Quick Summary
Major practical project – A substantial NEA (coursework) where you design and make a product from scratch
Wide material knowledge – Study woods, metals, plastics, textiles, and electronics depending on your focus
Design process emphasised – Learn iterative design, user research, prototyping, and manufacturing considerations
What's it actually like?
IN A NUTSHELL
A-Level Design & Technology combines designing products with making them to a high standard. You'll learn about materials, manufacturing processes, design theory, and user-centred design whilst developing practical making skills.
You'll study industrial design, sustainability, new technologies (CAD/CAM, 3D printing, laser cutting), and design movements. The major coursework project involves designing and making a substantial product that solves a real problem for a real client.
Exams test your knowledge of materials, processes, design theory, and your ability to analyse existing products. Coursework involves designing, prototyping, making, and evaluating a product.
It's about 50% practical coursework and 50% written exams.
D&T is perfect for people who want to design AND make, not just theorise about design.
Facilities vary hugely between schools: Your opportunities depend entirely on your school's workshop facilities. Ask what machinery, CAD software, and materials they have. Limited facilities = limited possibilities.
About the course
Is this for you?
A Level Design & Technology develops your ability to design, model, and manufacture products while building strong problem-solving and technical knowledge.
1. Core Technical Principles
You learn about:
Materials (such as timbers, metals, polymers, and composites)
Performance characteristics of materials
Modern manufacturing methods and processes
Sustainability, environmental impact, and new technologies
This knowledge is assessed in the written exam.
2. Designing and Making Principles
You develop skills in:
Identifying and solving real design problems
Researching, sketching, modelling, and testing ideas
Using CAD/CAM and workshop tools
Evaluating and improving your designs
These skills are assessed in both exams and coursework.
3. Non-Exam Assessment (Coursework Project)
You complete a major design-and-make project where you:
Choose a real-world problem
Design and develop a product
Manufacture a final outcome
Test and evaluate your solution
Final Assessment Structure
Technical knowledge and design principles are assessed by written exams.
The major project is assessed through coursework.Design & Technology is a good choice for:
Love designing and making things
Enjoy solving practical problems creatively
Are interested in how products are designed and manufactured
Like working with my hands and using tools/machinery
Can think in three dimensions and visualise products
Want to understand materials, manufacturing, and sustainability
Can work independently on long-term making projects
Enjoy both creative design work and practical making
Practical making skills - Using hand tools, machinery (saws, lathes, CNC machines), and modern technologies (CAD, 3D printing, laser cutting).
Design thinking - Understanding user needs, generating creative solutions, and developing designs systematically.
CAD/CAM Skills - Using Computer-Aided Design software (SolidWorks, Fusion 360) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing.
Technical drawing - Communicating design ideas through sketching, technical drawings, and digital modelling.
Problem-solving - Identifying design problems and developing innovative solutions.
Project management - Planning, executing, and evaluating substantial making projects from concept to completion.
Making takes significant time: Creating high-quality products requires extensive workshop time. You'll need to spend many hours outside lessons in the workshop. Budget substantial time.
Materials can be expensive: Whilst schools provide basic materials, you may need to purchase specific materials for your major project. Budget for this.
It can be physically demanding: Using machinery, carrying materials, and physical making can be tiring. You need reasonable physical capability.
Some universities don't rate it highly: Very competitive universities sometimes see D&T as less rigorous than traditional sciences or maths. If aiming for top academic universities, combine D&T with strong academic subjects.
Drawing and visualisation matter: You need to be able to sketch ideas and communicate design thinking visually. If you struggle with drawing, this can be challenging.
Safety is crucial: Working with machinery requires following safety procedures strictly. If you're not willing to work safely, D&T isn't for you.
D&T + Physics + Maths = For engineering or product design routes
D&T + Art + Graphics = Full creative design focus
D&T + Business + Maths = Design with commercial understanding
D&T + Computer Science + Maths = For digital design and engineeringD&T rewards creativity combined with high-quality making. Here's how to succeed:
Start your project early – Don't leave coursework until the last minute. Design takes time, making takes longer. Plan carefully and start as early as possible.
Develop design work thoroughly – Don't settle on your first idea. Generate multiple concepts, sketch extensively, model ideas. Development work shows thinking and earns marks.
Aim for high-quality making – Practice techniques before using them on your final product. Take time to finish products properly. Quality of making significantly impacts your grade.
Document everything thoroughly – Photograph design development, prototypes, making processes, testing. Visual documentation of your journey is crucial for assessment.
D&T graduates can go on to work as:
product designers
industrial designers
design engineers
furniture makers/designers
CAD technicians
manufacturing engineers
design teachers
and in innovation and development roles.
Design & Technology is valued by universities. Universities recognise the creativity, problem-solving and practical skills it develops.
Design & Technology A-Level opens doors to degrees in:
Product Design
Industrial Design
Engineering (especially Design Engineering)
Architecture
Furniture Design
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Automotive Design
Top tip: D&T shows you can turn ideas into reality - many universities value the combination of creativity and technical skills, especially for design and engineering courses.
Ask yourself:
Do I enjoy both designing and making things?
Am I willing to spend significant time in the workshop?
Can I work safely with tools and machinery?
Do I enjoy solving practical problems creatively?
Am I prepared for the time commitment of a major making project?
Can I visualise products and communicate ideas through drawing?
Design and manufacturing industries: Skills in designing, prototyping, and making are valuable across product development, manufacturing, and innovation sectors.
Design & Technology
Combines designing products with making them to a high standard.
Art & Design (Graphic Communication)
Designing visual ideas using creativity, typography, images, and digital tools to communicate messages.
Business Studies
Understanding how businesses operate, make decisions, and compete in a changing economic and global environment.
Latin
Reading and analysing Latin texts while learning the language and exploring Roman culture and history.
Art & Design (Art, Craft & Design)
Exploring and creating work across a wide range of art, craft, and design materials and techniques.
History of Art
An academic study of global visual culture. Learn to analyse paintings, sculptures, and architecture without needing any practical artistic skills.
Modern Foreign Language
Develops your ability to speak, understand, read, and write a foreign language fluently while exploring the culture, society, and history of countries where it is spoken.
Music Technology
Focuses on recording, producing, and creating music using professional software and studio techniques while studying how music is made and processed.
Film Studies
Considering A-Level Film Studies? This guide will help you figure out if studying cinema as an art form is right for you.
Art & Design (Textile Design)
Designing and creating original fabric-based work using creative techniques, materials, and textile processes.
Common A Level combinations
This A Level pairs well with:
Combination Progression
Design & Technology
+
The Synergy
Combines functional structural engineering with high-end visual aesthetics.
Exam Crossover
Portfolio building, sketching, CAD rendering, user-centered design.
Best for
Design & Technology
+
The Synergy
Unifies physical mechanics and material science with physical prototype fabrication.
Exam Crossover
Forces, dynamics, material science, electrical circuits.
Best for
Design & Technology
+
The Synergy
Unlocks precise structural engineering, material stress calculations, and 3D CAD geometry.
Exam Crossover
Geometry, trigonometry, load analysis, material stress calculations.
Best for