The aim of this unit is to introduce learners to the creative potential of the computer in the context of 2D design. It will provide the opportunity to explore software and its relevance to the area of study. It aims to provide an overview of a variety of painting, drawing, typographic and desktop publishing software. It encourages combinations of traditional and digital design practices, leading to innovative presentations. To achieve this unit a learner must a learner must be able to use effectively and creatively a range of painting and drawing software applications, to digitise and manipulate objects or images and to use competently typographic design applications with desktop publishing and text editing software.

 

 

This unit introduces learners to the cultural history, which informs current thought, and debate in design. Emphasis is on research and study skills and learners acquiring source material and knowledge. Presentation skills will also be applied in a practical context.Learners will undertake in-depth research using electronic sources and paper-based materials, demonstrate an understanding of creative influences through the effective interpretation and analysis of information. Learners must be able to assess, interpret and evaluate information effectively and to develop a personal view and present conclusions effectively.

This unit is intended to help learners relate practical studies in design to a professional context. It deals with legislation affecting designers and develops understanding of professional ethics and responsibilities.
The unit requires learners to examine business organisations and to compare job roles of designers working in different kinds of organisations. Learners are also expected to investigate the ethics and responsibilities of designers in relation to society and the environment. To achieve this unit a learner must investigate and understand legislation affecting designers, their professional and environmental ethics and responsibilities, business organisations and the job roles of designers.

This unit introduces a number of idea-generating techniques to demonstrate that creative thinking is a skill that can be continually developed. Learners will originate ideas, which fulfil graphic communication objectives. Learners will also be required to use mark-making techniques to express their ideas on paper.In this unit, the learner uses a range of idea-generating techniques creatively, originates complex ideas which fulfil graphic communication objectives, expresses independent ideas using mark-making techniques effectively and analyse
the cultural contexts in which graphic ideas are communicated.

 

This unit provides the learner with knowledge, understanding and skills to define and research a historical context and relate it to the present. It also provides an opportunity for learners to evaluate these references within the context of their chosen specialism. The aim of the unit is for the learner to have developed an independent view of one area of design context that relates closely to their own work. The learner has to analyse in depth and interpret the historical evolution and visual characteristics of the work of designers, specialist work through applying appropriate methods of research and information retrieval. He needs to investigate in depth how historical, contextual and contemporary practice influences learners' specialist pathways and draw independent and insightful conclusions from others' writings and critiques about a range of design work and present a personal view.

This unit extends and develops ideas generation. Learners are required to generate ideas to fulfil complex graphic communication objectives involving commercial constraints. Learners will adapt ideas to suit a range of different applications, and work with others in generating and developing ideas. Learners must also prepare ideas for professional presentation.The learner should be able to independently generate ideas to fulfil complex graphic communication objectives, adapt complex ideas to suit a range of design applications, work with others effectively in generating and developing ideas and plan and design a presentation and communicate ideas effectively.

In this unit learners will be encouraged to develop visual thinking and creativity as fundamental to all design work. It will enable learners to experiment with drawing approaches and techniques in order to broaden their experience and understanding of visual language. Learners will need to use materials and media which are specific to design, as well as unusual materials and media which will extend their visual language and creativity.To achieve the the unit, learner needs to analyse and evaluate the nature and qualities of drawing media and materials, to demonstrate creative use of drawing techniques and processes, to develop and extend an understanding of visual language and to evaluate and adapt work for further development.

This unit concerns the relationships between products, markets and the media. Learners will investigate categories and characteristics of products and learn how brands are created and developed. They will also learn how to identify target markets by analysing demographic factors and using classification systems. By examining the role of product and market research and investigating advertising media, learners will develop an understanding of the business context in which advertising operates.
In this unit a learner must analyse and evaluate a range of products in the market place, through sustained research identify target markets, evaluate the roles of product and market research and analyse and investigate a range of advertising media.

