Innovation and Emerging Technologies

9 dot points across 9 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do designers analyse a case study of an innovation to explain the factors behind its success and its impact on Australian society?

Undertake a case study of an innovation, identifying the factors underlying its success, the ethical issues involved, and its impact on Australian society and the environment

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on the case study of an innovation. The factors underlying success, the difference between invention and innovation, ethical issues, environmental and social impact on Australian society, and how the case study is examined in the written HSC paper.

6 min answer →

What can students learn from studying designers and their work about the qualities, methods and influences that lead to successful innovation?

Examine the work of a range of designers, analysing the personal and professional qualities, design methods and influences that contribute to their success and to innovation

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on designers and their work. The personal and professional qualities of successful designers, their design methods and influences, individual versus team-based design, and how this study informs your own Major Design Project.

6 min answer →

How do emerging technologies drive innovation and what are the social, environmental and economic consequences for designers and society?

Analyse the relationship between emerging technologies and innovation, including the social, environmental, ethical and economic consequences of new and developing technologies

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on emerging technologies. How new technologies such as additive manufacturing, smart materials, biotechnology and AI enable innovation, and the social, environmental, ethical and economic consequences designers must weigh.

6 min answer →

How do market, technical, financial, organisational, social and political factors combine to determine whether an innovation succeeds or fails?

Analyse the factors affecting the success or failure of an innovation, including market, technical, financial, organisational, social, environmental and political factors, and judge which were most significant

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on the factors affecting the success or failure of an innovation. Market, technical, financial, organisational, social, environmental and political factors, how they interact, and how to judge which mattered most in a case study.

6 min answer →

How do globalisation and collaborative, multidisciplinary teams shape the way modern innovations are designed and produced?

Analyse the influence of globalisation and collaborative design on innovation, including multidisciplinary teams, global supply chains, outsourcing and cross cultural design considerations

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on global and collaborative design. Multidisciplinary design teams, globalisation, global supply chains and outsourcing, cross cultural design considerations, and how digital collaboration tools enable distributed teams to innovate together.

6 min answer →

How does an innovation change Australian society, the economy and the environment, and how do designers weigh the benefits against the costs?

Discuss the social, cultural, economic and environmental impact of an innovation on Australian society, evaluating both positive and negative consequences

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on the impact of innovation on Australian society and the environment. Social, cultural, economic and environmental consequences, employment and lifestyle change, resource and energy use, and how to weigh positive against negative impacts in an extended response.

6 min answer →

How do designers and innovators protect their ideas, and why is intellectual property central to the success of an innovation?

Explain how intellectual property is protected through patents, trademarks, copyright, registered designs and trade secrets, and analyse the role of IP in the success of an innovation

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on intellectual property. Patents, trademarks, copyright, registered designs and trade secrets, how each protects a different aspect of an innovation, and why IP protection is a decisive success factor illustrated by the CSIRO Wi Fi patent.

6 min answer →

What is the relationship between creativity, invention and innovation, and how do designers turn a new idea into a successful innovation?

Distinguish between creativity, invention and innovation, and explain how creative thinking and risk taking move a new idea through development to a successful innovation

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on creativity, invention and innovation. The precise differences between the three terms, the role of creative and lateral thinking, risk taking and entrepreneurship, and how an invention is developed and commercialised into a genuine innovation.

6 min answer →

What are the different types of innovation, and what stages does an idea pass through on its way from concept to widespread adoption?

Identify the types of innovation, including product, process, marketing and organisational innovation, and explain the stages an innovation passes through from idea to diffusion and adoption

A focused answer to the HSC Design and Technology dot point on the types and process of innovation. Product, process, marketing and organisational innovation, incremental versus radical change, the stages from idea generation to diffusion, and how adoption spreads through a market over time.

6 min answer →