Why study Design and Manufacture?

This course allows you to explore the multi-faceted world of product design and manufacturing. Creativity is at the heart of this course and its combination with technology makes it exciting and dynamic.

Design and Manufacture provides you with skills in designing and communicating design proposals, allowing you to refine and resolve your design ideas effectively. The course stresses the integration of designing and making, highlighting the close relationship between designing, making, testing, and refining design ideas.

The skills you learn in this course give you a broad range of potential for jobs or careers; in the expressive arts, mathematics, science, information technology, as well as in craft, design, engineering and graphics.

Career Pathways

To see what career areas this subject could lead to and the routes to get there, download and view these career pathways:

Art and Design

Construction

Engineering

Health and Medicine

Manufacturing Industries

What do I need to get in?

The school or college will decide on the entry requirements for the course. You would normally have achieved:

• National 5 Design and Manufacture

What will I study?

The course consists of two areas of study.

Design

You will:

• study the design process from brief to design proposal
• develop skills in initiating, developing, articulating and communicating design proposals
• explore and refine design proposals using the design/make/test process and by applying knowledge of materials, processes and design factors to reach a viable solution
• develop an understanding of the iterative nature of the design process
• develop an understanding of the factors that influence the design, marketing and use of commercial products.

Manufacture

You will:

• study the manufacture of commercial products
• develop knowledge of materials, manufacturing and production processes and strengthen your understanding of how these influence the design of products
• develop the knowledge and understanding required to develop a viable design proposal for a commercial product and to plan its production.

How will I be assessed?

The course assessment has two components totalling 170 marks:

• Component 1: question paper – worth 80 marks
• Component 2: assignment – worth 90 marks.

For the assignment component, you will be asked to apply your design skills to develop a proposal according to a set brief.

Both the question paper and the assignment are set and externally marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The grade awarded is based on the total marks achieved across course assessment.

The course assessment is graded A-D.

Study Materials

• SQA Past Papers Design and Manufacture Higher
• SQA Specimen Paper Design and Manufacture Higher
• SQA Understanding Standards Design and Manufacture 
• BBC Bitesize Design and Manufacture Higher

What can I go on to next?

If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:

• other qualifications in Design and Manufacture or related areas. 
• Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture

Further study, training or employment in:

• Art and Design
• Construction
• Engineering
• Health and Medicine
• Manufacturing Industries

Which jobs are related to this subject?

• Design and Manufacture - Related Careers

Where can my parents find out more?

Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.

They can also read the information leaflet(s):

Nationals in a Nutshell - Design and Manufacture (Higher)