AQA A-level DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
PRODUCT DESIGN EXAM STUDY GUIDE
2026/2027 COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS
<NEWEST VERSION>
1. Categories of materials - ANSWER ✔ Metals, woods, polymers, papers &
boards, composites, smart materials, modern materials.
2. Factors affecting material selection - ANSWER ✔ Properties, aesthetics,
cost, function, manufacture, disposal.
3. Physical properties of materials - ANSWER ✔ Density, thermal
conductivity, electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance.
4. Mechanical properties of materials - ANSWER ✔ Strength, hardness,
toughness, malleability, ductility, elasticity.
5. Examples of modern materials - ANSWER ✔ Kevlar, polymorph, precious
metal clay, high-density modelling foam.
6. Examples of smart materials - ANSWER ✔ Shape memory alloys,
thermochromic pigments, photochromic pigments, piezoelectric materials.
,7. Difference between thermoplastics and thermosets - ANSWER ✔
Thermoplastics can be reheated and reshaped; thermosets cannot.
8. Key stock forms of timber - ANSWER ✔ Rough sawn, PSE, PAR, natural
timber, manufactured boards, mouldings.
9. Design for Manufacture (DfM) - ANSWER ✔ Designing products to be
easily and cost-effectively manufactured.
10.Design for Assembly (DfA) - ANSWER ✔ Simplifying product structure to
reduce parts and make assembly faster and cheaper.
11.Aesthetics in Product Success - ANSWER ✔ Affects user perception,
desirability, and brand image — key for competitive markets.
12.Form vs. Function in Design - ANSWER ✔ "Form" refers to how it looks;
"function" refers to what it does — good design balances both.
13.Material Efficiency - ANSWER ✔ Using the minimum amount of material
necessary to achieve performance.
14.Waste Hierarchy - ANSWER ✔ A prioritisation model: Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, Recover, Dispose.
15.Digital Twins in Manufacturing - ANSWER ✔ Virtual replicas of physical
systems used for simulation, monitoring, and predictive analytics.
,16.Agile Manufacturing - ANSWER ✔ Highly responsive production methods
that adapt quickly to changing market needs.
17.Tolerances in Engineering Design - ANSWER ✔ Ensure fit and function
between mating parts while balancing cost and precision.
18.CNC vs Manual Machining - ANSWER ✔ Greater accuracy, repeatability,
complex shapes, and reduced human error.
19.User Centred design - ANSWER ✔ Developing products with the end user
fully in mind, products will be easy to use
20.ISO 13407 - ANSWER ✔ Principles followed by designers adopting the
UCD approach
➜ The design takes full account of users, the task they perform with the
product and the environment it is used
➜ Users involved throughout the design and development process
➜ The design is refined by user-centred evaluation
➜ The design process is Iterative
➜ The design considers the whole user experience
➜ The design is developed by a multi-skilled, multi-disciplinary team
➜ Disciplinary team could include: product engineers, engineers, industrial
designers, ergonomists and sales and marketing
21.Iterative - ANSWER ✔ Describes the process of repeatedly going through
the circular design process. An iteration would be one cycle of the process
, 22.Ergonomics - ANSWER ✔ Concerns the design of products that are easy or
comfortable to use, the study of the interaction between products and
humans
23.Anthropometrics - ANSWER ✔ The measurement of the size, proportions,
and range of motion of the human body.
24.Primary investigation - ANSWER ✔ Research carried out first hand
25.Secondary investigation - ANSWER ✔ Research information that is
gathered from books and the internet
26.Importance of project management systems - ANSWER ✔ Project
management systems benefit designers and manufacturers by:
➜ Project management systems, such as Six Sigma are used in identifying
areas of weakness/waste within a process.
➜ By using project management systems, such as Critical Path Analysis
(CPA) designers and manufacturers can streamline processes removing
unnecessary stages.
➜ Manufacturers can reduce waste production by making to order.
➜ By involving all members of a design/manufacture team in decisions
TQM can increase efficiency: reducing processing time, reducing movement
within the production process, reducing process equipment.
➜ Project management systems can also improve supply efficiencies
between manufacturers.
27.Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) - ANSWER ✔ A European
directive that aims to prevent hazardous substances from entering the
production process to prevent damage to human health and the environment.
It is required on all products sold in the EU.
