Welcome to the 3D Design Department

3D Design at GCSE allows students to work with many different materials and develop individual and personal ideas based on designers and different architectural themes.

How will I learn?

Over the course students will build a portfolio of work in sketchbooks exploring the possibilities of 3D Design. Work will be produced in a variety of materials such as modroc, card, plastics, wood and modelling materials. Work will consist of artist and designer research and drawing to help develop and plan your responses to a theme.

What will I learn?

Students choosing GCSE 3D Design need to be interested in both architecture design and model making. They will need to look at designers work for inspiration to help them understand technical aspects of making products. They need to show in their controlled assessment how they have been inspired by the work of others.

What other activities will I do?

Some of the GCSE work needs to be experimental, some students find this difficult but mistakes and research are all part of making interesting products. Students will be expected to develop ideas through sketches and notes in a sketchbook and will learn how to use new materials and processes as well as building on what they have learnt during KS3. Students will also have the opportunity to explore the design process such as 2D Design for the laser cutter.

What is required of me?

Students need to be motivated to work in their sketchbooks at home for at least an hour a week. Independent Learning is an important way of developing ideas for class work and a way of ensuring that a large enough quantity of work is completed. Attendance is vital for students to be able to complete the controlled assessment in lesson time over 2 years. Students’ attendance must be excellent as the Controlled Assessment and externally set assignment take place over two years during lesson time.

Examination

Your GCSE coursework (Unit 1 Portfolio) is worth 60% of the total marks and this assessment starts as soon as you begin
the course in September. You will have a final exam (Unit 2 Externally Set Assignment), which is worth 40% of the full GCSE.
After working for approx. eight weeks, building project ideas around a set theme, you will spend two days working on your final
outcome. 3D Design has a 10-hour exam.

Units 1 and 2 are assessed separately out of 96 marks. You will be assessed using Assessment Objectives called:

  • AO1 Develop, which is about researching designers and styles of design
  • AO2 Refine, which is about experimenting to find out more through practical and annotation
  • AO3 Record, which is about showing ideas and personal visual work including drawing
  • AO4 Present, which is about the completion of your final idea based on your research
Requirements for the Course

It will be very useful to have some basic equipment at home so work can be completed to the highest standard. This will include:

  • Black fine liner pens
  • Drawing pencils in a range of grades (2B, 4B, 6B)
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
  • Double sided tape

*A Design pack with equipment will be available to purchase in September.