Contexts 1. Road Safety

2. Electronic Alarm System

3. Promotional Display

4. Electronic Game

5. Money Box

6. Counting System

7. Environmental Control

8. Sound and Music

9. Fancy Dress jewellery

10.Remote Control

11.Start Gate

12.Garment

These are the Exam Board set tasks for the GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products specification.

One of these tasks should be chosen when doing the controlled assessment unit. In each case a context is provided.

Contexts In today’s world, safety of the individual has become an important issue. The ever-increasing use of roads by cars, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians is just one area where government is trying to improve levels of safety.

Design Task 1 – Road Safety Road safety is important for all road users including pedestrians. Investigate one aspect of road safety and design, and make a prototype which could be used to help prevent accidents.

Contexts Keeping property safe from theft has become a top priority in recent years. Electronic products are used extensively to make property safe and secure. Automated locks, sirens and flashing lights are used to deter and prevent crime.

Design Task 2 - Electronic Alarm System Design and make an electronic alarm system that is capable of being fitted to a variety of doors, windows or property.

Contexts Advertising, promotions, entrepreneurs are words that are associated with the world of selling, shops and shopping; designers have to catch the eye of their customers to make them go into a shop by clever marketing ploys.

Design Task 3 – Promotional displayThe manager of a local store has asked you to design a promotional display for the entrance to a store that can be used to promote a product of your choice. The display should attract the customers’ attention with movement, light or sound, or a combination of these. The promotional display should operate when someone enters the store or stands in front of the display. You have been asked to design and make a working prototype of the display that can be evaluated in the store.

Contexts Raising funds for charity requires ingenuity; the UK has a long tradition of raising funds for good causes, whether it be for lifeboats, Children in Need or for a local scout hut.

Design Task 4 - Electronic Game A local primary school has asked you to design an electronic game that can be used at their Summer Fair to raise funds for the school. The game could be based on chance, or involve skill, but must be fun to play and be suitable for all ages.

Contexts Teaching children the value of money, and how to spend and save, is now part of the school curriculum.

Design Task 5 - Money Box A local bank wishes to encourage young children to save their pocket money. You have been asked to design and make a novelty device which will make it fun for children to use and save their money.

Contexts People find it useful to count and measure all sorts of activities in order to try and give them a value or measure their effectiveness.

Design Task 6 - Counting System Design and make a system which will count and display activities that occur in everyday situations. It could be people entering buildings, cars entering and leaving a car park, or a lap counter. You will need to consider how many events you want to count and what type of display you will use.

Contexts Designers have a responsibility to design products that address environmental issues. Designing for sustainability, efficient use of energy, changes in climate and reducing the ‘carbon footprint’ are areas of concern and have a high public profile.

Design Task 7 - Environmental Control Design and make a system which can monitor, and possibly control, different environments. It could be checking the temperature of the bath water before the baby is given a bath, monitoring the temperature levels of rooms, fridge and freezer alarms, controlling light levels or water use, even checking temperature levels when sun bathing – there are many other situations where a system could be devised and used for environmental benefit.

Contexts

Modern technologies based on music and communication play an important part in people’s lives today and can be used as strong personal statements.

Design Task 8 - Sound and Music Design and make a product using sound or music. It could be a toy which plays a lullaby for the baby, an MP3 player dock, doorbell chime, an amplifier for ring tones, even a metronome - the product should reflect its application.

Contexts In Science Fiction series such as ‘Dr Who’ or ‘Star Trek’ or in films such as ‘Star Wars’, there are a lot of electronic body adornments such as shoulder epaulettes with flashing lights, or weapons such as ‘light sabres’ and ‘sonic screwdrivers’ which seem to feature lots of beams and glowing colours. They are very much admired by children of all ages from five to ninety five!

Design Task 9 – Fancy Dress Jewellery Design and make a piece of body jewellery / adornment or visual prop for a fancy dress party which features lots of flashing lights and perhaps sound. An extra dimension to the task could be if the piece of jewellery / adornment could respond to a change of light or heat and might include the use of ‘smart materials’ such as thermo-chromic film or QTC.

Contexts

Remote control is a technology that is increasingly playing a major part in our everyday lives, whether it be the ‘zapper’ for the TV, the car locking system or ‘wireless’ toys.

Design Task 10 – Remote Control Design and make a product which uses remote control; it can be as simple as remotely turning on an LED lamp or, more demanding, as a piece of kit for a ‘Laser Quest” game which counts the ‘hits’.

Contexts

Racing of ‘Scalextric’ style cars or remote control cars is a popular event in after school clubs, and a reliable method of starting and measuring performance would enhance the activity.

Design Task 11 – Start Gate Design and make a starting gate which counts down for the ‘Scalextric’ version of a Formula 1 grand prix. It can have both visual and audible outputs, and the timing sequence can be physically or remotely activated.

Contexts

The era of cheap clothes which can almost be ‘throwaway items’ is coming to an end. Clothes have to be more adaptable to make them ‘longer lasting’ and they need to meet the demands of sustainability and environmental issues.

Design Task 12 - Garment With the advent of smart materials and industrial textiles, clothes have the ability to change in appearance and react to the environment. Incorporate these new technologies into a garment to change or enhance its appearance.