Materials and Processing Technology Design Level 3

(Assessed through Visual Arts Sculpture Standards)

This course is designed for students who are interested in designing and building innovative objects using both traditional workshop practices and emerging technologies. It offers students the opportunity to learn hands-on skills with tools, materials, and machines, while encouraging creative thinking and exploration of how design can respond to the world around them.

Using wood, plastics, and mixed materials, students will select an everyday product—such as a chair, light, or furniture item—and redesign it in a more contemporary, expressive, or unconventional way. Final outcomes may be functional, semi-functional, or conceptual, depending on the student’s intent.

What students will learn:

• Workshop skills: Safe and effective use of hand tools, power tools, and machinery

• Material knowledge: How different materials behave, how to manipulate them, and how to select them for purpose

• Digital design and manufacturing: Use of CAD software, 3D printers, laser cutters, and digital prototyping

• Design thinking: Developing and testing ideas through drawing, modelling, and iterative making

• Project development: Managing a self-directed project from concept to completion

Creative Meets Technical

While the course is assessed through Visual Arts standards, the learning is deeply rooted in technological practice. Students will:

• Solve real-world design problems

• Learn how to plan, prototype, and construct

• Explore how materials are used in both design and trade industries

• Engage in a process that mirrors industrial design and product development, but with more space for innovation and creativity

This approach allows students to develop trade-relevant skills—such as precision making, material handling, and digital manufacturing—while also building portfolio-ready design thinking, ideal for creative industries and tertiary study.

Example Projects Might Include:

• A chair reimagined for a future context

• A lamp designed to respond to environmental data

• A speaker housing made from repurposed or layered materials

• A piece of furniture that doubles as a commentary on space or social function

Pathways and Opportunities

This course supports progression into:

• Design and Technology (Product, Furniture, Industrial Design)

• Creative Technologies

• Engineering and Applied Trades

• Architecture, Art and Design Schools

• Or directly into hands-on industries where design thinking and making skills are valued

Students leave this course with the ability to think like a designer and build like a maker.