This is a two-year course which comprises 60% coursework, 40% E.S.A.

What do I need to study graphic communication at A Level?

Students who wish to follow this course need to be inquisitive, self-motivated, creative, proactive and enthusiastic about the subject. Ideally you should have attained at least a Grade 5 at GCSE in Art and Design. Occasionally we do take students on the course without this qualification but these students will be expected to submit a portfolio of work and have an informal interview to chat about their aspirations.

What does the course involve?

Students will produce a coursework unit (Personal Investigation 60%) and an examination unit titled “externally set assignment” (E.S.A. 40%). This unit ends with a controlled test component during which time students produce their final outcomes.

Students are required to:

• Understand and explore the concepts and contexts of the work of contemporary designers, artists, craftspeople, and photographers, plus other critical sources such as film, music and literature
• Explore and experiment with a wide range of approaches to graphic design
• Record and collect visual inspiration from various sources
• Develop ideas through a range of practical experiments and conceptual processes, working towards a final piece showing clearly how you have been informed by the work of Key Graphic Designers and others
• Present the work in an appropriate context e.g. Power point, mounted sheets, virtual folder, website, with an introductory written element
• Produce a substantial final piece (or pieces) of work

Art & Design: Graphic Communication

• AO1 – Research – understanding the work of others
• AO2 – Development – experimentation and refinement
• AO3 – Observation - recording ideas
• AO4 – Outcomes – clearly linked personal responses

Component 1 Project Portfolio (60%)

Students will be asked to produce a range of images, experiments and samples leading into either two dimensional or three dimensional pieces of creative work.

Portfolios will include:

• A Clear Design “story” showing the progression of work from initial sketches to refined graphic outcomes
• A fully developed outcome, or series of outcomes, informed by focussed research and purposeful experimentation
• Evidence of student’s ability to develop ideas and link their work in a meaningful way to relevant critical/contextual materials

Component 2 Externally Set Assignment (40%)

Students will choose one question from a choice set by AQA. Students must cover all of the same four assessment objectives thoroughly during the examination period.

Preparatory period – from February 1

Preparatory work should be presented in any suitable format, such as Power point, design sheets, sketchbooks, workbooks, journals or models.

Supervised examination – 15 hours

In the 15 hours spread over a week, students must produce a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes, informed by their preparatory work.