BEC JCE Design & Tech key terms

A short written statement, agreed with a client, that sets out the problem to solve, the target user, the constraints and what the finished outcome must achieve.

A detailed list of measurable requirements a product must meet, such as size, mass, cost, safety standards and performance, used to judge whether a design is successful.

Repeating the cycle of designing, making, testing and improving so that each version of a solution is better informed than the one before it.

The study of how people interact with products and workplaces, using body measurements and human capabilities to make designs comfortable, efficient and safe to use.

The collection and use of human body measurements, such as reach, grip span and stature, so that products fit the range of users who will handle them.

A statistical value showing the percentage of a population falling below a given measurement, used to decide whether to design for the smallest, largest or average user.

An approach in which the needs, abilities and preferences of the people who will use a product are researched and placed at the centre of every design decision.

Designing products so that as many people as possible can use them, including those with limited mobility, sight, hearing or strength, without special adaptation.

Deliberately designing a product with a limited useful life or making repair difficult, so that customers are pushed to buy a replacement sooner than necessary.

A structured method of estimating the environmental impact of a product at every stage, from extracting raw materials through manufacture and use to disposal or recycling.

The total greenhouse gas emissions, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent, caused by making, using and disposing of a product or carrying out an activity.

The total energy consumed in extracting, processing, manufacturing and transporting a material or product, before any energy is used by the customer.

Designing a product so that parts can be separated easily, for example with screws or snap fits rather than glue, to allow repair, reuse and material recovery.

A set of sustainability prompts: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle, used to question a design and lower its environmental impact.

Timber from broad-leaved trees, usually slower growing and denser than softwood, examples being oak, ash and mahogany, often used for furniture and quality joinery.

Timber from coniferous trees such as pine, spruce and fir, generally faster growing, lighter and cheaper than hardwood, widely used for construction and general woodwork.

A sheet material made by bonding wood fibres, veneers or particles together with adhesive, giving consistent thickness and size, for example plywood, MDF or chipboard.

A very thin slice of decorative wood glued onto a cheaper core material to give the appearance of solid timber while reducing cost and weight.

A polymer that softens when heated and hardens on cooling, and can be reshaped repeatedly, which makes it easy to recycle and to form by processes such as vacuum forming.

A polymer that cures permanently when heated or mixed with a catalyst, forming cross-linked chains that cannot be softened again, so it is rigid and heat resistant but hard to recycle.

A material made by combining two or more different materials so that the finished product has properties better than either part alone, such as glass-reinforced plastic or carbon fibre.

A material built up from two or more layers bonded together, for example a decorative plastic surface glued to a board core to give a hard-wearing finish.

A metal made by melting and mixing two or more elements, such as copper with zinc to make brass, to improve strength, hardness or resistance to corrosion.

A metal whose main element is iron, such as mild steel, cast iron or stainless steel; ferrous metals are magnetic and most will rust unless protected.

A metal that contains little or no iron, such as aluminium, copper, brass or tin; these are not magnetic, resist corrosion well and are often lighter or more conductive.

Controlled heating and cooling of a metal to change its internal structure and so alter properties such as hardness, toughness or the relief of internal stress.

A two-stage heat treatment for steel: quenching from red heat makes it very hard but brittle, then reheating to a lower temperature restores toughness.

A shaping process in which a heated thermoplastic sheet is drawn down over a mould by removing the air beneath it, giving thin-walled shapes such as packaging trays.

A production process in which molten polymer is forced into a closed metal mould and cooled, producing accurate identical parts quickly and cheaply in large numbers.

A device that holds a workpiece and guides the cutting tool to a set position, so that repeated parts are made accurately and safely without marking out each time.

A shaped guide, often cut from board or plastic, used to mark out or cut identical curves and outlines on several pieces of work.

The checks and measurements carried out during and after production to confirm that each item meets the specification, with faulty work rejected or reworked.

The acceptable amount by which a dimension may vary from the stated size, shown on a drawing so that a part still fits and functions when made.

A drawing method that shows a three-dimensional object as separate flat views, usually front, plan and side, arranged in a standard layout with hidden detail dashed.

A pictorial drawing in which the three axes are set at 30 degrees to the horizontal, showing height, width and depth on one view without perspective distortion.

A drawing in which every dimension is reduced or enlarged by the same fixed ratio, such as 1:10, so that real sizes can be read accurately from the paper.

A first full-size working model built to test how a design looks, fits and functions, so that faults can be found and corrected before production begins.

A structured judgement of a finished product against its specification and the original brief, identifying strengths, weaknesses and realistic improvements for the next version.

A careful review of a workshop activity that identifies hazards, judges how likely and how serious each harm is, and records the controls needed to reduce the risk.

Wearable safety items such as goggles, dust masks, gloves and hearing defenders, provided to protect the user from hazards the other controls cannot remove.

A fixed or interlocked cover fitted around moving parts, such as a saw blade or chuck, to stop hands, clothing or waste material from reaching the danger zone.