The Advanced Higher Design Course provides opportunities for learners to develop their creativity and apply their understanding of design practice, function and aesthetics. This involves exploring and researching challenging design contexts, issues and opportunities, and evaluating and incorporating visual stimuli and other information from a variety of sources.

Advanced Higher Design gives learners the opportunity to extend and apply the design skills they have developed during the Higher Art and Design Course. It enables learners to demonstrate personal autonomy and creative decision making when developing and realising their design ideas and solutions.

The aims of the Course are to enable learners to:

• experience an independent, self-directed study of design and design practice
• develop personal autonomy, creativity, independent thinking and evaluative skills when resolving design problems and responding to design area requirements and constraints
• develop individual creativity and technical skills through the considered exploration and creative use of design materials, equipment, techniques and/or technology
• develop higher-order thinking skills by analysing, synthesising and responding to designers’ work and the external factors which influence the design area
• develop advanced critical thinking and design-based problem solving skills
• reach substantiated and informed judgements when refining and presenting lines of design enquiry and development

Entry Requirements  – Higher Art & Design

Attendance – Six periods each week (independent study will be required in addition to this. There is a studio space that is available to S6 Art and Design students at all times during the day)

The Advanced Higher Design course consists of two mandatory Units and the Course Assessment. The mandatory Unit work is collated in learner’s sketchbooks and retained by the school for verification purposes. The Course Assessment consists of a portfolio and an essay. These are submitted to the SQA and form the basis for grading attainment in the full course award.

Unit 1: Design Studies – In this Unit, learners will work in a self-directed manner to research and investigate the working practices and design approaches of others. The research and investigation will be based on a personally chosen design area. Learners will critically analyse designers’ work and practice, evaluating and reaching substantiated judgements about the work itself and the contexts which influenced the work.

Unit 2: Design Enquiry – This Unit helps learners to plan, develop and produce developmental lines of enquiry and creative design work in an independent and self-directed manner. Learners will produce a design brief establishing a personal focus to the enquiry, using their understanding of design practice to inspire and influence their design approach and creative choices. They will analyse the impact of their creative decisions and choices, resolving any design issues or challenges. They will experiment with using materials, techniques and/or technology where appropriate, to realise their design ideas in 2D and/or 3D formats and independently evaluate their design work and practice.

Course Assessment- PORTFOLIO (100 marks)

Component 1 —Design Portfolio: 60 marks

 Critical Analysis: 30 marks

 Evaluation: 10 marks  

The purpose of this portfolio is to assess the learners ability to integrate and apply practical design skills and in-depth knowledge and understanding of designers and design practice across the Course. Learners will select one or more examples of their earlier investigative and design development work and use this as the basis for developing and producing highly resolved design solution(s).

The choice of design context/stimuli for the Art and Design (Design): Design Enquiry Unit/portfolio will be selected by the individual learner and approved by the centre. The portfolio will include:

• the initial creative starting point for the design(s) and further development work
• the final design solution(s)
• supporting evidence of critical analysis and evaluation

This portfolio will give learners an opportunity to demonstrate the following skills, knowledge and understanding:

• the ability to identify the creative development potential in their work
• assured and skilled use of a variety of design materials, techniques and/or technology
• applied understanding of function and aesthetics informed by in-depth investigation and analysis of design work and practice
• personal creativity when developing sustained lines of design-based enquiry
• creating design ideas and resolved solution(s) in 2D and/or 3D formats
• using design-based problem solving, planning and evaluation skills within the creative process
• the ability to review, edit and present their work for assessment

Unit Assessment – All Units are internally assessed. This involves sampling the skills, knowledge and understanding of learners demonstrated through their sketchbook work. There are two opportunities within the year to sit the assessment. Assessment is recorded as a Pass/Fail by the school and moderated by the SQA. Both these units must pass internal verification in order to be presented for the full Advanced Higher Course Award.

Course Assessment – The course assessment is made up of one component. The Design portfolio which is the main body of practical work along with an accompanying critical analysis and evaluation. The portfolio is externally assessed by SQA. The expressive portfolio is worth 60 marks out of a total of 100 marks available for this Course. The critical analysis essay is worth 30 marks and the evaluation of students work is worth 10 marks.

The practical work contributes approximately 60% of the overall marks for the Course assessment. The Course will be graded A–D.

Prelim Examination – Learners will not sit a a final exam or prelim examination for this course award. This is a portfolio based assessment.

Ongoing formative assessment will take place in the classroom. This continuous process of discussion of both practical and written work is an essential part of the learning and teaching process in Art and Design.

Advanced Higher candidates will carry out a more formal learner’s conversation at various times within the year. This is an opportunity for pupils to discuss with staff what their strengths and weaknesses are within their course work. It allows them to formulate an action plan to raise their attainment and ensure that they meet the requirements for a full course award.

Reporting to parents is in line with the school calender of tracking, reporting and parent evenings.