PRODUCT DESIGN EXAM STUDY GUIDE
2026/2027 COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED CORRECT ANSWERS ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS
<NEWEST VERSION>
1. Categories of materials - ANSWER ✔ Metals, woods, polymers, papers &
boards, composites, smart materials, modern materials.
2. Factors affecting material selection - ANSWER ✔ Properties, aesthetics,
cost, function, manufacture, disposal.
3. Physical properties of materials - ANSWER ✔ Density, thermal
conductivity, electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance.
4. Mechanical properties of materials - ANSWER ✔ Strength, hardness,
toughness, malleability, ductility, elasticity.
5. Examples of modern materials - ANSWER ✔ Kevlar, polymorph, precious
metal clay, high-density modelling foam.
6. Examples of smart materials - ANSWER ✔ Shape memory alloys,
thermochromic pigments, photochromic pigments, piezoelectric materials.
,7. Difference between thermoplastics and thermosets - ANSWER ✔
Thermoplastics can be reheated and reshaped; thermosets cannot.
8. Key stock forms of timber - ANSWER ✔ Rough sawn, PSE, PAR, natural
timber, manufactured boards, mouldings.
9. Design for Manufacture (DfM) - ANSWER ✔ Designing products to be
easily and cost-effectively manufactured.
10.Design for Assembly (DfA) - ANSWER ✔ Simplifying product structure to
reduce parts and make assembly faster and cheaper.
11.Aesthetics in Product Success - ANSWER ✔ Affects user perception,
desirability, and brand image — key for competitive markets.
12.Form vs. Function in Design - ANSWER ✔ "Form" refers to how it looks;
"function" refers to what it does — good design balances both.
13.Material Efficiency - ANSWER ✔ Using the minimum amount of material
necessary to achieve performance.
14.Waste Hierarchy - ANSWER ✔ A prioritisation model: Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, Recover, Dispose.
15.Digital Twins in Manufacturing - ANSWER ✔ Virtual replicas of physical
systems used for simulation, monitoring, and predictive analytics.
,16.Agile Manufacturing - ANSWER ✔ Highly responsive production methods
that adapt quickly to changing market needs.
17.Tolerances in Engineering Design - ANSWER ✔ Ensure fit and function
between mating parts while balancing cost and precision.
18.CNC vs Manual Machining - ANSWER ✔ Greater accuracy, repeatability,
complex shapes, and reduced human error.
19.User Centred design - ANSWER ✔ Developing products with the end user
fully in mind, products will be easy to use
20.ISO 13407 - ANSWER ✔ Principles followed by designers adopting the
UCD approach
➜ The design takes full account of users, the task they perform with the
product and the environment it is used
➜ Users involved throughout the design and development process
➜ The design is refined by user-centred evaluation
➜ The design process is Iterative
➜ The design considers the whole user experience
➜ The design is developed by a multi-skilled, multi-disciplinary team
➜ Disciplinary team could include: product engineers, engineers, industrial
designers, ergonomists and sales and marketing
21.Iterative - ANSWER ✔ Describes the process of repeatedly going through
the circular design process. An iteration would be one cycle of the process
, 22.Ergonomics - ANSWER ✔ Concerns the design of products that are easy or
comfortable to use, the study of the interaction between products and
humans
23.Anthropometrics - ANSWER ✔ The measurement of the size, proportions,
and range of motion of the human body.
24.Primary investigation - ANSWER ✔ Research carried out first hand
25.Secondary investigation - ANSWER ✔ Research information that is
gathered from books and the internet
26.Importance of project management systems - ANSWER ✔ Project
management systems benefit designers and manufacturers by:
➜ Project management systems, such as Six Sigma are used in identifying
areas of weakness/waste within a process.
➜ By using project management systems, such as Critical Path Analysis
(CPA) designers and manufacturers can streamline processes removing
unnecessary stages.
➜ Manufacturers can reduce waste production by making to order.
➜ By involving all members of a design/manufacture team in decisions
TQM can increase efficiency: reducing processing time, reducing movement
within the production process, reducing process equipment.
➜ Project management systems can also improve supply efficiencies
between manufacturers.
27.Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) - ANSWER ✔ A European
directive that aims to prevent hazardous substances from entering the
production process to prevent damage to human health and the environment.
It is required on all products sold in the EU.
