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Date November 2020 Marks available 2 Reference code 20N.2.SL.TZ0.2
Level SL Paper 2 Time zone no time zone
Command term Describe Question number 2 Adapted from N/A

Question

The Anglepoise lamp was originally designed in 1932 by George Carwardine and is considered a classic design. The Anglepoise lamp has undergone many iterations since 1932 and is now mass-produced as a modern consumer product, see Figure 4.

Many designers have been influenced by the Anglepoise lamp. The Agency of Design, a design company, set themselves a challenge to redesign the Anglepoise lamp by using the lowest possible embodied energy. The lamp is made from a hardwood structure with a bottle cork as an adjustment mechanism, see Figure 5.

Figure 4: A modern version of the Anglepoise lamp

Figure 5: The Agency of Design redesign

Figure 4: Image of the Anglepoise Original 1227 lamp shown with permission by Anglepoise Limited.

Figure 5: The Agency of Design, 2010. A 10-megajoule lamp. Available at:
https://agencyofdesign.co.uk/projects/designing-with-energy. With permission from The Agency of Design.

Describe how the designer of the modern Anglepoise lamp in Figure 4 has achieved a compromise between form and function.

[2]
a.

Outline one aesthetic characteristic of hardwood that makes it suitable for use in the redesigned Anglepoise lamp.

[2]
b.

Markscheme

form:
angled body/minimalist style/curved shade;

function:
adjustable/light can be focused on different work areas;

 

Award [1] for identifying how the designer of the modern Anglepoise lamp in Figure 4 has achieved a compromise between form and function and [1] for an appropriate development of it up to [2 max].

Do not accept ‘Aesthetics’ without context or reference.

a.

appearance/visual appeal/attractive;
wood grain/colour/quality;

texture;
hardwood has a natural/warm feel;

 

Award [1] for identifying one aesthetic characteristic of hardwood that makes it suitable for use in the redesigned Anglepoise lamp and [1] for a development of that characteristic it up to [2 max].

Do not accept ‘Has a nice aesthetic’.

b.

Examiners report

Straightforward, allowed many candidates to achieve full marks.

a.

A difficult question for many with very few correct or well-articulated responses. The answers most commonly seen from candidates referred to colour or texture, but few could elaborate on the aesthetic characteristic in reference to the hardwood used for the lamp. Some mentioned the fact that hardwood trees are deciduous, and others wrote that finishes can be applied but neither of these answers apply to the question.

b.

Syllabus sections

Topic 6: Classic design » 6.2 Classic design, function and form
Topic 6: Classic design

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