Testimonials

“This is an invaluable resource for any design and technology course, where students need to understand the issue of sustainability "

D&T Practice Spring 2010

Volvo-Life Cycle Assessment allows students to understand some complex environmental issues through the case study of one company. This would often provide students with everything they need to answer those tricky environmental questions on the written paper which require them to give specific examples to support their response.

Brian Russell,
Director for D&T, Dixons City Academy

A thorough insight into how industry is adapting its design and manufacturing methods to consider social, moral and ethical implications. It demonstrates how eliminating emissions, reducing energy consumption and minimising waste helps reduce the carbon footprint during manufacturing of a product.

Peter Simmons,
Head of Creative Design Faculty, John Cabot Academy

This programme gets students thinking about the small details which designers have to consider when designing and developing a car. Once again Volvo has shared their experience and expertise to deliver a comprehensive insight into the world of automotive design. We see the new Volvo Re-charge a hybrid vehicle designed to compete in the ever increasing market of sustainable design. In this DVD we see issues of materials selection and suitability, testing and evaluating and some of the processes those materials go through before arriving at the end product. The importance of choosing sustainable materials is clearly explained as is the consideration of the product’s life cycle. Volvo’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their vehicles is made very clear, as are the steps they are taking to address this.

As a valuable GCSE and A Level resource this programme answers some of those hard hitting questions which consumers are increasingly asking in relation to the environment and the global impact which the automotive industry is having. Watched in its entirety but probably best as separate clips, this is the perfect compliment to the Innovation & Safety DVD from the same series. It works particularly well with the classroom resources available on the DVD which got my students thinking hard about issues they had never really considered previously. They were particularly intrigued with the smell tests and how materials are chosen which take into account people with allergies

Paul Wilson,
Head of Design and Technology, Gordano School

Download a full review in .pdf format here

Review in D&T Practice, Spring 2010

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