Design and Make Assignment (DMA): A Sports Shop Sign

Background

A sports shop owner wants to label the various areas of his shop with moving signs that relate to the equipment and clothing sold in that area, e.g. the swimmer above. The signs are to be made from resistant materials.

Problem Solving

Devise a method of:

  • making the swimmer's leg/s move up and down
  • making the swimmer's two arms appear to be doing "front crawl"
  • making the waves move
  • hanging the sign.

Design Brief

Design and make an animated sign for the swimming area of the sports shop.  Your prototype sign may be a scale model of the real sign.

 

Specifications

  • The sign must include a moving swimmer and shapes that represent water.
  • The swimming sign must be large enough to see from a short distance, e.g. 10 metres.
  • There must be a way of stopping and starting the movement of the swimmer.
  • The swimming sign must be a complete working system that the shop owner can use without having to use tools to install it, or to stop and start it.
  • The swimming sign system must be safe to use.
  • The swimming sign system must not fall apart during use.
  • The swimming sign system must have a bright, colourful finish.

     

     

Design folder for the Sports Shop Sign  

Use the information given in the problem, design brief and specification to prepare a design folder and a prototype of the moving sign for the swimming area of the sports shop.

Use the design and technology process diagram to guide you through the stages of designing, planning and making your prototype.

Problem Solving

  • Devise a method of making a sign move (continuously) as shown in the animation above.
  • Show all the ways that arm and leg movements could be created.

Design brief and specification

  • You should have a copy of the problem, the design brief and specification in your folder. 
  • Copy the specification and add your own, e.g. state the systems that should be used to make the arms and legs move so that the swimmer would appear to be swimming.

Research

If you research anything, e.g. mechanical systems, then your research findings should be in this section.

Designs

  • Use notes and sketches to record your ideas.
  • Develop your best idea.
  • Make a Parts Drawing of your final design, i.e. an accurate drawing, either full size or half size and add measurements for each part.
  • Describe how the parts should be "finished".

 

 

Planning for making

  • You should write a description of how each part of your design will be made, listing all the materials that you will need and the tools that you will use.
  • You should prepare a Gantt Chart showing how long you have to spend on researching, designing, planning and making.
  • You should prepare a cutting list of materials for your teacher.

Safety

Prepare a risk assessment of your product in use.  State the precautions you will take to ensure your safety and the safety of others.

Evaluation

  • Evaluate your final product by testing it to see how well it works and how good it looks.
  • State whether the product could be improved by:
    • improving the design
    • improving the system
    • improving the materials used to make the product
    • improving the making and finishing.

Order now

The Swimming Display design and make exercise (DMA) can be found in our KS3 D&T software.

KS3 D&T: Single User Licence £40; Site Licence £80

Click here to place an order

Look at the massive savings on software bundles

Download links will be emailed to you/your school within 24 hours of receipt of your order.