Social, environmental and economic effects
Every product has effects beyond whether it works, in three connected areas. Social: people and communities -- safe, fair making meeting human needs. Environmental: the planet's resources -- materials and energy, pollution, waste, recyclability. Economic: cost and viability -- can it be made and sold affordably, and does it support or remove jobs. They interact -- greener materials cost more -- so sustainable design balances all three.
Roles -- designer, artisan, technologist
Bringing a product to society takes workers with distinct roles. A designer identifies a need, generates ideas and writes a specification -- deciding what to make and why. An artisan is a highly skilled maker working largely by hand on one-off or bespoke pieces. A technologist applies scientific and technical knowledge to making -- materials, manufacturing systems, CAD/CAM -- to produce reliably and in quantity. In an exam give each role its distinct contribution.
A range of human needs -- inclusive design
The designer must consider a range of human needs, not just an average user. Ergonomic needs (size, reach, grip, comfort) mean using anthropometric data. Safety means it must not harm the user in normal use. Users are diverse -- children, older and disabled people differ -- so designing for the widest range (inclusive design) suits more people: large controls, easy-grip handles, step-free access. Needs must be specific to the user, not generic wants like 'nice'.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Sustainable read as cheap or strong
Examiners report 'sustainable' is widely misinterpreted. A material is sustainable when its resource can be renewed faster than it runs out -- beech that is replanted and regrown, versus aluminium from bauxite, a finite ore. Weaker candidates read it as 'cheap' or 'strong', missing the point. Anchor it to the resource: can it keep being replaced, or is the supply finite?
s23 P32 Q11g
Biodegradable left undefined
A recurring weakness is the environmental-impact vocabulary itself. 'Biodegradable' means broken down naturally by living organisms into harmless substances, so it does not persist -- hardboard is; many plastics are not. Cannot define it, cannot reason about end-of-life impact. Learn precise definitions and apply them to a named material, not 'good for the environment'.
s23 P32 Q9
Generic, one-sided effects answers
Asked about the effects of D&T, candidates give generic, one-sided statements that score little, neither specific nor balanced. A strong answer names specific effects across more than one area: social (jobs), environmental (resource use), economic (cost). Many changes cut both ways -- automation lowers cost but removes skilled jobs -- and naming the trade-off earns marks.
s23 P12 Q2d, P13 Q3d
Recyclable confused with biodegradable
Recyclable and biodegradable are treated as interchangeable labels, but they are different end-of-life routes. Recyclable means collected, reprocessed and remade into new products -- kept in use. Biodegradable means broken down naturally by living organisms. The two are independent: many recyclable plastics are not biodegradable and last for centuries if littered.
Blurring the three worker roles
Asked to distinguish designer, artisan and technologist, candidates blur them ('they all design and make it'), losing the marks for each contribution. The designer decides what to make and why (need, ideas, specification); the artisan is the skilled hand-maker of one-off craft work; the technologist applies science and technology to manufacturing. Give each role its own job.
Sustainable is not just good
A testable wrong belief: that 'sustainable' just means 'good' -- cheap, strong or durable. It is not. Sustainability is about the resource: it comes from a renewable source (replanted timber), not a finite one used up (bauxite ore, oil-based plastic). A material can be cheap and strong yet unsustainable. Judge by whether the resource can keep being replaced, not by price.
Read the command word
'State/give' wants a specific fact; 'describe' wants what the effect is; 'explain' wants why; 'evaluate/discuss' wants both sides and a justified judgement. Match your answer to the command word -- an evaluate that only lists benefits caps the marks.
Be specific and apply to a context
Tie each effect to a named material, product or context -- 'using recyclable Corriflute instead of a rigid plastic reduces landfill waste' -- not a generic 'it helps the environment'. A specific, applied point scores where a vague, unjustified assertion does not.
Use the environmental terms precisely
Marks often sit on the exact term, so use sustainable, renewable, finite, biodegradable and recyclable correctly and apply each to a named material. For 'effects' questions think across all three areas, and for automation name the trade-off (economic gain vs social cost).
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