Product Design & Technologies

Overview

VCE Product Design and Technologies is a design process that encourages divergent and convergent thinking while engaging with a problem. The design brief identifies a real need or opportunity and provides scope for designing, making and evaluating. Investigation and research inform and aid the development of designed solutions that take the form of physical, three-dimensional products.

In VCE Product Design and Technologies students are designer-makers who design solutions that are innovative and ethical. As designer-makers, they learn about the design industry, teamwork and the collaborative nature of teams, entrepreneurial activities, innovative technologies and enterprise. Students participate in problem-based design approaches that trial, test, evaluate, critique and iterate product solutions. Students prototype and test using a variety of materials, tools and processes. Throughout the process of designing and testing, students learn that innovative and ethical solutions come from constructive failure and intentional evaluation.

Knowledge and use of technological resources are integral to product design. Designers safely and sustainably transform materials into products using a range of materials, tools and processes. In this study, students gain an understanding of both traditional and new and emerging materials, tools and processes. They study and experience a variety of design specialisations and use a range of materials, tools and processes as they demonstrate technacy.

Unit 1 - Design practices

This unit focuses on the work of designers across relevant specialisations in product design. Students explore how designers collaborate and work in teams; they consider the processes that designers use to conduct research and the techniques they employ to generate ideas and design products. In doing this, they practise using their critical, creative and speculative thinking strategies. When creating their own designs, students use appropriate drawing systems – both manual and digital – to develop graphical product concepts. They also experiment with materials, tools and processes to prototype and propose physical product concepts.

In this unit, students analyse and evaluate existing products and current technological innovations in product design. They achieve this through understanding the importance of a design brief, learning about factors that influence design, and using the Double Diamond design approach as a framework.

In their practical work, students explore and test materials, tools and processes available to them in order to work technologically, and they practise safe skill development when creating an innovative product. This is achieved through the development of graphical product concepts and the use of prototypes to explore and propose physical product concepts.

Area of Study 1 - Developing and conceptualising designs

Area of Study 2 - Generating, designing, producing

Unit 2 - Positive impact for end users

Designers should look outward, both locally and globally, to research the diverse needs of end users. They should explore how inclusive product design solutions can support belonging, access, usability and equity. In this unit, students specifically examine social and/or physical influences on design. They formulate a profile of an end user(s), research and explore the specific needs or opportunities of the end user(s) and make an inclusive product that has a positive impact on belonging, access, usability and/or equity.

Students also explore cultural influences on design. They develop an awareness of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples design and produce products, how sustainable design practices care for Country, and how traditions and culture are acknowledged in contemporary designs. Students also have opportunities to make connections to personal or other cultural heritages.

Area of Study 1 - Opportunities for positive impacts for end users

Area of Study 2 - Designing for positive impacts for end users

Area of Study 3 - Cultural influences on design

Unit 1 & 2 Assessment

Suitable tasks for assessment in these units are:

·         multimodal record of evidence of research, development and conceptualisation of products addressing a need or opportunity related to positive impacts for the end user(s)

·         practical work: demonstration of graphical and physical product concepts including prototyping and making final proof of concept along with the finished product addressing a need or opportunity related to positive impacts for the end user(s)

·         case study analysis or research inquiry of a designer and end user(s) that explores the influence of culture in product design.