Study at PSC

Product Design is an proactive and creative course. To excel, you'll need a passion for theory, mathematics, drawing, and hands-on activities such as experimenting, testing, and modelling. You'll have the opportunity to work with a range of materials, machines, tools, and CAD software.

Product Design combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills, preparing you for a career in design and engineering. You'll study materials, manufacturing processes, and design principles while developing your creativity and technical proficiency. Through coursework and exams, you'll engage in hands-on projects, using various tools and CAD software to bring your designs to life. In addition, you'll experience traditional classroom-based learning, with theory assessed through two exams at the end of the course.

In the first year, you'll be guided through a series of workshop activities to build confidence and competence in our well-equipped workshop. You'll then undertake an independent coursework project starting in the first year and continuing into the second year. You must maintain a comprehensive coursework portfolio that thoroughly documents your design process.

This course fosters innovation and problem-solving, equipping you with the skills needed for higher education and professional success in the field of design.

In the first year of Product Design, core activities focus on building your skills to equip you with the essential skills needed for your major coursework project (NEA). The NEA begins in your first year and continues into the second year.  Alongside practical skills, the specific knowledge required for success in written examinations is taught in a formal classroom setting. Your time on the course is split between workshop practical activities and the classroom.  

Course Structure and Assessment

The Product Design course is divided into two main parts:

1. Core Technical Principles
2. Core Designing and Making Principles

Assessment Overview:

• Final Examinations: A-Level students will sit two papers at the end of the course, which will make up 50% of the final qualification.
• Non-Examined Assessment (NEA): The remaining 50% of the A-Level qualification is based on a design and make project you will complete during the course.

This balanced assessment ensures you gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in Product Design.

Our students have gone on to study a wide range of subjects for different career pathways which include, Product Design, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering, Furniture Design, Automotive Design, Architecture etc.

Material costs for modelling, testing and investigating are covered by a one off payment at the start of the course. Students pay for materials used to manufacture their final prototype in year 2. There are 3 text books that students will be required to purchase.

Students are expected to have the following equipment with them in every lesson: 

Fineliners, Pencil, Rubber, Ruler, Masking Tape, Bostik Glue,  2 x Pro Markers, Watercolour pencils  

Items can be purchased at college or independently. If you wish to use more specialised media or equipment this can be purchased as and when necessary. 

Students who study Product Design will be provided Adobe software free of charge for use at home and at college. 

The College has a Student Support Fund for those students who have difficulty meeting these costs.