products and materials are kept in circulation and do not become waste

assesses the environmental impact at every stage of a product’s lifecycle

a deliberate choice to meet a requirement or solve a problem

making design decisions to improve a product in some way

Redesign: The Washing Machine Project

Design and technology

Investigating contexts

Circular economy and LCA

Design: Spider boot and Jaipur foot

Manufacture and materials processing: Fairtrade

Distribution: Better Shelter and wind-up radio

Product in use: S H E uniform and Hippo Roller

Repair, maintenance and recycling: Energee Saw

This unit develops pupils' knowledge of technology in the world around us.    The pupils consider a case study 'The Washing Machine Project' to empathise with issues faced by people in developing countries.  Pupils develop knowledge of moral and social issues alongside empathy.

The circular economy: developing countries

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

assesses a product's environmental impact throughout its life cycle

to comply with newly introduced regulations

to reflect feedback from users or stakeholders

to intentionally increase production costs

to take advantage of technological advancements

Which of the following is not a common reason for redesigning a product?

using durable materials that resist wear and tear

designing it to go out of fashion quickly

including components that are difficult to replace

Which redesign strategy helps to extend a product's life?

it focuses only on ensuring that products are recycled at the end of their life

it aims to reduce waste by designing products to be used once and then disposed

it involves designing products to last longer, be repaired, reused, or upgraded

it focuses on lowering the cost of manufacturing regardless of product lifespan

Which of the following best describes how the circular economy approach applies to product redesign?

Maintenance is the regular {{}} and small fixes to keep a  product working properly and lasting longer.

Repair and maintenance of a product is the responsibility of the user and the {{}}.

The ability to take apart products helps them to be:

A design opportunity happens when there is a {{}} or a need for a new or improved product.

Which of the following products follow a linear economy model?

creating a completely different product from scratch

refining or improving a product through repeated development

improving a product by making one final change

What does iteration mean in the context of design?

Starter Quiz