Graphic Communication in all its forms is vital to society. It is a means of getting across information visually using graphics. Graphic communication comes in many forms and various aspects of life including education, industry and commerce.

This course is designed to increase your awareness of how graphics are used, and to learn about the technology used to create them. You will create 2D, 3D and pictorial graphics with visual impact or that transmits information, digitally and on paper.

The skills you learn in this course are useful in many career areas including Architecture, Surveying, Engineering or Design and Marketing.

What will I study?

The course consists of two areas of study.

2D graphic communication

You will:

• creativity and presentation skills within a 2D graphic communication context
• initiate, plan, develop and communicate ideas graphically, using 2D graphic techniques
• develop skills and attributes including spatial awareness, visual literacy, and the ability to interpret given drawings, diagrams and other graphics
• evaluate the effectiveness of their own and given graphic communications to meet their purpose.

3D and pictorial graphic communication

You will:

• develop creativity and presentation skills within a 3D and pictorial graphic communication context
• initiate, plan, develop and communicate ideas graphically, using 3D and pictorial graphic techniques
• develop a number of skills and attributes including spatial awareness, visual literacy, and the ability to interpret given drawings, diagrams and other graphics
• evaluate the effectiveness of their own and given graphic communications to meet their purpose.

How will I be assessed?

The course assessment has two components totalling 140 marks:

• Component 1: question paper – worth 90 marks
• Component 2: assignment – worth 50 marks.

For the assignment component, you will be asked to produce a piece of graphical work in response to a brief.

The grade awarded is based on the total marks achieved across course assessment. The course assessment is graded A-D.

Pupils can access all the notes for this course on Glow within the Graphic Communication Microsoft Team. You can find the course plan below.

Useful links

• SQA - Higher Graphic Communication
• BBC Bitesize - Higher Graphic Communication
• Highers in a Nutshell - Higher Graphic Communication