OCR A-level Design & Technology: Product Design (H406) · Design Thinking and Communication
Mini-Lesson
Design Thinking and Communication
This mini-lesson covers Design Thinking and Communication for OCR A-level Product Design: iterative, user-centred design and the graphical techniques used to communicate ideas.
You will compare drawing types, learn the role of exploded views and CAD, and calculate a drawing scale. Press Start to begin.
Design thinking
Iterative design and design thinking
Design thinking is a user-centred, iterative approach: understand the user, generate ideas, prototype and test, then refine.
Iterative design loops through explore, create and evaluate, improving the design each cycle.
Early prototyping and testing expose problems while changes are still cheap.
Quick check
Which approach?
?A designer sketches, models, tests with users and refines repeatedly rather than committing to one fixed idea. Which approach is this?
Communication
Communicating design ideas
Designers use a range of graphical techniques:
Freehand sketching — fast idea generation.
Isometric and perspective drawings — 3D pictorial views to show form.
Orthographic (third-angle) projection — accurate 2D front, side and plan views with dimensions for manufacture.
Exploded views — show how parts fit together and the order of assembly.
Rendering — adds tone, colour and material to communicate realism.
Quick check
Which drawing type?
?A workshop needs precise, dimensioned front, side and plan views to make a part. Which drawing type is required?
Digital
CAD and modelling for communication
Digital tools extend how ideas are shared and tested:
CAD produces accurate 3D models, photoreal renders and simulations.
3D printing turns CAD into physical prototypes quickly.
Physical models (card, foam) test scale, form and ergonomics cheaply and early.
Sort it
Sort the communication methods
Tap a method, then the group it belongs to.
📐 2D working drawing
🧊 3D pictorial
💾 Digital / model
Quick check
Purpose of an exploded view
?What is the main purpose of an exploded view?
Match it
Match each technique to its use
Tap an item on the left, then its match on the right.
Technique
Use
Calculate
Your turn — drawing scale
1A component is drawn at 1:2 scale. The real part is 250 mm long. How long should it appear on the drawing?
mm
Hint: at 1:2 the drawing is half real size, so 250 ÷ 2.