Yr12 - welcome back!  You will now be thinking of your main project for Yr13.  If you are thinking of designing a point of sale make sure this fits in with the overall design theme and isn't just an add on. It should reflect the research and be appropriate for the product. Think about making it 'flat pack' - what about using recycled materials? Remember to evaluate it carefully - you also need client feedback throughout your folder. Check your evaluation for spelling errors as you are awarded marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. You need to show skills with more than one material - this will ensure you get high marks for this unit.

This Austin Powers themed product has a distinctive point of sale.  It is made using acrylic and shaped on the MDX40 - in itself it would not demonstrate enough skills to fit into the higher mark band.  To make the POS more complex, LEDs and an electronic circuit have been added to ensure it 'showcases' the skills of the student.

If you are basing your products on an existing theme (The Cat in The Hat for example) you must ensure that you develop a product that is faithful to the theme but demonstrates your making abilities.  In this example the student has created three bottles and packaging for a range of toiletries based on The Cat in The Hat.  The packaging is detailed and contains a vacuum formed tray. The back of the packaging has details of ingredients and a bar code and company name - it is essential that your product looks professional.

The product on the right is for a music festival.  The package contains two bottles (one of sun cream, the other of spring water) and a torch.  Once again the packaging is supporting the product in terms of complexity and as you can see from the back is really detailed.

If you are thinking of doing a festival pack or a special edition design for a film or TV programme make sure you carefully plan what your pack will include. Will you be able to demonstrate enough skills to get high marks?  This is one of the hardest things to get right - only choose this option if you are confident that you have the skills and abilities to create a successful product.

Your major coursework project in Yr13 is worth 60% of the A2 marks. It is essential that you choose something appropriate - make sure you are interested in what you are going to be designing. The coursework is divided into several sections - each sections get awarded a separate mark. The sections are as follows:

Research and analysis (4 marks)

Product Specification (6 marks)

Design and development (30 marks)

Planning (6 marks)

Making (34)

Testing and evaluation (10 marks)

Total marks: 90