1. Exam Preparation
Brian Russell

2. Patterns over time
86 = A*, 73 = A, 60 = B, 48 = C, 40 = D, 32 = E, 25 = F, 18 = G

3. Be equipped!
You will need:
• Blue or black pen (take a spare)
• Pencil (take a sharpener)
• Coloured pencils (a range)
• 300mm Rule
• Eraser

4. Pace yourself
Don’t rush
• Read the questions carefully
• Spend approximately a minute per mark
• Make a separate point for each mark
• Consider using bullet points
• Question 1 is worth 25% of the paper!

5. What to design?
• The preliminary material tells us that the context for the
designing question is: Packed lunch containers
• If you look back at past questions like this candidates
were asked to design mainly using card
• Think about who the user might be - children, adults,
such as office workers, athletes etc.
• Think about what might need to be contained – drink,
sandwich, yoghurt, fruit etc.

6. Where to start
Potentially this is a large topic to investigate so concentrate on:
• Paper and card containers
• The use of new materials (alternatives to oil based
polymers)

7. The functions of packaging
• Protect
• Inform
• Contain
• Transport
• Preserve
• Display
I PICT PD
If you can remember these you can write design criteria,
explain the purposes or functions of packaging

8. Best answers?
Purposes/functions Reasons
Transport It will be important to be able to easily transport the food
from the shop to where you want to eat
Contain The food will need to be contained and may need to be
separated – sweet and savoury for example
Preserve Keeping the food fresh and maintaining the correct
temperature will be important
Typically six minutes work

9. Function 1: Protect
The packaging needs to protect the food from
contamination but often needs to protect the user from
grease. The outer layer in this case is made from
carton board or solid white board. The card needs to
be food grade.

10. Protecting the sandwich
This type of packaging protects, preserves and displays
the product. These sandwich wedges are made from
sustainable Kraft board with a 100% compostable liner
and a window made from cornstarch. They are
supplied flat for easy storage and assembly is simple.

11. Security
• Pret a Manger use colour coded security labels so
they can check and remove stock which has been on
the shelf too long. This is helping to protect the
consumers from potential bacterial hazards.

12. Function 2: Inform
• Most lunch packaging is generic and would not contain a
great deal of information. Windows are often a feature so
that you can see what is inside. Windows are usually
made from Cornstarch like the sandwich example shown
earlier.

13. Key information
• Nutritional information is found on some pre-packaged
food but you are unlikely to be asked to do anything
more than suggest a space on the lunch container.

14. Symbols
• Informing consumers that the food is suitable for
vegetarians or vegans is important to many people.
There are a wide range of symbols used for this
purpose and some are shown below.
• You are unlikely to be asked to do more than suggest
the position of such symbols on your container

15. Symbols
• As lunch packaging is unlikely to be used more than once
manufacturers are often eager to inform customers that it
can be recycled. Variations of these symbols are often
found on this type of packaging
• You are unlikely to be asked to do more than suggest the
position of such symbols on your container

16. Symbols
• It is common to see an anti-litter logo printed onto the
packaging. The symbol on the right is the more usual
Keep Britain Tidy version whereas the one on the left is
from the Love Where You Live campaign
• You are unlikely to be asked to do more than suggest the
position of such symbols on your container

17. Symbols
• The FSC logo provides the consumer with a guarantee
that the card board has been made from timber which
has come from a sustainable source.
• The forest will have been evaluated and certified as
being managed according to agreed social,
economically viable and environmental standards.

18. Function 3: Contain
• Food needs to be contained. This is particularly
important if the food has strong flavours or is in small
pieces.
• The most common material used for this type of
insert is PET. This tray has been vacuum formed.
There are now alternatives to oil based polymers
based on plant starches

19. Alternatives to plastics
• This container looks as if it is made from normal Kraft
board. Many such containers have a plastic lining and
therefore are not compostable.
• This version is from sustainably sourced paper board
with a water-based coating, made up with leak-proof
webbed corners and fold-in flaps to give a secure
closure.

20. Environmentally friendly
• These sandwich wedges are fully compostable, being
made from brown Kraft board with a compostable liner
and PLA window (made from cornstarch).
• Grease proof lining like the previous example.
• They are supplied flat and assembly is very simple.
Kraft board uses
unbleached pulp so is
more environmentally
friendly than solid white
board.

21. Polylactides
• These PLA Sandwich wedges are 100% compostable.
• Made from clear PLA renewable plastic which is plant
based.
• This is ideal for packaging as it starts to decompose very
soon after use.

