App GUI Homework – Feedback

August 26, 2015 Mr Macphail Leave a comment

The homework has now been marked and feedback has been issued. From looking over the work that was handed in, there are several points that are worth making should you be asked to repeat this task in an exam:

Firstly and most importantly make sure that you are reviewing the GUI, it is about how the app appears on screen and how obvious and easy it is to use it’s functions.
Forget what you already know about an app and treat it as if you were a new user.
Be clear when speaking about aspects, eg don’t just say the buttons are “fine”, rather discuss the layout, appearance and size of the buttons.
A swipe gesture isn’t part of the GUI, it may bring out a menu (eg swiping left to right) but this isn’t part of the actual GUI.
Functionality isn’t part of a GUI, eg saying that videos buffer regularly is a network issue, your focus should be on the buttons that make the video pause, play, rewind, fast forward etc.

Higher

June 1, 2015 Mr Macphail Leave a comment

The Higher assessment is to be finished by the close of school on Tuesday 22nd December. There are four different assignments:

Useful Links:

For past papers or more details about the course specification, go to the SQA website.
The BBC Bitesize website offers a range of videos show Graphic Communication being used in the outside world.

N4-5

National 4/5 (S4)

June 1, 2015 Mr Macphail Leave a comment

The S4 assessment is to be finished by the close of school on Tuesday 22nd December. There are five different assignments:

Useful Links:

For past papers or more details about the course specification, go to the SQA website.
The BBC Bitesize website offers a range of videos show Graphic Communication being used in the outside world.

Adv Higher, Higher, N4-5, S1, S2

Graphics Software

December 18, 2014 Mr Macphail Leave a comment

Whilst the majority of the computer graphics will be done in school, it is highly recommended that all pupils download and familiarise themselves with some of the software that is used in graphic communication.

Name	Uses	Website
GIMP	Photo editing	gimp.org
Inkscape	Adding text, shapes etc. Great for posters, cards, leaflets etc	inkscape.org
Draftsight	CAD package, similar to AutoCAD but 2D only	3ds.com
LibreOffice	Full office suite	libreoffice.org

Sketching the shapes

October 27, 2014 Mr Macphail Leave a comment

1. Sphere The sphere is the only shape which is the same 2D as it is 3D. This method starts by sketching a square and applying the Union Jack method to create a circle.
Sketching a sphere

2. Box/Crate Every shape in sketching, whether simple or complex starts with a crate. This is used to ensure that when joining two or more shapes together the position and scale can be seen quickly. The link below will take you to a video which shows the technique used to sketch a box or a crate which can then be used to help sketch another shape.
Sketching a box/crate

3. Pyramid Using the techniques learned previously, this video shows how to use a crate and convert it into a pyramid shape.
Sketching a pyramid

4. Cone To construct the cone we need to start with a crate, add a base to it and then apply what we learned in video 1: sketching a sphere. Using a combination of both of these methods, this video shows how to sketch a cone.
Sketching a cone

General

Graphic Communication blog

October 9, 2014 Mr Macphail

The purpose of this blog is for the benefit of pupils taking Graphic Communication and S1/S2 Technology with Mr Macphail in the Nicolson Institute. The blog may include items such as homework assignments or deadlines, or information which may be useful to the course.

To make using the site easier, each post has been categorised into areas of relevence, which you can select in the panel on the right.