Introduction: Why Evaluate?

In Design and Technology, we don't just ask "Does it work?" We also ask "Is it right?" and "Is it worth it?" When new technologies emerge, designers must think like detectives. They have to critically evaluate how their decisions affect the world, the people in it, and the environment. This chapter will help you understand the specific boxes a designer must tick to make responsible, successful products.

1. Criteria for Design Decisions

Every design starts with a set of rules or constraints. If a designer ignores these, the product might be too expensive, too slow to build, or made of the wrong things. Don't worry if this seems like a lot to remember—just think of it as a checklist for a project.

  • Budget Constraints: How much money is available to develop and make the product? If it costs too much to make, nobody will be able to afford to buy it.
  • Timescale: How long will it take to design and manufacture? For example, a new medical device might be needed urgently to save lives.
  • Who the product is for: This is the target audience. A product designed for a toddler will look and function very differently from one designed for a professional engineer.
  • Materials used: Designers must choose materials that are fit for purpose. They have to balance cost, strength, and how they look (aesthetics).
  • Manufacturing capabilities: Does the company have the right machines and skilled workers to actually build the design? There is no point designing a complex 3D-printed part if you only have access to a basic handsaw!

Quick Review: Think of these as the "Practical Five." You can't start a job without knowing your budget, your deadline, your customer, your stuff (materials), and your tools (manufacturing).

2. Contemporary and Future Scenarios

Designers don't work in a bubble. They have to look at what is happening in the world right now and what might happen in the future. These scenarios "pull" technology in different directions.

Global Challenges

  • Natural Disasters: Technologies are developed for rapid-response housing or water purification systems to help people after earthquakes or floods.
  • Medical Advances: As we live longer, we need new technologies like robotic surgery or wearable health monitors.
  • Global Warming: This is a massive driver for design. We need products that use less energy and cars that don't emit \( CO_2 \).

Changing How We Live

  • Travel: New technologies in high-speed rail or electric flight aim to make travel faster and cleaner.
  • Communication: The shift from landlines to smartphones to 5G has changed how we work and socialize instantly.

3. Ethical Perspectives

Ethics is about doing what is "fair" and "right." In your exam, you might be asked to discuss the "human side" of new technology.

  • Where and by whom it was made: Designers should investigate their supply chains. Are the workers being paid a fair wage? Are the working conditions safe?
  • Who benefits: Does the technology help everyone, or does it make the gap between rich and poor wider?
  • Fair Trade products: Fair trade ensures that farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal. This often means they receive a guaranteed minimum price and a "premium" to spend on community projects like schools.

Example: When you choose a material, you aren't just choosing a physical substance; you are choosing to support the industry that created it. Ethical designers try to ensure no one is exploited.

4. Environmental Perspectives

This is a huge part of the "Core" curriculum. Every product has an "environmental cost." Designers use specific tools to measure this impact.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

An LCA is a way of looking at the environmental impact of a product through its entire life. Think of it as the "cradle to grave" journey:

  1. Extraction: Getting the raw materials (e.g., mining metal ores or drilling for oil).
  2. Manufacture: The energy and pollution created when making the product in a factory.
  3. Transportation: Moving materials to the factory, and then the finished product to the shops.
  4. Use: Does the product need electricity or batteries while you own it?
  5. Disposal: What happens when it breaks? Can it be recycled, or does it go to a landfill?

Key Environmental Terms

  • Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases (like \( CO_2 \)) produced to make and use a product. Lower is always better!
  • Energy Usage: Designers try to reduce the amount of electricity or fuel used during manufacture and transportation. For example, making a product lighter reduces the fuel needed to ship it.
  • Use of Materials: Using fewer materials (light-weighting) or using recycled materials helps protect natural resources.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Many students think "environment" only means recycling. Remember that transportation and manufacturing energy are often just as important as what happens to the product at the end of its life!

Summary: Key Takeaways

To succeed in this section of the GCSE, remember these three "pillars" of evaluation:

1. Practicality: Can we afford it? Do we have time? Do we have the machines? (Topic 1.2 criteria)

2. Humanity (Ethics): Is it fair? Are workers treated well? Is it Fair Trade?

3. Planet (Environment): What is the Carbon Footprint? What does the LCA tell us about its impact from start to finish?

Note: For more information on how we manage waste and recycling specifically, see the "Environmental, social and economic challenges" chapter (Topic 1.14).

Calculation Tip: In the exam, you might be asked to calculate the percentage of material wasted during manufacturing. If a process uses \( 80kg \) of material but the final product only weighs \( 60kg \), the waste is \( 20kg \). To find the waste percentage: \( (20 / 80) \times 100 = 25\% \).