The Work of Designers and Companies
A tour of the designers and companies AQA names, from William Morris and Zaha Hadid to Apple and Dyson, and how to investigate, analyse and evaluate the work of others.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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Learning from the greats
Designers do not work in a vacuum. Part of the course is studying the work of others: famous designers and famous companies whose products shaped the way things look and work. This module gives a quick tour of the designers and companies AQA names, and shows how to investigate, analyse and evaluate their work.
Study words to know
Learn these before you sort the designers and companies.
A designer against a company
The course names both individuals and businesses.
Name it, then say what it gave
In the exam, name the designer or company and then say what it is known for and why the work mattered. Do not just recognise a name; investigate what they made, analyse the style or the engineering, and evaluate the influence it had on later products. That turns a name into a real answer.
Match the designer
- William Morris
- Zaha Hadid
- Norman Foster
- Charles Rennie Mackintosh
- patterned wallpapers and textiles
- bold, flowing, curved buildings
- modern glass and steel buildings
- tall ladder-back chairs and a Glasgow style
Match the company
- Apple
- Dyson
- Braun
- Alessi
- clean, simple consumer electronics
- bagless cyclone vacuum cleaners
- simple, functional home electricals
- stylish kitchen and homeware
Who made the wallpapers?
Which named designer is famous for patterned wallpapers and textiles in the Arts and Crafts style?
- William Morris
- Zaha Hadid
- Norman Foster
- Apple
Spot the individual designers
Select the TWO that are individual designers rather than companies.
- Zaha Hadid
- Charles Rennie Mackintosh
- Apple
- Zara
Count what is left
AQA names 8 companies to study. A class looks closely at 3 of them. Subtract to find how many of the named companies they have not studied closely. What is the answer?
Order the study
Put the steps of studying the work of a designer in order, earliest first.
- Choose a named designer
- Investigate what they made
- Analyse their style
- Evaluate their influence
Complete the summary
A named individual who creates products is called a _____, while a business known for its products is a _____. William Morris is remembered for his patterned _____. To study the work of others you investigate, analyse and _____ it.
Spot the companies
Tap the TWO named companies rather than individual designers.
- Dyson
- Braun
- William Morris
- Zaha Hadid
Designer or company?
Read each clue and choose the best answer.
- A business is famous for bagless cyclone vacuum cleaners. Which named example is this?
- An individual designer is famous for bold, flowing, curved buildings. Who is this?
- You are asked to judge how much a product influenced later designs. Which skill is this?
Explain the work of others
Explain the work of one named designer and one named company, and say how you would study their influence.
- Name one designer and what they are known for
- Name one company and the kind of product it makes
- Explain what it means to investigate, analyse and evaluate their work