BGCSE Design & Technology key terms

A short written statement from a client or user that sets out the problem to be solved, who the product is for, and the main requirements and limits the designer must work within.

A detailed list of measurable requirements a product must meet, such as size, strength, cost, materials and finish, used to guide design decisions and to test whether the final outcome is successful.

The ordered cycle of work a designer follows: identifying a need, researching, generating ideas, developing and modelling, testing, making, and evaluating, often looping back when testing reveals problems.

A working or near-working model built to test how a design performs and feels, allowing faults to be found and corrected cheaply before full production begins.

A simple full-size or scaled model, often of card, foam or scrap material, used to check shape, proportion, ergonomics and appearance rather than to function as a real product.

The study of how people interact with products and workplaces, applied so that tools and controls fit body size, reach, strength and comfort, reducing strain and the risk of injury.

The collection and use of measurements of the human body, such as height, grip span and seated reach, to size products so that most users can use them safely and comfortably.

Timber cut from broad-leaved trees such as oak, mahogany or beech. It is usually slower growing and denser than softwood, and is chosen where strength or a fine finish is needed.

Timber from cone-bearing trees such as pine, spruce or fir. It grows quickly, is cheaper and lighter than most hardwoods, and is widely used for building frames, packaging and general joinery.

A sheet material made by bonding wood fibres, particles, veneers or strips with adhesive, giving stable, uniform boards such as plywood, chipboard and MDF from lower-grade timber.

The controlled drying of timber, either in air or in a kiln, to reduce moisture content so the wood is less likely to shrink, warp, split or rot after it has been made into a product.

A plastic that softens when heated and can be reshaped repeatedly, such as polythene, acrylic and PVC, making it easy to recycle and suited to vacuum forming and injection moulding.

A plastic that sets permanently when heated or mixed with a hardener and cannot be softened again, such as epoxy resin and melamine, giving heat resistance and rigidity but making recycling difficult.

A material made by combining two or more different materials so the result has better properties than either alone, for example glass-reinforced plastic or plywood.

A metal containing iron, such as mild steel, cast iron or stainless steel. Ferrous metals are usually magnetic and can rust unless protected by paint, oil or plating.

A metal made by melting and mixing two or more elements to improve properties, for example brass from copper and zinc, or stainless steel from iron, chromium and nickel.

A metal that contains no iron, such as aluminium, copper, brass or tin. These are generally not magnetic, resist rusting, and are chosen for conductivity, low weight or appearance.

A careful look at a task to identify what could cause harm, judge how serious and likely that harm is, and record the steps taken to remove or reduce the danger before work starts.

Items worn by a worker to guard against injury, such as goggles, ear defenders, dust mask, gloves and safety footwear, chosen to suit the hazards of the particular task.

Agreed rules that keep a workshop safe, including tying back long hair, removing loose jewellery, keeping gangways clear, reporting damage, and never distracting someone using a machine.

A device that holds work or guides a tool so a repeated operation, such as drilling or cutting, is done accurately and consistently by any worker, improving quality and speed.

The checks carried out during and after manufacture, using gauges, templates and inspection, to make sure products meet the specification and faults are found before goods reach the customer.

The amount by which a dimension is allowed to vary from the stated size while the part still works, shown on drawings as a plus or minus figure or a range.

Making a limited number of identical products, often using jigs and shared equipment, before switching to another product, balancing cost against flexibility.

Making very large numbers of identical products using specialised machinery and division of labour, so the cost per item falls but setting up the line is expensive.

A drawing method that shows a three-dimensional object as separate flat views, usually front, side and plan, arranged in a fixed layout so every dimension can be read accurately.

A pictorial drawing on three axes at 30 degrees to the horizontal, showing three faces of an object at once without perspective, useful for explaining a design quickly.

A drawing in which every length has been reduced or enlarged by the same ratio, such as 1:10, so real dimensions can be worked out by measuring the drawing.

A force applied to a structure or component, such as weight, wind pressure or a person standing on a beam, which the material must carry without failing or deforming too much.

A bracing technique in which a frame is divided into triangles, often with diagonal members, because a triangle cannot change shape without its sides altering length.

An arrangement of linked parts that changes or transmits motion and force, for example levers, gears, pulleys, cams and linkages used in machines and products.

The ratio of the load a machine can move to the effort applied to it, showing how much a lever, pulley system or gear train multiplies force, at the cost of distance moved.

The relationship stating that current through a conductor equals voltage across it divided by resistance, written I = V / R, used to calculate values in simple circuits.

A circuit in which components are connected one after another so the same current flows through each, and the total resistance is the sum of the individual resistances.

A circuit in which components are connected across the same supply so each has the full supply voltage, and the total current is the sum of the branch currents.

Energy from sources that are naturally replaced, such as sun, wind, flowing water and biomass, producing little or no carbon dioxide while in use but often varying with weather.

Designing products so that materials, energy and water are used efficiently, waste and pollution are minimised, and the product can be repaired, reused or recycled at the end of its life.

A technique for judging a product's environmental impact from raw material extraction through manufacture, use and disposal, so that improvements can be made at the worst stages.

Legal rights that protect a creator's ideas and work, including patents, registered designs, trademarks and copyright, stopping others from copying or profiting without permission.

The study of how products affect people and communities, including who they include or exclude, how they influence behaviour, and the responsibilities designers have to users.

A bar chart that plans a project over time, showing each task as a bar against a calendar so overlaps, deadlines and the critical stages of making can be seen and managed.

A structured judgement of a finished product against its specification and user needs, noting strengths, weaknesses and realistic improvements, usually written up at the end of a project.