In this unit learners will explore mass text designed for a range of situations and publications. Learners will explore the problems associated with mass text and experiment with it in order to create balance, accessibility, legibility and incorporate visual imagery. From novels to textbooks and encyclopaedias, problems such as long-term legibility and indexing/referencing systems will be explored. This unit includes informal experimentation with expressive media as well as the digital environment. With the advent of niche and style publications, mass text can be presented much more expressively than ever before. This unit provides the learner with a knowledge of advanced pagination, planning, folding, the use of proof-reading marks and how to interpret them.

This unit helps develop an analytical and methodical approach to the process of designing and developing products in a commercial context. It will improve the learners' organisational and time management skills whilst developing the self-analytical abilities necessary for success in design practice. In this unit the learner needs to research and understand the phases of the design development cycle, plan a complex project using the design development cycle, develop an imaginative and innovative product and suggest improvements to the product as a result of evaluation.

The digital environment has created new challenges. In this unit learners will experiment with sourced or imposed imagery and change or add meaning. The management, both creative and practical, of a number of images in a variety of formats is challenging. Learners require considerable exposure to this environment, so that the technology is understood, opportunities are identified and the creative possibilities emerge. In thsi unit the learner must research and evaluate the potential use of a wide range of industry-standard software packages, individually produce creative and imaginative experimental work in the digital environment, demonstrate the creative use of the digital environment in completing a commission and evaluate own use of industry-standard software packages and experimental work.

This unit requires learners to explore the potential of visual imagery as a means of communication. The study of visual communication and codes used in different cultures and sub-cultures will be an important aspect of this exploration. Learners will be expected to recognise the importance of style and genre in visual imagery and to examine the roles of time and sequence in visual communication.
To achieve this unit a learner must research and evaluate a wide range of visual imagery from different cultures and subcultures. analyse the roles of time and sequence in communicating with images 3 Communicate meanings, messages and information effectively using images and produce imaginative visual imagery aimed at different audiences.

This unit is about the production of advertising. Learners will study the operations and functions of advertising agencies, learn how advertising objectives are defined and gain an understanding of what goes into developing advertising strategies. By devising advertisements in response to advertising briefs, learners will develop an understanding of how advertising campaigns work.
In this unit learner is required to analyse the functions of advertising agencies, independently to develop advertising objectives and strategies, to analyse and understand advertising campaigns and to devise creative and imaginative advertisements for application across a range of media.

In this unit learners are encouraged to explore the idea that visual communication is often about reconciling personal aesthetic ambitions with commercial considerations. Learners are encouraged to produce independent visual material that is free of restraints of a defined communications task, and then adapt the work to perform a communication task. The aim of this is to explore the design process in reverse.
In this unit the leaner needs through extensive research to understand the nature of aesthetically driven visual communication, to utilise and manipulate imagery for a communication task, to develop an imaginative use for imagery that fits into the category of commercial visual communication and to evaluate the use and manipulation of imagery.

In this unit learners examine packaging as a starting point for gaining knowledge and confidence in producing new and radical packaging solutions. Consideration of practical, cosmetic and environmental issues will be combined with awareness of the needs of current technology in packaging manufacturing and a creative and practical exploration of materials and processes. In this unit learner must research and evaluate types of packaging, explore the development of packagingtypes and the technology of current packaging manufacturing, creatively produce an effective design solution to at least one packaging problem and evaluate effective design solution.

This unit will provide learners with experience of the whole design and production process. Learners will produce creative solutions to communication problems and prepare work for presentation to the client and for reproduction. They will gain experience of managing key members of the creative and production teams to predetermined schedules.To achieve this unit a learner must produce imaginative and creative solutions using effective communication skills, adhere to realistic schedules when producing work, manage the production process effectively by organising themselves and motivating others and evaluate own management of the production process.

In this unit learners learn to create their Career portfolios and collate their work samples to demonstrate the skills that they have acquired during their studies. This portfolio could be used to obtain a job or acceptance into higher education institutes to apply to jobs, get a higher salary, show transferable skills, and to track personal development.
Learners are expected to appreciate the impact that Career portfolios could have as proof of their skills, abilities, and potential in the future. Learners need to present one portfolio that should include (but are not limited to) personal information, evaluations, sample work, and awards and acknowledgments in a simple three-ring binder and one Electronic portfolio that can be updated.