This unit examines different settings and takes students through the Product design process as they design for others.

Area of study 1: The designer, client and/or end-user in product development (Links to Outcome 1)

Students examine how a design brief is structured, how it addresses particular Product design factors and how evaluation criteria are developed from the constraints and considerations in the brief. They develop an understanding of techniques in using the design brief as a springboard to direct research and design activities.

Area of study 2:Product development in industry (Links to Outcome 2)

Students examine how a range of factors, including new and emerging technologies, and International and Australian standards, influence the design and development of products within industrial manufacturing settings. They consider issues associated with obsolescence and sustainability models.

Area of study 3: Designing for others (Links to Outcome 3)

Students commence the application of the Product design process for a product design for an end-user, including writing their own design brief which will be completed and evaluated in Unit 4.

Outcomes

Outcome 1 (Links to Area of Study 1)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain the roles of the designer and end-user/s, the Product design process and its initial stages, including investigating and defining a design problem, and explain how the design process leads to product design development.

Outcome 2

On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain and analyse influences on the design, development and manufacture of products within industrial settings.

Outcome 3 (Links to Area of Study 3)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to present a folio that documents the Product design process used while working as a designer to meet the needs of an end-user, and commence production of the designed product.

Unit 4 Product development, evaluation and promotion

In this unit students learn that evaluations are made at various points of product design, development and production. In the role of designer, students judge the suitability and viability of design ideas and options referring to the design brief and evaluation criteria in collaboration with an end-user. Comparisons between similar products help to judge the success of a product in relation to a range of Product design factors. The environmental, economic and social impact of products throughout their life cycle can be analysed and evaluated with reference to the Product design factors.

 

Area of study 1: Product analysis and comparison (Links to Outcome 1)

Students use comparative analysis and evaluation methods to make judgments about commercial product design and development.

Area of study 2:Product manufacture (Links to Outcome 2)

Students continue to develop and safely manufacture the product designed in Unit 3, Outcome 3, using materials, tools, equipment and machines, and record and monitor the production processes and modifications to the production plan and product.

 

Area of Study 3:Product evaluation (Links to Outcome 3)

Students evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of techniques they used and the quality of their product with reference to evaluation criteria and client and/or end-user feedback. Students make judgments about possible improvements. They produce an informative presentation to highlight the product’s features to the client and/or an end-user and explain its care requirements.

 

 

Outcomes

Outcome 1 (Liks to Area of Study 1)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to compare, analyse and evaluate similar commercial products, taking into account a range of factors and using appropriate techniques.

Outcome 2 (Links to Area of Study 2)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to safely apply a range of production skills and processes to make the product designed in Unit 3, and manage time and resources effectively and efficiently.

Outcome 3 (Links to Area of Study 3)

On completion of this unit the student should be able to evaluate the outcomes of the design, planning and production activities, explain the product’s design features to the client and/or an end-user and outline its care requirements.

 

Assessment

Contact Teacher - Barbara Chiodo