Amiria Gale Understanding the properties of materials is fundamental for Design & Technology students as it helps you to select which materials are appropriate for which task. This article provides a list of properties and definitions, with examples to help students become familiar with these terms. Material properties Rigidity / Stiffness Hardness Toughness Brittleness Elasticity / Flexibility … Read more
Cambridge AS and A2 Design & Technology students must be familiar with symbols and conventions used when drawing circuit diagrams. This article contains contains the list of symbols included within the syllabus. Further explanation about the function and use of these items can be found in the article about control systems.
High school Design & Technology students often have to know about modern materials and their common uses. This article introduces this material and concludes with sample examination questions. What are ‘modern’ materials? Modern materials are those that are man-made or engineered to have improved properties compared to traditional materials like wood, stone, and basic metals. … Read more
Cambridge Design & Technology students have to be familiar with smart materials and their common applications and uses. This article includes illustrated examples of smart materials and provides sample examination questions to help you revise this topic. What are smart materials? (A definition) Smart materials are those that respond to a change in the environment … Read more
Design and Technology students have to be familiar with a range of thermoplastic and thermoset plastics, elastomers, their properties and common uses. This article provides an overview of this material to help students revise for the examination. A brief introduction to plastics ‘Plastics’ are a type of synthetic polymer (a polymer is a long chain … Read more
Design & Technology students often learn about ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals and their alloys. This article summarises the properties, stock forms, and uses of common metals, helping students to revise these topics. Metals are separated into two categories: ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous Metals An alloy is a mixture of two or more elements, where at … Read more
Design & Technology students often use a range of hardwoods, softwoods, and manufactured boards. This article summarises the properties, stock forms, and uses of timbers and manufactured boards, helping students to revise these topics. It concludes with sample examination questions from the Cambridge AS/A Level syllabus. How is timber made? Common Timber Stock Forms Properties … Read more
Design & Technology students often use a range of paper, cardboards, and other lightweight materials used in graphic products and architectural models. This article summarises the properties, stock forms, and uses of these materials, helping students to revise these topics. It concludes with sample examination questions from the Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Level syllabus. Cardboard … Read more
High school Design & Technology students are often required to be familiar with the how computer aided design (CAD) is used in industry to generate 2D and 3D images, as well as digital simulations. This article introduces students to the advantages and disadvantages of CAD for designers, and introduces students to common software programmes used … Read more
Designers often use flow charts to visualise, plan, and communicate aspects of the design process, or to map user journeys in a clear, step-by-step format. The following article outlines the rules for drawing flowcharts and helps students understand how these planning diagrams are useful for designers. What are flow charts used for? By breaking down … Read more