Graphic Design

Across practically all industries, strong graphic design talent is now essential for businesses to grow their marketplace visibility. So, whether you’re interested in a digital design degree, a marketing career, or even a future in illustration, graphic design is an important consideration.

Graphic design is a form of visual communication. It is the process by which visual information is given form and structure to communicate a message. Studying graphic design allows pupils to visually communicate through imagery, words, and ideas to convey information to an audience. It involves designing print or electronic forms of visual information for advertisement, publication, or website.

This subject focuses on an applied study of the graphic design sector and learners will gain a broad understanding and knowledge of working in the sector. Graphics allows pupils who are motivated and challenged by learning through hands-on experiences and through content which is concrete and related directly to those experiences.

Learners will develop skills and knowledge:

• in using different tools and equipment competently
• when experimenting with materials and techniques
• in adapting their own ideas and responding to feedback
• in evaluating their own work
• skills that are essential for the modern workplace, such as team working; presentation skills; independent working; working to deadlines; efficient use of resources.

This qualification aims to:

• focus on the study of the graphic design sector
• offer breadth and depth of study, incorporating a key core of knowledge
• provide opportunities to acquire a number of practical and technical skills

The objectives of this qualification are to provide an understanding of:

• components of graphic design
• work of graphic designers
• requirements of a graphic design brief
• planning, development and experimentation
• graphic design production
• displaying, presenting and promoting graphic design work

Qualification summary:

In readiness to complete this qualification at KS4, the core skills and subject knowledge content from KS3 computing forms the foundation for further study of Graphics exclusively at KS4.

To be awarded this qualification, learners are required to successfully demonstrate the knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of all content areas of this qualification.

The awarding of this qualification is compensatory. Learners must obtain enough marks to achieve a minimum of a level 1 pass to achieve the overall qualification. Marks can be obtained from the non-exam assessment (NEA) and/or the externally set examined assessment (EA).

This qualification consists of 6 content areas.

Pupils can use the technology-based facilities in the department during lunchtimes or after school, as well as attend after school support clubs. Intervention sessions to consolidate prior learning and ensure maximum progress are at the heart of our delivery model.

Pupils partake in theme-based days such as the anti-bullying week, internet safety days and seerah competition where pupils use their creativity to deliver communication graphics, look at different typography, multimedia and designs for printing.  These enrichment activities encourage pupils think creatively and apply their learning to relevant situations.

The knowledge and skills gained will provide a secure foundation for careers in the graphic design industry, such as:

• Graphic Designer – From logos and branding to illustrations and signage, graphic designers help to bring visions to life and tell a brand’s story. Using digital software, such as the Adobe Creative Suite, graphic designers often work with clients to develop concepts and communicate information and messages through a huge range of media.
• Interior Designer – Becoming an interior designer will allow you to apply your artistic talent to the decorating of residential and commercial spaces. Some interior designers may work on a brand-new project, such as a corporate building, while others may design a single room for a home. In contrast to an interior decorator, people in this type of career in art and design must have knowledge of environmental sustainability, physical considerations, and technological issues, along with artistic decorating skills and training.
• Animator – Animators bring stories to life. Working in 2D, 3D and CGI, animators can bring characters from the page to the screen with a heavy reliance or artistic ability and technical knowledge. Operating out of production studios, animators can get to work with a whole host of genres, styles and projects.
• Fashion Designer – Clothing, an industry that will always be thriving! Work with fabrics, textiles and colour to bring together designs that people will love. Designers often specialise in a specific area such as footwear, sportswear, child wear. As a designer, communication, teamwork and identifying trends are key aspects of the role. Animation is not just drawing cartoon frames either, you can go into working on special effects for TV and film and translate those skills into the gaming and music industries.

Pupils with SEND are offered a wide, aspirational and ambitious curriculum across all subject areas through the All Stars Succeed strategy which emphasises the importance of Quality First Teaching. Every teacher has been trained on the understanding of pupil needs and implementation of high-impact adaptive strategies to enable pupils with SEND to make excellent progress, such as the use of High 5 strategies (informed by research conducted by the EEF) to create an inclusive environment in their teaching spaces. Moreover, the subject-specific All Stars Succeed charters allow for the implementation of subject-specific support in the classroom to help pupils overcome their barriers.

Collaboration between Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) and classroom practitioners on MS Teams before, during and after a lesson is a pivotal mechanism to ensure there is a coordinated approach towards support for pupils with SEND. This is evidenced with a purple pen in pupil books.

Star Maps are created in collaboration with the SENCO, class teachers, pupils and parents advising on strategies to help break down any barriers to learning. Strategies include adaptive teaching methods that are specific to a particular need as well as subject-specific adaptive teaching methods for subjects in which a pupil may find additional challenge due to his need. Star Maps are reviewed on a termly basis strategies by teachers, parents and pupils. These meetings are led by members of the senior leadership team. Star Maps support pupils with a variety of needs including, visual impairment, cognition and learning difficulties, physical disabilities, speech, language and communication difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

Ancillary aids and assistive technologies are also utilised to enhance provision and ensure access. Learning aids are deployed to specific pupils with SEN, particularly those with visual impairments and difficulties with writing. Pupils are provided with a mobile learning device to aid research, independent working and innovative approaches to learning. Pupils are also given access to a Virtual Learning Environment through Microsoft Teams and Microsoft

OneNote to access resources and complete learning at school and at home with a device.

Specialist careers advice is provided by New Directions to prepare pupils with SEND for further education and transition to adult life.

www.designcouncil.org.uk/

www.designweek.co.uk/

www.toptal.com/designers/visual/visual-designer-vs-graphic-designer

Graphics software – Graphics Software – KS3 ICT Revision – BBC Bitesize

Selected pupils who form part of the ‘Pupil Communication Team’ partake in theme-based days such as the anti-bullying week, internet safety days and seerah competition where pupils use their creativity to deliver communication graphics, look at different typography, multimedia and designs for printing. Pupils work with the main communication team at the school to produce content which is suitable for the pupil audience at the school. To get to the final design, the Pupil Communication Team run competitions both during taught lesson time and as part of the homework schedule to increase pupil participation, promoting the Performance Leadership Virtue not only with the Pupil Communication Team but also throughout the school. These leadership activities encourage pupils to think creatively and apply their learning to relevant situations.

Graphics Learning Journey 2023-24

In your son’s exercise book, you will find a number of key documentation:

Visual Learning Journeys – An overview of the key knowledge he will study from Y7-11 (vertical) and in your son’s specific year for each subject (horizontal).

Lesson specific Learning Journey – You will also be able to access a learning journey in your son’s exercise book which will allow him to articulate the bigger picture and make links between topics and lessons. This document includes the lesson outcome/s and key knowledge components for each lesson in the half term. This will serve as the reference point for all key learning and revision topics for the given half term whilst helping him to know more and remember more over time.