The SEAB Syllabus | 2027 SEC Design and Technology G1 G2 G3: Projects, Skills and Careers

The 2027 SEC Design and Technology (D&T) subject is available at G1 K124, G2 K234 and G3 K345. The levels have their own syllabuses. For parents deciding whether D&T is a good choice, the question is not simply whether a child likes drawing or building objects. It is whether the child enjoys investigating problems, developing ideas, testing decisions and explaining how a proposed design meets a real need.

D&T connects creative thinking with evidence, materials, processes and practical constraints. Good work is not necessarily the most complicated product. A carefully tested design that solves a clearly identified problem may demonstrate stronger thinking than a striking prototype with no genuine justification.

Checked 4 November 2026. SEAB lists the three subject codes for the 2027 school-candidate SEC. Exact coursework requirements, submission procedures, written papers and marking weights must come from the individual syllabus and the student’s school.

Quick guide: choose the correct 2027 document

G1 Design and Technology — K124, previous reference 7062.
G2 Design and Technology — K234, previous reference 7055.
G3 Design & Technology — K345, previous reference 7059.
G3 Design Studies — K376 is a different applied subject, and SEAB restricts it to schools approved to offer it.
Main decision: identify the registered level, understand project and written requirements, and check the safety and resource arrangements with the school.
Official syllabus sources: G1, G2, G3.

What is Design and Technology really about?

Design begins with a problem experienced by someone. Technology provides possible tools, processes and materials to address that problem. The challenge is to make a solution usable, safe, realistic and appropriate to the user’s circumstances.

Imagine a student notices that books and cables become tangled on a shared study table. A weak response is to build a wooden organiser immediately because the student likes woodworking. A stronger response starts by observing how people use the table, identifying the actual constraints, comparing several solutions, testing dimensions and considering maintenance and safety.

The resulting design might not be the most elaborate. The valuable learning occurs in the quality of the decision process: What problem is being solved? What evidence supports the need? What criteria define success? What must be tested?

These questions are useful in engineering, product design, service design and daily problem-solving.

G1 K124: develop practical and design confidence

The G1 2027 D&T syllabus is listed separately from the G2 and G3 papers. Students should use K124, not an old workbook with a different code.

At an appropriate level of demand, D&T learning can develop the ability to identify straightforward needs, describe possible solutions and work with representations or materials as the syllabus permits. It also encourages careful observation and communication of design decisions.

The teacher should help the student connect a drawing or model to a functional purpose. If a shelf is intended for books, what dimensions matter? If a handle is meant to be used by a younger child, how might grip size and comfort affect the design?

These are better questions than “Does it look impressive?”

Families should obtain the exact K124 learning outcomes and practical assessment instructions from the official 2027 G1 list and the school.

G2 K234: move from one idea to justified alternatives

The 2027 G2 Design and Technology K234 subject has its own syllabus. The most important preparation habit is the ability to compare possible solutions rather than defend the first idea produced.

A student designing a phone stand, for example, may propose cardboard, acrylic or another material. The relevant comparison depends on intended load, durability, stability, fabrication method, cost, appearance and available school resources.

A design decision needs a reason. “I choose acrylic because it is good” is not a useful explanation. “For the intended classroom prototype, this material can achieve a specified shape using available equipment, though the student must consider the required fabrication and safety constraints” is more informative.

Students should practise documenting their thinking. A sketch, test result and short explanation can show why one idea was rejected and another improved.

The exact work expected in K234 is controlled by the 2027 G2 syllabus, not by a generic design checklist.

G3 K345: explain the design process, not only the final product

The 2027 G3 Design & Technology K345 syllabus is the authority for G3 subject content and assessment.

Successful G3 preparation requires students to understand the relationship among a user’s need, a product’s functions, appropriate design choices and evidence gathered during development. Visual communication and practical work are valuable when they make the reasoning inspectable.

A student may produce an attractive final artefact yet fail to show why it is appropriate for the user or how it was developed. The remedy is to document the journey from problem to tested response, including what did not work.

Coursework and written assessment should be planned against the exact K345 requirements. Do not assume the marking proportions or project schedule from a different D&T level apply unchanged.

A practical design cycle students can understand

A useful learning cycle has seven steps:

Observe the problem. Notice who is affected and where the difficulty occurs.
Define the need. State the problem in words that can guide a solution.
List constraints. Consider time, materials, space, cost, safety and user needs.
Generate alternatives. Sketch or model more than one genuinely different approach.
Select and justify. Explain why the selected option best fits the available evidence.
Develop and test. Build an appropriate model or prototype and check it against the criteria.
Evaluate and improve. Record limitations and make a justified next change.

This is a general problem-solving method rather than a quotation of SEAB’s syllabus wording. Students should follow the registered subject’s exact project and documentation requirements.

The cycle matters because design is rarely a perfectly straight line. Testing may reveal that the original understanding of the problem was incomplete.

Why a prototype is evidence, not proof of success

A prototype helps a designer learn. It does not automatically show that a product is safe, reliable or ready for real use.