22. Function 4: Transport
This type of card container is one of the most popular
children’s lunch containers and is often printed with
decorative graphics. Solid white board is best if
printing in full colour

23. Deli box
• A more adult lunch container simply made from Kraft
board with a locking handle. Made from recycled
fibres, this is an unbleached board which is a pale
brown colour.

24. Handles
• If the lunch container has a handle you will need to
consider anthropometrics
• If you design your box to fit your own hand it would be
large enough for younger children

25. Deli box
• A folded deli box, again, made from coated Kraft
board.
• Designed to hold wet dishes such as curry, pasta etc.
• The corners are folded, then glued to prevent leaks.
• Locking tabs keep the carton closed

26. Flat pack
• To save space many food containers are produced to be
stored flat and simply opened up into their final form.

27. Function 5: Preserve
• Pizza boxes are very good examples of lunch containers
which are very simple.
• They are made from corrugated cardboard which is
lightweight, stiff and a good insulator so the food is
preserved at the right temperature.
• The layers also do a good job in protecting the consumer
from grease.

28. Function 6: Display
• This type of packaging is often displayed in refrigerated
display units and rely on the window so the customer can
easily see the product inside.
• This window is usually made of cornstarch nowadays as
it is compostable.

29. Display
• Many suppliers brand their packaging.
• In the case of McDonalds the designers were asked to
try to persuade the consumers that the products were
made from high quality ingredients.

30. Appealing to the customer
• It will be important that the packed lunch container is
appealing to the customer.
• This might be achieved using printing or clear windows.

31. Your net
• Make sure that you can draw an accurate net which will
glue together to make a 3D carton
• This example uses folded corners rather than traditional
glue tabs

32. Practice drawing
• Practice drawing and making both the 2D nets and the
3D cartons

33. Practice drawing
• This is a very popular net for children’s packed lunch
containers.
• Practice drawing and making this.

34. Adding dimensions
Make sure that you know how to accurately show the three
main dimensions. Use projection lines then neat arrows
which touch the projection lines. Measurements should
be in millimetres.

35. Adding colour
Practice applying colour with coloured pencils.
Experiment with tone as this is a simple way to get a
good effect.

36. Offset lithography
• Flat aluminium plates (specially
treated)
• Photographically exposed then
wrapped around roller
• Exposed parts attract water
• Non exposed parts allow ink to
stick
• Print onto plain roller to reverse
image
• Transfers to card or other
materials
This is the best
process to specify for
printing your
container if you are
using solid white
board

37. Flexographic printing
• Uses a printing plate made of rubber, plastic, or some other
flexible material.
• Ink is applied to a raised image on the plate, which transfers
the image to the printing
Ink Trough
Impression cylinder
Paper
Fountain roller
Anilox roller
Printing cylinder
This might be the best process to
specify if you are printing simple
information onto Kraft board

38. Die-cutting
Die-cutting is the method cartons are cut out. In the
packaging industry the cutter is known as a cutting
forme. A rounded blade creases where the carton will
be folded.
Plyw ood
Foam layer
Card t o be cut
Blade

39. Ignore Question 1
• Consider starting at question 2 and
completing the rest of the paper before
attempting question 1.
• Lots of candidates run out of time because
they spend too long on question 1

40. Materials/components
• Where do materials come from?
• Are they renewable/non-renewable?
• How are materials classified (grouped)?
• What properties do different materials have?
• What are components and why are they used?
• Stock forms available?
• Why materials are combined?
• Surface finishes?

41. Paper and card compulsory
What you need to know:
• Where it comes from
• How it is made
• Properties of different papers/cards
• How products are cut from paper/card
• How is it printed

42. Renewable Materials
• Can be grown and cropped from plants,
trees and animals

43. Renewable Materials
These include:
• Timbers
• Paper/cardboard
• Cotton
• Linen
• Silk
• Leather
• All food products.....

44. Non-renewable materials
• Dug out of the ground as ores,
minerals, oil etc. prior to processing
• Once consumed they are lost forever

45. Non-renewable materials
These include:
• All metals
• Most plastics (made from oil)
• Stone
• Ceramics
• Jewels...

46. Remember...
• No marks are given for generic materials
such as “wood”, “metal”, “plastics”, “card” etc.
• Don’t get confused between renewable and
being recycled

47. Combined materials
• Materials are combined to improve the properties or
to create a material with enhanced properties
• Don’t write “to make it stronger”. Lycra is added to
denim to make the material stretch.
• Your school uniform is likely to be a combined
material as is the exam table!

