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Year 11 - Design and technology

Modifications and improvements

Designing and Making Principles

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils will develop designing and making principles knowledge with an explicit focus on exam technique.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how and why industries modify products for improvement.

Key Notes

  • Businesses use several processes to improve and update products, such as implementing new technologies.
  • Businesses have several reasons to modify their products, such as customer needs and competition.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • modify: to change a product to improve its function or design
  • continuous improvement: the ongoing process of making small changes to enhance a product
  • market pull: designers develop products in response to user's needs and wants
  • technology push: innovations are developed and then sold to the user

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Industries only modify products to make them cheaper.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Businesses use several processes to improve and update products, such as implementing new technologies. Businesses have several reasons to modify their products, such as customer needs and competition.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'modify'

to change a product to improve its function or design.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Industries only modify products to make them cheaper. Correction: Industries also improve products for better performance, sustainability, customer satisfaction, safety and compliance with regulations.

More Lessons In This Unit

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