Consider a small cardboard model of a book stand. The model might establish the intended dimensions and arrangement. But cardboard performance under a light demonstration does not prove that a full-scale product made from a different material can support heavy loads.

The student should state what the test actually shows and what remains unknown. Is the prototype intended to test shape, reach, balance, user interaction or strength? The answer determines what counts as meaningful evidence.

This distinction between a test result and an unsupported claim is valuable far beyond D&T.

Drawing and communication: accuracy over decoration

Sketching allows designers to share a proposed arrangement and compare options. It should make the relevant shape, movement or component relationship understandable.

A drawing that looks artistic but hides crucial dimensions may fail its practical purpose. On the other hand, a simple labelled diagram can be highly useful if it communicates the correct information.

Students can practise with an ordinary object. Draw its front and side, mark the parts that move or connect, and explain what a viewer needs to know to understand its use. Then ask another person to interpret the drawing. Any confusion is feedback about communication.

The student’s drawing method and presentation should follow the relevant syllabus and school guidance.

Materials and tools: think about suitability and safety

Choosing a material is a decision about properties and constraints. A student may need to consider weight, strength, rigidity, surface finish, cost, sustainability and manufacturing method.

There is no universal “best material”. A material suitable for a temporary mock-up may be poor for a product exposed to moisture or repeated impact.

Safety also matters. Schools may use tools, machines, adhesives and electrical equipment that require instruction and supervision. Families should not attempt to reproduce workshop activities at home without appropriate training and safeguards.

When reviewing a student’s design, ask whether the proposed method can be carried out safely with the available school facilities.

Four common D&T problems and how to repair them

The student chooses a product before identifying a need. Return to the user and ask what task is difficult and what evidence supports that claim.

The student produces only one idea. Require two or three alternatives that differ in a meaningful way, then compare them against agreed criteria.

The student writes vague reasons. Replace “strong”, “nice” or “cheap” with a statement linked to the object’s actual purpose and conditions.

The student assumes a model proves everything. Ask which property the test actually measured and which assumptions remain untested.

These are reasoning problems. More decorative sketches will not automatically correct them.

A six-week D&T preparation routine

Week 1 — syllabus and project audit. Confirm K124, K234 or K345. List official tasks, school milestones and missing evidence.

Week 2 — problem definition. Improve the clarity of the user’s need, constraints and criteria.

Week 3 — alternatives. Generate and compare ideas. Ask why each is plausible and which risk it addresses.

Week 4 — development. Work on accurate representations or safe supervised practical tasks according to the syllabus.

Week 5 — evaluation. Check the design against the original criteria. Document limitations rather than hiding them.

Week 6 — examination preparation. Practise the registered subject’s written or project-related assessment demands. Review mistakes and incomplete explanations.

This is an example to support learning. Actual coursework deadlines may be much longer and must be set by the school.

D&T and future study: where can it lead?

Design interests can connect to ITE courses in Interior & Product Design, Architectural Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and related areas. Polytechnic programmes include product design, engineering, architecture-related subjects, built environment and digital design, depending on the institution.

The ITE Higher Nitec catalogue lists current pathways, and MOE CourseFinder can help students compare courses.

These are possibilities to research, not automatic progression promises. Specific diploma and degree programmes may require Mathematics, Science, relevant qualifications, portfolios or other criteria.

Students should also investigate G3 Design Studies K376, an applied subject offered only in approved schools, without assuming it is the same as D&T K345.

What students should do, avoid and think about

Do

Confirm the subject level and exact 2027 K-code.
Read the course’s project or coursework requirements before starting.
Identify a real user need and evidence for it.
Sketch and compare alternatives before selecting one.
Document tests, decisions and limitations.
Follow school instructions for equipment and safety.
Explore future courses using compulsory modules rather than course names alone.

Do not

Treat the final appearance of an artefact as the only success criterion.
Copy a prototype from the internet without understanding its purpose.
Assume a cardboard model proves full-scale mechanical safety.
Work with hazardous workshop equipment unsupervised.
Use G3 coursework requirements for G1 or G2 without checking.
Promise that D&T alone guarantees a future engineering or design place.

Think about

What problem would you want to solve if nobody awarded marks for the final model? That question reveals the heart of design: listening to needs and using ideas, evidence and practical skill to create something useful.

Frequently asked questions

Is D&T offered at all three SEC subject levels in 2027?

SEAB lists G1 K124, G2 K234 and G3 K345. Offerings at an individual school may vary.

Is D&T mainly about drawing?

No. Drawing is one communication method. Problem definition, choice of ideas, evaluation, materials and design reasoning are also essential.

Does every D&T student complete the same project?

The task and assessment requirements depend on the registered syllabus and school instructions. Do not assume one common project across G1, G2 and G3.

Is G3 Design Studies K376 another code for D&T?

No. It is a distinct applied subject restricted to approved schools.

Official sources and related guidance

A useful D&T education turns “I have an idea” into “I understand the problem, can explain my decision and know how to test whether it works.”