48. Some combined materials
• Glass fibres and Polyester resin (GRP) used for boat building and
sports car bodies
• Melamine formaldehyde and printed paper to create plastic
laminates (Formica) for table tops such as your exam desk
• Elastane (Lycra) combined with denim to create jeans which stretch
• Polyester and cotton blended together to create fabric (polycotton)
which is more resistant to creasing
• Portland cement, sand and pebbles mixed together with water to
create concrete which is very strong in compression
• Copper and zinc mixed together (alloyed) to create brass, a metal
which is hard and easily machineable
• Aluminium foil bonded to duplex board or solid white board to
create a board with good insulation properties (fast food container
lids)

49. Smart materials
• Smart materials are ones which react and
change their properties in response to an input
such as electrical current, heat, light etc.

50. Specs may remind you
• Two different smart materials are sometimes used in
spectacles

51. Photochromic materials
• These materials change colour in response to
changes in light.
• Some spectacles have reactive lenses which
become darker as the light increases

52. Shape memory alloys
Shape memory alloys are used in some
spectacle frames and these superelastic alloys
can be squashed beyond the point other frames
would snap and will return to their original
shape at room temperature.

53. Thermochromic materials
• These materials change colour in response to
changes in temperature.
• Kettles and baby feeding products are just
two applications where it is useful to have a
built in thermometer.

54. The Six “Rs”
• Recycle and reprocess the materials
• Re-use materials/components/products for
another purpose
• Reduce the amount of energy and resources
used throughout the whole product life cycle
• Repair products/design them to be easily
repaired
• Rethink our current lifestyles and the way we
design and make
• Refuse products which are unnecessary or
wastefully use resources

55. Prevent wasting materials
• Bags for life
• Recycling bins easily available
• Reduce packaging
• Buy local products to reduce “product miles”

56. Best choices
• Re-use the product without further processing
• Repair the product to return to original standard
• Recycle the materials and components

57. Environmental issues - labelling
A general recycling symbol
which means the product can
be recycled or it is made from
recycled materials. Found
mainly on packaging

58. Environmental issues - labelling
Means that the product cannot be
placed in a normal bin and needs
specialist recycling facilities.
Usually found on electrical products
and batteries

59. Environmental issues - labelling
Provides specific information on the
type of plastic material. This example
is High Density Polyethylene. Found
on some carrier bags, milk crates,
buckets etc.

60. Environmental issues - labelling
Symbols which show specific material information to
enable consumers to separate materials for recycling:
Aluminium, steel and glass. In all cases, take to recycling
bins.

61. Carbon Footprint
• A measure of the impact human activities have
on the environment in terms of the amount of
green house gases produced, measured in units
of carbon dioxide

62. Carbon Footprint
Can you:
• Explain the issues which relate to the carbon
footprint of everyday products?
• Explain ways of reducing the carbon footprint
of everyday products?

63. Product miles
How many miles does the product travel?
• Source material to primary processor
• Material to factory
• Product to distributor
• Distributor to retail outlet
• Retail outlet to home
How much energy is consumed just through
transporting materials, components and products?

64. What happens next?
Environmental:
• Product life cycles
• Cradle to grave
• Circular economy
• Throw-away products
• Designed obsolescence

65. Manufacturing in quantity
• Best answers are usually chocolate moulding
or pewter casting because there are lots of
stages and the work can be shared

66. Manufacturing in quantity
• Worst answer is laser cutting as there are not
enough stages and you only need one person
to manufacture the batch

67. Manufacturing in quantity
If designing a shape for manufacturing
in quantity keep it simple. Mould any
decoration by designing different
layers.

68. Chocolate - the material to use
Best answers include:
• Melts at a low temperature so easy to
mould in school
• Cheap to produce large quantities
• Chocolate is popular so likely to sell
well

69. Pewter - the material to use
Best answers include:
• Melts at a low temperature so easy to
mould in school
• Easy to drill, file and polish
• Cheaper than silver but has similar look

70. Manufacturing in quantity
• Break stages to match
the marks
• Uses notes and
sketches
• Think about the correct
order of work before you
start

71. Break it down into stages
1
2
3
56
4
7

72. Health & safety
Consider:
• Your own safety when making
• The user’s safety

73. Organising manufacturing
• Some jobs, such as filling chocolate moulds,
need more workers.
• Some workers may need to do more than one
job

74. Manufacturing in quantity
• If drawing a
flowchart, use the
correct symbols
• Make sure you
show where it is
necessary to make
checks
Star and stop
The individual task
Where you
need to check
Feedback loop
if you need to go
back a stage to
sort out a fault.

