Overview

The brief for this module will be set by an external partner company, and the project will last for eight weeks in duration. The partner company will require a new original product/invention be generated, or a re-design of a current product, or a new product that competes against their market competitors.

The module is split into two projects.

The first project will see students working in teams of two and solving a live brief set by a company. The project will last for four weeks and include one final assessment where the solution to the problem is presented via an online video recording. (Presentation has a max time of 4 minutes)

The second project is an open brief where students are challenged to either design a new product of their choice or engage with a skills development program of their choice. This project is assessed via a learning contract and a final viva.

CAD, FEA and Digital Graphics will be taught via weekly exercises which are assessed.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -See the learning outcomes.

-good -A good overall grasp of all the learning outcomes and how they relate to one another.

-excellent -A very good grasp of all the learning outcomes and the ability to reflect on their relationship to one another in an analytic way.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply the fundamental stages of the commercial design process in full to complete a given brief

• Appreciate environmental, ethical and social factors that affect the designing of products

• Be organised in the way they work and begin to consider how to manage their time

• Develop basic skills for analysing, researching, synthesising and evaluating information to aid designing

• Develop their knowledge of manufacturing processes and begin to use a range of materials, structures, and components to manufacture a product

• Understand basic materials selection, testing and application

• Understand the fundamental health and safety issues involved with the given brief and demonstrate safe working practice

• Understand the fundamentals of CAD/CAM systems

• Understand the fundamentals of Digital Graphics for industrial and commercial application

• Understand the fundamentals of FEA analysis

• Use digital media to improve presentation and design communication