What are the wider impacts and responsibilities of graphic communication?
Evaluating the impact of graphic communication: societal, economic and environmental effects, and the legal responsibilities of copyright and standards.
An SQA Advanced Higher Graphic Communication answer on the impact of graphic communication, covering its societal, economic and environmental effects and the legal responsibilities of copyright and standards.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this key area is asking
The SQA wants you to evaluate the wider impact of graphic communication: its societal, economic and environmental effects, and the designer's legal responsibilities, chiefly copyright and adherence to standards. Advanced Higher expects you to discuss graphics as a force in the world, not only as a craft.
Societal impact
The social influence of graphics is large and double-edged. Clear public information design can save lives, and inclusive design (good contrast, legible type, accessible layouts) widens who can use a message. At the same time, the power to persuade brings responsibility: retouched or misleading imagery can create unrealistic expectations or deceive, which is why honesty and the social effect of a design are part of an Advanced Higher evaluation.
Economic impact
Graphics are an economic engine. Good branding and packaging can be the difference between a product selling or not, and a strong visual identity is a valuable business asset. The design and print sector employs many people and contributes to the economy. A balanced evaluation also recognises the cost side, design time, printing and materials, so the economic impact is weighed, not just praised.
Environmental impact and legal responsibility
These two strands are about responsibility. The environmental cost of print, trees, energy and waste, can be cut by specifying recycled paper and recyclable inks, minimising waste, and using screen delivery when print is not essential. Legally, copyright protects images, illustrations, fonts and text, so a designer must create original work or obtain licences, and must follow standards and rules (such as truthful advertising). Showing awareness of both the planet and the law is exactly what the SQA rewards in impact questions.
Examples in context
A public-health poster shows the social good of clear, inclusive design. A brand redesign shows the economic value of strong graphics. A switch to recycled stock and digital flyers shows environmental responsibility. A licensed stock-image purchase shows respect for copyright. In each case the wider impact and the designer's responsibilities are visible alongside the visual outcome.
Try this
Q1. State one societal impact of graphic communication. [1 mark]
- Cue. It informs or persuades and can influence opinion and behaviour (or supports accessibility, or raises honesty issues).
Q2. State one way a designer can reduce the environmental impact of a printed design. [1 mark]
- Cue. Use recycled or sustainable paper and recyclable inks (or minimise waste, or deliver digitally).
Q3. State what copyright protects and what a designer should do to respect it. [1 mark]
- Cue. It protects others' original work (images, fonts, text); use original or licensed material with permission.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA AH style4 marksDescribe two environmental impacts of producing printed graphic material, and one way a designer can reduce the environmental impact of a design.Show worked answer →
Two environmental impacts of printed material are the consumption of resources (paper from trees, water and energy) in manufacture and printing, and the waste and pollution created, including inks and chemicals and the disposal of unused or discarded printed matter.
One way a designer can reduce the impact is to specify recycled or sustainably sourced paper and recyclable inks, or to design efficiently (for example minimising paper size and waste, or choosing digital delivery over print where suitable).
Markers reward two genuine environmental impacts (resource use and waste or pollution) and a sensible mitigation (recycled or sustainable materials, efficient use of material, or a digital alternative).
SQA AH style3 marksExplain why copyright is relevant to a graphic designer and what a designer should do to avoid infringing it.Show worked answer →
Copyright protects the original work of others (images, illustrations, fonts and text), so a designer who uses someone else's protected work without permission is infringing copyright, which is illegal and can lead to legal action.
To avoid infringing it, a designer should use their own original work, or licensed, royalty-free or permission-granted material, and credit or pay for work where the licence requires it.
Markers reward the point that copyright protects others' original work so it cannot be used without permission, and the action of using original, licensed or permitted material (with credit or payment as required).
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