Year 9 - Design and technology
Design optimisation
Developments in new materials: supporting new parents
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils will develop knowledge of smart and modern materials and apply this to designing a product to support new parents. They will develop strategies for generating ideas by investigating a specific context.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to apply optimisation to a design.
Key Notes
- Design optimisation is the process of improving a product without losing quality or purpose.
- Designers can optimise by adjusting materials, safety or function to better meet user needs and be more sustainable.
- Optimisation is part of design development and helps ensure a product is the best version before manufacture.
Vocabulary To Learn
- design optimisation: the process of improving a design to make it as efficient as possible, while still meeting all requirements
- refine: the process of making small improvements to something
- design for manufacture (DFM): the process of designing products in such a way that they are easy, cost effective, and efficient to manufacture
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Design optimisation is the same as design development.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Design optimisation is the process of improving a product without losing quality or purpose. Designers can optimise by adjusting materials, safety or function to better meet user needs and be more sustainable.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'design optimisation'
the process of improving a design to make it as efficient as possible, while still meeting all requirements.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Design optimisation is the same as design development. Correction: Design development is the bigger process of taking an idea and turning it into a final product. Optimisation is the specific part of development where you focus on preparing the design for making, creating the best version of your existing design.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 9 Design and technology guide library.