Graphic Communication - A Level

“Graphics has given me the freedom to try so many new things and expand my skills.”

Entry Requirements

Three GCSEs at grade 4 plus a grade 5 in English Language

Subject Intent

A Level Graphic Communication offers students a truly creative opportunity, allowing them to flourish personally and academically through self-expression. The curriculum provides independence, communication, learning, and thinking skills and combines this with practical elements and hands-on experience. Students can expect to gain analytical and written skills through the study of a diverse range of contextual influences. Over the two-year course, a large variety of practical techniques, skills and processes are covered, allowing students to progress in their own creative projects. Creative works produced by students throughout the course could be used within their professional portfolios, to demonstrate their skills to future employers or interviewers. Students will develop an in depth understanding of the creative industry, and acquire knowledge, skills and professional attributes to prepare them for their future university study and careers.

Course Introduction

Graphic Communication is imaginative and innovative allowing you to explore and develop your creativity. The meaning and message of the work and the way that it connects to people, distinguishes this subject from other specialisms in art and design. Throughout the course you will develop a mix of contemporary digital skills and traditional art techniques. Students are supported and encouraged as independent learners, developing an artistic and personal professionalism towards their studies and possible future careers in design. It also features an integral careers programme, which can include work placement opportunities and live briefs within these subject specific areas.

You will have the opportunity to study games design, typography, branding, advertising, animation, photography, film and image manipulation. Your assignments will be project-based and will progress your communication, layout and conceptualisation skills. Taught from scratch, you will use industry standard packages such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects, and the course gives you lots of opportunity to experiment and work with a variety of materials and techniques.

Our students have gone on to a hugely varied number of degree courses such as medicine, architecture, engineering and criminology as well as creative degrees such as product design, photography, motion graphics, games design, illustration and graphic design. The academic and transferable skills that are gained on our visual arts courses enable students to excel and bring another dimension to their studies that both universities and employers appreciate.

Course Modules

First Year

Personal Creative Enquiry

For this unit students will provide a portfolio of work demonstrating a range of technical skills and techniques in a variety of media. Students will initially be encouraged to explore a wide range of handmade and digital techniques such as inks, collage, observational and expressive drawing, mark making, printing, and digital manipulation in a range of Adobe programs.

Initial practical explorations will lead on to more focused work where students will work on personally generated themes and topics. Students will also practically explore the work of other designers, to use as inspiration for their own work as well as developing critical thinking skills. Written work is also an integral part of the course.

Second Year

Personal Investigation

This is a unit with an extended written element in which students are expected to develop a personal investigation based on an idea, issue, concept or theme. The work should be linked to the work of other Graphic Designers/Illustrators and students generate their own work from a detailed, in-depth study of a selected range of designers. The topic or theme for this unit is of personal choice and is based on strengths and interests experienced in the first year.

Externally Set Assignment

Students will practically respond to a broad starting point, chosen from a selection provided by the exam board, to develop a range of work which concludes to an in-depth final piece.

Assessment

All first year and second year units are marked separately based on four assessment objectives. Work journals are marked alongside practical work.

Course Fact

The live briefs that students undertake develop employment opportunities

Example Career Opportunities

Graphic Designer | Games Designer | Advertising Director | Illustrator | Photographer | Product Designer
Marketing Manager | Animator | Layout Artist | Magazine Designer