Design and Technology 2024 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• reflect the original need for the project consistently throughout the process of design and development, and in all decision making
• develop the proposal for the product, system or environment to be produced rather than explore other possible projects
• develop time and action along with finance plans during the proposal and process, not after the completion of the project
• present the proposal and management section as a plan for future direction
• use the words in the marking headings personalised to your project to create your time and action plan
• develop criteria for success in the Project Proposal and Project Management section
• develop consideration of design factors in the Project Development and Realisation section.

In better projects, students were able to:

• identify the need for their Major Design Project (MDP) by referencing newspaper articles and statistics from relevant sources to demonstrate a genuine purpose for their selection
• ensure areas of investigation were directly relevant to their MDP and provide explanations of how these investigations would guide the development of the project moving forward
• develop a comprehensive time plan and make justified modifications to it when issues arose, clearly addressing how these changes were necessary to overcome challenges.

Areas for students to improve include:

• justifying their final MDP selection by building a case for why it was chosen, rather than analysing and comparing alternative ideas or explain why other options were not selected
• stating a quantifiable criteria for success – for example, ‘the product should be under 10 kg as this will satisfy the ergonomic requirements for the target market’
• including action plans as a separate item rather than incorporating them into a Gantt Chart.

Students should:

• research and test in areas relevant to the intended product, system or environment
• show the development of the design or concept through sketching, model making, testing and experiments in the evidence of creativity section
• show how refinement of ideas leads to the solution presented
• include evidence of the development of the product, system or environment.

In better projects, students were able to:

• demonstrate their creativity in many ways – for example, idea generation, sketching, problem solving and prototyping
• apply the design process as a continuum of research, idea generation, prototyping, testing, evaluation, that then flowed onto the next evolution of the design and continued to follow the established design process
• ensure that application of conclusions and identification of resources were not missed on bodies of text by using icons to highlight where they appear in the folio.

Areas for students to improve include:

• integrating research throughout the folio at relevant stages of the design process rather than collating it into one section
• thoughtfully setting up their final MDP display for marking, ensuring it effectively showcases the design process from start to finish. For example, using labels to correspond to the folio page numbers to clearly link the folio to the practical work
• demonstrating practical skills not only in the final product but also through prototypes, software use, and visual communication throughout the project.

Students should:

• use language that shows reflection and analysis rather than telling the story of the project development
• be succinct, offering information that relates directly to solving the problem or meeting the need
• show the relationship between the proposal and the presented design solution.

In better projects, students were able to:

• demonstrate ongoing evaluation throughout the folio using different colour text or icons to ensure they were not missed
• equally evaluate the function and aesthetic aspect of the final design and draw out the relationships between them
• reflect on their project’s impact on the individual, society and the environment in relation to the natural environment and the physical environment in which the product will be used.

Areas for students to improve include:

• relating their design to the impact on the individual, society and the environment
• revisiting their initial time plan in the folio to evaluate any modifications that have occurred, explaining how and why these changes were made
• evaluating their project’s relationship to the proposal by referring to the criteria for success established in the proposal section, expanding on why it was successful or what could have been done differently next time to ensure success.

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• engage with any stimulus material provided and refer to it in the response
• communicate ideas and information using relevant examples
• expect to interpret data/graphs/tables and assess information for accuracy, reliability and/or validity
• review the response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify one relevant factor of design related to the development of an e-scooter, for example, functionality, safety or ergonomics
• apply content knowledge and make specific reference to the e-scooter
• link the identified factor to the specific needs of a battery-powered device used for leisure or transportation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing more than an identification of a factor
• linking the design factor to the needs of the e-scooter’s users, for example, safety features for riders or ergonomic designs for comfort.

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify one disadvantage of designing a product with a limited life span, for example, increased waste or environmental impact
• link the disadvantage to the limited lifespan of products by including reasons
• support the response with relevant examples such as single use plastics or fast fashion.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on a single disadvantage rather than identifying multiple disadvantages
• clarifying the disadvantage, for example, specifying that frequent product replacement contributes to waste or pollution.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify one specific social trend that can affect the design of a new product, for example, sustainability, minimalism, health consciousness, the rise of smart technology
• relate the trend directly to the design of a new product
• identify key issues and provide points for and against the trend influencing design choices or shaping consumer expectations.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding what a social trend is and correctly identifying one in the response
• showing the connection between the social trend and product design, for example, sustainability trends have led to biodegradable materials in product design.

Question 14

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify one risk that designers may face when creating an innovative product, system or environment, such as financial loss, market rejection, or technological challenges
• connect the risk to the specific challenges of innovating by using cause and effect language such as ‘as a result of’.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on one specific risk rather than listing multiple risks without detail
• referring to a specific innovation
• using cause and effect language, for example, 'as a result of' and ‘as a consequence’, to explain the risk that designers face when creating new products, systems or environments.

In better responses, students were able to:

• make clear reference to the stimulus provided
• demonstrate an understanding of the role that designers have in bringing together innovative discoveries into designs suitable for consumers
• make clear reference to both the roles and responsibilities of designers
• relate an understanding of the role of the designer to their own experiences as a designer or the experiences of other known designers
• assess the role of the designer in connecting innovative discoveries with consumers
• make judgements that recognise the challenges or limitations designers have when addressing issues and relating these to quality of life, ethical considerations and/or sustainability
• support conclusions with other examples of products, systems or environments, further demonstrating the connection between the role of designers and consumers.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing a cohesive response by using connective terms, full sentences, and paragraphs
• making clear reference to the stimulus provided, and using this to support the conclusions drawn
• using relevant examples of the role of designers and making detailed connections to the practice of design
• emphasising the role and responsibilities of the designer in connecting innovation to consumer markets
• using language that shows clear judgement supported by evidence, to assess the designer’s role, such as discussing the effectiveness of their strategies, the challenges they face, or the impact on consumer markets.