75. Commercial manufacturing
Materials are processed using:
• Moulding/casting
• Forming
• Wastage/separation
• Conditioning
• Assembling
• Finishing

76. Manufacturing issues
• Preparation of materials
• Industrial manufacturing processes
• Use of labour
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control
• Implications of ICT
• Scales of production

77. Quality assurance
• It does not just focus on the finished product
• Often involves self-checking by workers of their own
quality against agreed standards
• Puts more emphasis on prevention of poor quality
rather than checking for poor quality
• Establishes quality standards and targets for each
stage of production
• Materials and components checked on delivery not at
end of process
• System can be used to trace back quality problems to
the stage in production where problem might have
occurred.

78. Quality assurance
• Fitness for purpose (the product should be
suitable for the intended purpose)
• Right first time every time (mistakes should
be eliminated).

79. Tolerances
• Acceptable range of difference from standard
• Sometimes measured in plus/minus
No product manufactured
in quantity can be
considered to be perfect
in every detail

80. Quality assurance
• How could you ensure that each of the
following products are manufactured to the
same quality?

81. Quality assurance
• Manufacturing methods such as moulds,
formers, die-cutting tools ensure that parts
are identical.
• Control checks are made at various stages
• Samples of the correct standard are given to
the customer
• Rigorous testing takes place

82. Testing
Consider how you would fully test a product
• How can this be done without destroying the
product?
• How can you ensure that the product is fit for
purpose?

83. Testing
• Quantitative Testing (measurable)
• Qualitative Testing (opinions)
• Sensory Testing (opinions)
Testing is done using several difference methods:

84. Standards
• BSI Kite Marks are awarded to
products which satisfy strict
standards for safety
• The British Standards Institute
are an independent testing
organisation

85. Standards?
• Simply means that the product has
been approved for sale in the
European Union.
• Meets basic requirements but may
not have been tested against
specific criteria
• The letters 'CE' on a product are the
manufacturer's claim that the
product meets the requirements of
all relevant European Directives.

86. Labelling
Key information found on labelling
Includes:
• Product name
• Description
• Safety information
• Contents
• Storage/maintenance information
• Environmental information

87. Design protection
CCopyright
Registered Design
(often used with trade marks)
Trade Mark
Patents
T M
R
P

88. Product analysis
Make sure you can comment on:
• Materials used – their properties
• Function – strengths and weaknesses
• Human factors – ease of use
• Style – aesthetics
• Manufacturing - processes used
• Target user – who would use?

89. Product evolution
Why do products change over time?
• New materials
• New manufacturing methods
• New technologies
• Social changes
• Fashions/trends
• Legislation

90. New materials
• New ways of producing construction materials to
make better use of resources
• Environmental impact

91. Manufacturing changes
Different construction techniques
Advantages and disadvantages of flat pack over
traditional making

92. New technologies
• Not just advances in electronics
• Consider how many clever devices have been made
to allow us to make furniture in very

93. Social changes
• Consider the changes in the way we purchase
products
• Made to last or changes in fashions/trends?

94. Legislation/regulation
• New rules to keep you safe
• New guidance to save the planet.....

95. Human factors
• Anthropometrics
• Ergonomics
• Senses
• Colours
• Improving comfort
• Working triangles
• Special groups
• Adjustment for different sizes
• Specific markets
• Access

96. Anthropometrics
Issues the designers should have considered include:
• Size of handle (length and circumference)
• Size of buttons
• Length of cable....
Anthropometrics is the study of human
measurements

97. 5th
-95th
percentile
• Ignore the extremes
• Top 5% and bottom 5% taken out
• Consider the rest as a normal range
• Be selective – tallest for doors, shortest for
chairs?

