Design Technologies: Digital Fabrication

Elective Unit

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course. 

Course Description

Year 10 Design Technologies – Design Fabrication builds upon the knowledge, skills and design capabilities developed in Year 9, providing students with opportunities to undertake increasingly sophisticated and independent design challenges. The subject prepares students for future pathways in VCE Product Design and Technologies, IB Design Technology, engineering, industrial design and a broad range of technology-rich industries.

Aligned with the Victorian Curriculum: Design and Technologies, students apply advanced design thinking, engineering principles and digital technologies to investigate, develop and evaluate solutions to authentic design problems. Through project-based learning, students deepen their understanding of the relationship between design, innovation, manufacturing and emerging technologies, while considering the social, environmental and economic impacts of design decisions.

Students consolidate and extend their skills in computer-aided design (CAD), digital modelling and technical drawing, using industry-standard software to communicate ideas, develop prototypes and prepare products for manufacture. Greater emphasis is placed on independent project development, creative problem-solving and iterative design processes, encouraging students to make informed decisions and justify their design choices.

Central to the course is the application of contemporary fabrication technologies, including 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC manufacturing, electronics and rapid prototyping systems. Students develop confidence in selecting appropriate technologies, materials and production methods while refining their ability to transform complex design concepts into functional and innovative outcomes.

Throughout the design process, students undertake research, testing and evaluation to improve the performance, usability and sustainability of their products. They develop an understanding of how designers, engineers and manufacturers collaborate to solve real-world problems and create products that respond to the needs of users and contemporary society.

 

Students examine a range of design factors that influence the development and manufacture of products including: 

• Human needs
• Product purpose and function
• Visual and aesthetic factors
• Materials and their structures
• Production processes and new technologies
• Economics related to design and technology
• Environmental impacts
• Innovation through design and technologies

The study of Design Technologies – Design Fabrication may provide a pathway to a range of related fields including industrial and product design, engineering, furniture, jewellery, architecture and building construction (Management).

Essential Questions

• How do I operate new technologies to improve the life of others?
• How do I address the needs of end users in the design process?
• What current systems can be developed and improved using new and emerging technologies?
• What is the role of digital fabrication in transforming how products are manufactured?

Areas of Study

Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) - Communicating and Manufacturing Ideas

• Design brief development, research, visualisations, model making, production planning, working drawings in CAD, 2D and 3D prototypes.
• Using 2D modelling software- Adobe Illustrator and 3D modelling software- Fusion 360, to design products to be constructed using laser technology, Rapid 3D prototyping (3D printing) and CNC machinery.

Product Evaluation

• Examining the effectiveness and efficiencies of certain design and production routines.
• Presentation and explanation of product attributes.

Sustainability

• Understanding sustainability implications and how sustainability models are applied in Design Technologies-

New and Emerging Technologies

• CAD, CAM, Laser Technologies, robotics- how they are used in Design Technologies to improve manufacture of products.