What is it?

Spencer Herbert, head of design and technology at Ravens Wood School for Boys in Bromley, Kent (username Spencer_DT) has compiled a collection of resources on “Product design” for key stage 4 (S4-6).

How to use it

The collection includes materials and activities that look at sustainability and product analysis, the writing of specifications and how to annotate ideas effectively. A good place to start is with a simple product analysis, uploaded by pmsims. Pupils have five minutes to list five things they like and five things they don’t like about one of a selection of iconic items (such as a Coca-Cola bottle).

Cjcort has uploaded a PowerPoint incorporating four different activities on sustainable design, which could be useful for dividing the class into smaller work groups. Topics it covers include how our consumption in the Western world affects countries in the Third World.

Drawing up specifications is a core aspect of product design, and nickinooski has uploaded a worksheet that pupils can use in class to write their own specifications, and they can then use it as a framework when it comes to developing their product.

For ideas on products to develop, Mr Herbert has picked out a resource where pupils can come up with an eco-friendly garden product, such as a bird feeder (wiggs2010), and a step-by-step guide to running a project where pupils design and make their own acrylic jewellery (littlemissraw).

Finally, a useful revision resource has been supplied by doodle_dt, where questions and answers can be edited according to what topic you’re focusing on.

Where to find it

www.tes.co.ukproductdesign.