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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Diploma in Graphic Design in Art Direction 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
62612  Diploma in Graphic Design in Art Direction 
ORIGINATOR
Red and Yellow Creative School of Business (Pty) Ltd (previously known as The Red & Yellow School of Logic & Magic) 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Diploma (Min 360)  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Marketing 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  360  Level 6  NQF Level 06  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2033-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:

The purpose of the programme is to give students who have passed matric, and have the talent and desire to enter a career in creative communications in the advertising and design industry, the means to do so. Over a period of three years our aim is to turn creative potential into achievement by focusing on two tasks simultaneously - to solve business problems creatively, but with professional discipline; and at the same time to train the student how to fully exploit and master the craft of an art director or designer. They will learn the craft of typography, rendering, DTP, graphic design and art direction. Working with copywriters, they will learn how to formulate, write and work to a creative strategy, and will conceptualise print ads, television commercials, radio spots and promotional campaigns.

The course culminates with each student producing a portfolio of work demonstrating the talent they have, and the skills acquired, and that they will be able to make an immediate contribution in the workplace.

Rationale:

The Red and Yellow School has evolved from an in-house training department within a major advertising agency to the fully fledged communications training facility that it is today. The School has developed an enviable reputation in the communications and advertising industry for producing people who are work-ready and effective from the day they enter the business.

Whereas other institutions provide academic training in the field of communications, the Red and Yellow School is unique in that it is the only school in the country - and perhaps the world - which is rooted in the communications business itself and where the students are coached by people who have proven records of success in the business and who are able to imbue this ability into young people.

The Diploma in Graphic Design and Art Direction comprises the one of the main creative sides of communications, as opposed to the management side. Its main competencies are conceptualisation, creative processes, writing skills, working in a team with a copywriter and with management types.

Graduates should be able to move seamlessly into the role of art director or designer in an advertising agency or design studio. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
It is assumed that potential programme participants will have developed a passion for creative expression and have demonstrated the ability to express themselves creatively, particularly in the visual form. This could be demonstrated by an affinity for art, drawing and design.

Recognition of Prior Learning:

This qualification may be achieved in part through the recognition of relevant prior learning and through experience as a practitioner in the fields of marketing and communications management. Providers are required to assess individual candidates against the exit levels of the qualification on a case-by-case basis. 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
Competencies relating to Fundamental Learning:

1.1 Demonstrate competence in reading, writing and speaking the language of instruction in ways that facilitate their own academic learning and learning in groups or in classrooms.

1.2 Demonstrate competence in interpreting and using verbal and non-verbal elements to facilitate their own academic learning.

1.3 Demonstrate competence in basic drawing, illustration and rendering skills.

Competencies relating to Core Learning:

2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of how an ad. agency/design company works.

2.2 Demonstrate competence in sourcing and applying creative ideas in visual communication.

2.3 Demonstrate competence in developing creative solutions for electronic advertising mediums.

2.4 Demonstrate competence in developing and presenting integrated marketing communication (IMC) solutions.

2.5 Demonstrate competence in working in a creative team.

2.6 Demonstrate competence in understanding advertising production.

2.7 Demonstrate competence in understanding the advertising research process.

2.8 Demonstrate competence in desk top publishing (DTP).

Competencies relating to Elective Learning:

3.1 Demonstrate competence in understanding the principles and elements of art direction.

3.2 Demonstrate competence in understanding the art direction process.

3.3 Demonstrate competence in developing creative solutions for various advertising media.

3.4 Demonstrate competence in understanding the principles and methods of graphic design.

3.5 Demonstrate competence in understanding the graphic design process.

3.6 Demonstrate competence in developing creative solutions for graphic design in various applications.

3.7 Demonstrate competence in understanding the principles and applications of multimedia.

3.8 Demonstrate competence in developing creative solutions for the Internet/Web sites.

3.9 Demonstrate competence in creating and mixing sound to enhance the interactive multimedia experience.

3.10 Demonstrate competence in creating motion graphics and video for multimedia.

3.11 Demonstrate competence in CD Rom based multimedia.

3.12 Demonstrate competence in designing interactive media.

3.13 Demonstrate competence in designing and building computer games.

3.14 Demonstrate competence in creating animation and edit stills and films.

3.15 Demonstrate competence to develop a portfolio on CD Rom.

Outcomes element:

Playback sessions are used as the medium fordelivering the outcome. This occurs by way of presentations, reports, openforums and crits/assessments. 

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
There is also in-house training offered by media concerns, advertising agencies etc which replicates some of the application characteristics of the programme.

Assessment:

The course is built on three formative and summativeelements:
  • Teaching element: class sessions where course directors and practitioners from the communications industry present issues, concepts, contexts and best practices as appropriate to the course component.
  • Application and coaching element: projects are briefed into newly selected teams which conduct investigation and analysis to arrive at conclusions and recommendations. This project work is facilitated and reviewed by the originators of the particular brief as well as the course directors. 
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    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    Diploma's in art and design are widely offered at universities and tertiary institutions throughout the world. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    AAA and some other institutions offer diploma courses that would allow entry into our course.

    There are also articulation possibilities with universities regarding BA Degrees.

    The programme is career-focused and also highly practical in its application. This means that it naturally leads to career opportunities in the commercial world. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    All Red and Yellow programme results are moderated, at the following Levels:
  • Course Directors from each programme moderate the results with reference to the degree of difficulty of projects undertaken in a particular year, the possibility of bias in the assessments of external adjudicators and comparisons with the standard of previous years.
  • A forum of School Directors moderates the results of all programmes on the basis the standard of current participants and in comparison to previous years.
  • It is the intention from 2004 onward to compose a review board out of the School's Board of Governors, which is in the process of being formed. 
    		•

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. Red and Yellow Creative School of Business (Pty) Ltd (previously known as The Red & Yellow School of Logic & Magic) 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.