98. Ergonomics
• The position of buttons
• Hand grips/texture
• Comfort
• Weight and balance
• Temperature
• Length of flex
• The angle and size of the handle
• Noise
• Safety
Ergonomics is generally concerned with how easy
and efficient products are to understand and use:

99. Adjustment
• Cycles
• Car seats
• Office chairs
• Clothing…
Many products need to adjust to different
sizes:

100. Inclusive design
• We are all disabled at some times in our lives
• Consider how products need to be changed to make
them accessible to all

101. Partially sighted
• Large buttons, voice activated dialling, large
displays

102. Hearing impaired
• Variable volume/frequency, induction loop technology,
blue tooth, vibrator pads, flashing lights

103. Disabled Access
• A major factor when designing public transportation
systems and buildings

104. Wheelchairs
• Increased wheel camber, lighter materials electric
powered, vertical lift, better seat, wider tyres…

105. Designing new products
Research methods
Market research
Product Analysis
Questionnaires
Consumer trials
Modelling and testing
Mock-ups/prototypes
Specifications (design, product, manufacturing)
Evaluation
S ony
900
920
910
On/Off

106. Fashion changes
• Arts & Crafts movement
• Art Nouveau
• Modernism
• Art Deco
• De Stijl
• Bauhaus
• The Streamlined Age
• Memphis
• Post Modernism
The art and design movements of the last century have had
major influences of the style of products:

107. New Products
Can you name a designer?
Can you explain why their products
are successful?

108. Design Icons
Classic design
• Innovative
• Often copied
Every now and again designers and manufacturers produce
products which are regarded as Design Icons, or Classic
Designs. These set new standards for the products that
follow.

109. Retro design
• Modern products based on styling from the past
• Keep nostalgic styling but incorporate the latest
technology

110. Legislation/regulation
• Seatbelts and booster seats in cars
• Emissions laws linked to car exhaust systems
• Use of foam in upholstery
• Mobile phone usage whilst driving
• Digital TV signals
• Health & Safety at Work Act.......
Consider some of the recent laws and regulations that
have influenced product design:

111. Technology push
• Research and development in science is a major factor
why products change.
• New materials and new technologies are two areas
where science has provided the basis for designers to
create new products

112. Market pull
• Environmental concerns
• Latest technologies
• Price
• Exploitation of workers
• Fair Trade
• Energy costs......
The power of the consumer is forcing continual changes
with needs and wants such as:

113. Continuous improvement
Manufacturers need to keep improving
their products to stay competitive or to
meet changing regulation/legislation.
• Consumer/retailer feedback
• Maintenance engineers
• Production staff
• Pressure groups (environment)
• Financial savings…….

114. Continuous improvement
Key questions:
• How can products be made more sustainable?
• Can you make links to the 6 “R”s?
• Are continuous improvements a good or bad thing for
the environment?
In the written examination these questions
allow you to discuss issues and give opinions

115. Product information
• Symbols found on a range of products
and their packaging/labelling
• Maintenance schedules
• Assembly instructions
• Handling instructions
• Storage instructions

116. Product maintenance
Key areas:
• Cleaning is most common maintenance task
• Checking for wear in parts – replace/adjust
• Checking for damage – repair/replace
• Electrical safety checks – PAT tests
• Lubrication

117. Product maintenance
Care labels
Key issues:
• Language free
• Match to wide range materials

118. The power of branding
• Big brands influence the products we buy
• How much do we know about their environmental
policies?
• Do we make informed choices?

119. Brand identity
• More than just a logo
• A brand identity represents the company's
values, services, ideas and personality
• Often considered as brand values

120. Advertising
• Where would be the best places to advertise
a new Apple product?
• TV?
• Magazines?
• Web?
• Billboards?

121. Using ICT to develop products
• Computer Aided Design
• Computer Aided Manufacture
• Computer Numerical Control
Advantages:
• Sharing information
• Accuracy
• Repeatability
• Flexibility (ease of making changes)
• Speed……

122. Computer Aided Design
• Modelling
• Simulations
• Analysing and testing
• Costing....

123. Computer Aided Manufacture
Modelling and making prototypes
• Printers
• Vinyl cutters
• Milling/engraving machines
• Routers
• Lathes
• Laser-cutters
• Embroidery machines
• Rapid prototyping

124. Just in Time
• Shared information systems
• Reduced lead times
• Less finance tied up in stock
• Products are bar-coded

125. Automation
• Numerous interlinked sub-systems centrally
controlled
• Use of robots for repetitive/dangerous tasks
• Monitoring/measuring
• Logistics

126. Flexible Manufacturing
• Benefits of one-off production at mass production
prices
• Only possible with ICT
• Materials handling
• Reduced storage costs

127. Remote manufacturing
• Very common especially in the printing
industry
• Maximises savings by manufacturing
abroad

128. Buy a Revision Guide
• Written for this course
• £4.99 each
• Read it
• Use workbook to check
your understanding