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This course is intended to provide you with the skills and knowledge to be successful when applying for ‘three dimensional’ design-based employment or degree courses e.g. Product Design, Industrial Design, Modelmaking, Craft, Furniture etc. But because the course is creative, technical and both practical and academic, it has also proved to be an excellent foundation for students with artistic, architectural or engineering intentions. You could, for example, design a film set if interested in Production Design, an outbuilding if interested in Architecture, or an electro-mechanical device if interested in Engineering. Alternatively, you could use your computer-aided design/manufacturing or production skills to gain employment after leaving HSDC Alton.
Designing uses a highly diverse set of skills and on this course, you will: research, analyse, summarise, define, plan, develop, prove, calculate, communicate, process, fabricate, test, evaluate and modify. When you have completed this course, you will have a digital portfolio as evidence of your broad skill set and management capability.
Whatever your aspirations, this course will provide you with the challenges, knowledge and positive experiences to move forward with confidence – this is the overwhelming feedback from our past students.
Students should normally have achieved at least five GCSEs at grade 9-4. In addition you must have a GCSE grade 5 or above in a creative or technical subject and a GCSE grade 4 or above in Mathematics.
Year 1
Year 2
All lessons are undertaken in a large and modern purpose-built ‘design and make’ space, where you can move from designing to making when you are ready. Everything from a modern CAD suite, layout space, workbenches and traditional and modern machinery is all combined in the one space. This is successful because combined with integrated extraction are ceiling-mounted air filtration units and a downdraught (dust catching) workbench that retain high standards of air quality at all times.
You will be encouraged to develop independence in both thought and action, but staff are extensively available to support you with your work when you need more time or another opinion.
Learning is achieved through project work and topic-based activities. Projects help you to gain confidence, design capability and practical skills and allow you to focus on your interests.
50% course work: Design project
30% exam: Materials and Manufacturing
20% exam: Social, Moral, Environmental and Economic Issues Associated with Design
£35 for core textbook.
Students will need to cover the cost of materials and resources used in the production of models and prototypes.
Students who successfully complete this course can, and have, moved onto Higher Education or into employment along the following design-based routes: product designer, industrial designer, product engineer, model-maker, craft-worker, production designer, draughtsperson, CAD operator, interior architect, architect, technologist, ergonomist etc.
You will devise a ‘real world’ project whilst working with a client or potential users. You will be working with a highly experienced teacher and technician. The teacher also works as a freelance CAD designer and the technician has industrial experience working as a machinist, fabricator, welder and project manager.
