People (AQA GCSE Design & Technology): Revision Note
Exam code: 8552
How technology push & market pull affect choice
What is technology push?
Technology push describes the situation where new products are developed because of an advancement in technology
What is market pull?
Market pull describes the situation where new products are developed because of the demand of customers who are asking for them
What types of advancements can be a technology push?
A new material (e.g. graphene)
A new process (e.g. 3D printing)
A new technology (e.g. artificial intelligence)
What are examples of market pull?
Reusable water bottles, where customers want to reduce their plastic waste
Electric cars, where customers desire cheaper to run and lower emission vehicles
Compact home fitness equipment, where customers are prioritising personal fitness in the home
Worked Example
A company develops a new running shoe made from a recently invented biodegradable foam.
Explain whether this is an example of technology push or market pull.
[3 marks]
Answer:
This is an example of technology push [1 mark] because the development of the new running shoe was driven by the invention of a new material — biodegradable foam [1 mark]. The product exists because of an advancement in material technology, not because customers specifically asked for biodegradable running shoes [1 mark].
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You need to be able to identify whether a given scenario is technology push or market pull.
Ask yourself: did the product come about because of a new technology/material/process (technology push), or because customers demanded it (market pull)?
Some products can involve both — for example, electric cars were driven by customer demand for lower emissions (market pull) and advances in battery technology (technology push).
Changing job roles driven by technological change
Why do job roles change due to technological change?
Job roles in design and manufacture are highly dependent on the technology of the time
When there is an advancement in technology, the jobs that people do can change, reflecting new skills or where technology replaces the person
Which technological changes have significantly affected jobs?
Automation and robotics — replacing manual tasks on production lines
Computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM) — changing how products are designed and made
Artificial intelligence (AI) — automating decision-making and data analysis
Digital manufacturing — enabling new production methods and workflows
What are examples of job roles which have changed?
Manual machine operators changing their work to focus on CNC machine maintenance
Designers using CAD software instead of drawing by hand
Assembly and lifting roles replaced by robotics on production lines
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