Art and Design (Graphics)

Course summary

A Graphic Communication A Level is a great choice for students wanting to communicate their ideas through design. Using a wide range of 2D and 3D industry-standard software, you will learn how visual communication can empower brands, change attitudes, and shape the future. Through a series of activities and short projects, you will learn how to design, create, and lay out digital artwork that can be used in all areas of commercial production from advertising and packaging to animation and motion graphics. At Esher, we have a wide range of industry-standard software including InDesign for Digital Publishing, and have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud so you can take your designs even further. Our students, for example, are using everything from Adobe Dimensions to create AR immersive content to Adobe Animate, to turn sketches into animation. In your first year, you will develop your design skills including sketching, developing, and how to record ideas using a variety of approaches and techniques. You will become familiar with major design movements and the work of other designers to broaden your appreciation of good design. There is an emphasis on learning how and why designs are developed, and how you as a designer can make improvements. You will also use CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software to generate ideas and CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software to manufacture the design ideas using printers and laser cutters. In your second year, you will take these skills forward to create a more detailed ‘personal investigation project.’ Taking on the role of a professional designer, you will have the freedom to explore the areas of graphic design that interest you most. It could be anything from web design and architecture to product design and marketing. At the end of the second year, you will have created a design portfolio consisting of a mixture of set and self-generated projects, to demonstrate your interests and skills to universities and potential employers.