A Level Art & Design - Graphical Communication

Overview of the course:

Awarding Body - Edexcel

Students will sit the AS exams at the end of year one and the A level exams at the end of year two.

AS Level

Component 1:
Personal Investigation (coursework)
50% of qualification

Content Summary: Students will:
•Generate practical work, ideas and research from sources
•Explore media and processes, develop and refine ideas, and present outcomes.

What students create:
•Supporting studies
•Personal outcome(s)

Component 2:
Externally Set Assignment
50% of qualification

Content Summary: Students will:
Students respond to one externally set, broad-based thematic starting point to encourage independence in developing ideas, intentions and response.
What students create:
Preparatory studies
Personal outcome(s) in 10 hours of sustained focus

A2 Level

Component 1:
Part 1:Personal Investigation (coursework)
Part 2: Students submit a piece of continuous prose (minimum of 1000 words).
60% of qualification

Content Summary: Students will:
•Generate practical work, ideas and research from sources
•Explore media and processes, develop and refine ideas, and present outcomes.

What students create:
•Supporting studies
•Personal outcome(s)
•Personal study

Component 2:
Externally Set Assignment
40% of qualification

Content Summary: Students will:
Students respond to one externally set, broad-based thematic starting point to encourage independence in developing ideas, intentions and response.
What students create:
Preparatory studies
Personal outcome(s) in 15 hours of sustained focus

Topics:

The Art and Design Graphic Design course is defined as work that is produced towards a specific design outcome. This course is extensive and designed to develop skills in many areas of graphic design but is underpinned by drawing, in a variety of media. Visual imagery is explored by direct observation and there is opportunity to develop ideas in an expressive and imaginative way.
The key areas students cover as part of the course:
• Illustration
• Advertising & packaging
• Animation
• Visual communication
• Digital Art

Students are encouraged to develop their designs from original drawings that can be applied to many purposes; advertising, packaging, compact disk covers, illustration projects, leaflets, posters, information graphics, book jackets, corporate identities, logotypes, etc. Projects are undertaken in four steps; research, analysis, development and final artwork.
Personal Investigation:
Under a given theme, you will experiment with a wide range of equipment, software packages (Adobe Photoshop) and techniques in producing a range of Graphic images aimed towards your chosen theme. You will find out about researching, analysing and reviewing your own work and that of other artists and designers. This will all then provide the basis for developing your ideas towards a final piece of work.

Externally Set Assignment:
With a given theme set by the examination board you will apply what you have learnt from you’re your personal investigation. Exploring a chosen approach to the theme through experimenting with media, software and developing and applying your skills. Alongside this, you will be researching and analysing your own and others' work to support your progress. Then developing your ideas and, under timed examination conditions producing an outcome.
A2 requires the student to produce a piece of written work (1000 words) and the final Unit is a controlled timed exam (AS 10 Hours / A2 15 Hours)