HSC Design and Technology case studies
HSC Design and Technology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The HSC Design and Technology course is a New South Wales senior secondary subject completed as part of the Higher School Certificate. It suits students who enjoy solving practical problems, working with materials and systems, and documenting their thinking from initial brief through to a finished product. The HSC Design and Technology case studies are 5 cases and about 2,802 words.
1The Overheating Enclosure
A small Sydney firm designs a portable battery pack for outdoor events. The enclosure is 180 mm × 120 mm × 60 mm, moulded in ABS, wall thickness 2.5 mm, with four 6 mm ventilation slots on one face.
631 words, about 3 min2The Recycled Bench
A council runs a competition for 40 park benches. The brief requires at least 60% recycled content by mass, a 10-year outdoor life, and a budget of 420 per bench.
590 words, about 3 min3The Folio That Ran Out of Time
A student has eight weeks to complete a major design project folio worth 40% of the final mark. By the end of week five she has a detailed needs analysis, three concept sketches, and a beautiful set of CAD renders, but no physical prototype and no test data.
523 words, about 3 min4The Automation Decision
A furniture workshop makes 25 timber stools per week by hand, selling at 180 each. A robotic sanding and assembly cell costs 210,000, would raise output to 120 per week, and cut labour per stool from 90 minutes to 25 minutes.
536 words, about 3 min5The Child-Safe Toy
A designer is developing a pull-along wooden toy for children aged 18 months to 3 years. The toy has a 900 mm cord with a small wooden bead on the end, wheels of 40 mm diameter attached with steel axles, and painted surfaces.
522 words, about 3 min