Design Online
With this year’s Art & DT Exhibition curtailed by the pandemic, we showcase some of this year’s design highlights in the gallery above.
Pupils of all ages have been getting hands-on in the studios, experimenting with new ideas and honing their design skills. In Year 7, pupils having been using the computer programme 2D Design to make laser-cut models from corrugated card, transforming flat 2D nets to 3D containers and shapes.
Our Year 8 designers have been learning about Biomimicry, using an iterative design process. Working with current print trends, they developed their own abstract surface design textile patterns, before digitally applying them to products. In Product Design, Year 8 entrepreneurs designed and manufactured their own products that could be sold on Etsy, using a limited budget and range of materials.
Year 9 Product Design has provided the opportunity for pupils to manufacture their own articulated lighting design, learning technical design communication skills to develop a product of commercial value. Year 9 have also been exploring the cultural aspects and formal designs of historic kimonos, experimenting with various surface design techniques and creating quarter-sized models; those who were isolating and designing via Guided Home Learning adapted by using paper instead, modelling garments, jewelry and products inspired by origami and paper engineering principles.
Year 10 GCSE students have been creating collapsibles, studying mechanisms and modelling techniques with a focus on anthropometrics and ergonomics; the project closely follows the iterative design process, fundamental to Design Thinking and the specification of their forthcoming coursework.
Lower Sixth A Level DT students took part in the RSA Pupil Design Awards, a national design competition that encourages pupils to use their creativity and imagination to tackle real world challenges faced by people and the planet. Students used systems thinking to challenge assumptions and understand stakeholder requirements, engaging with issues that matter to them and gaining experience of how designers work in industry.