Component 1: Design and Technology in the 21st Century Students take a single examination in one of the following endorsed areas: • Fashion and Textiles • Product Design The examination includes a mix of structured and extended writing questions assessing students' knowledge and understanding of: • Technical principles • Designing and making principles along with their ability to analyze and evaluate wider issues in design and technology • Practical mathematical applications, such as calculating areas, volumes, percentages, costs, etc. Component 2: Design and Make Project A sustained design and make project, based on a design brief developed by the candidate, assessing the candidate's ability to: • Investigate a client’s needs, identify problems, outline design possibilities • Design and make prototypes • Analyse and evaluate design decisions and outcomes, including prototypes made by themselves and others. The design and making project will be based on the same endorsed area as the written examination. The subject content of both components covers the following: • Designing and innovation • Materials and components • Processes • Industrial and commercial practice • Product analysis and systems • Human Responsibility • Public interaction • Marketing and research Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous, and practical subject. This specification encourages students to use creativity and imagination when applying iterative design processes to develop and modify designs and to design and make prototypes that solve real-world problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants aspirations, and values. Students will need to take every opportunity to integrate and apply their understanding and knowledge from other subject areas studied during key stage 4, with a particular focus on Science and Mathematics, and those subjects they are studying alongside GCE Design And Technology. Coursework will be tailored to suit individual students’ strengths, backgrounds, and personal interests. Students will be guided with their design briefs to ensure they can achieve their potential. Students will be expected to work independently to produce their coursework. Theory for the exam will be taught in lessons and also undertaken by students outside of lesson time. The majority of the work will be expected to be completed in a sketchbook format which can then be used for university interviews as part of a student’s portfolio.