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Pitch Perfect – How to make your portfolio work for you.

If you’re thinking about studying an art, design or media course, an impressive portfolio will demonstrate your practical and creative ability, and give that extra edge to your application and interview.

How a strong portfolio can help

Creating a portfolio helps you develop your artistic aspirations and could be the key to securing the place you want on a pre-degree or degree course. Your portfolio should:

highlight your skills and talents
express your individual personality and show how well-suited you are for the course you want to study
be well-organised and highly presentable, and display an attention to detail, something that will be expected of you as an art & design student
demonstrate your initiative and commitment, as well as your passion for a particular medium or subject area.

The elements of a strong portfolio

Your portfolio should include a range of work that highlights your particular areas of interest so show how diverse you can be by covering more than one theme and a range of different formats, styles and media. It’s also important to:

document your creative journey from its beginning. You should provide evidence that you’ve done your research and showcase the ideas you’ve developed from it
be innovative, demonstrating you work to an independent thought process rather than just following the trends.
think of your portfolio as your own set design-piece, getting the balance between what to include and what not to so often causes concern but remember that experimentation and self-direction are important.

When you submit a portfolio as part of your application, the assessor will not only be looking for what you have achieved so far but also your future potential.

Listen to staff and students talking about what they recommend you put in your portfolio:

Building your portfolio

Project plan - You want your portfolio to impress so invest the time to forward plan. Highlight your strengths and skills. Make a list of them and then make sure they’re reflected in your work. Show a clear rationale and how your work has developed by grouping pieces together chronologically and the different stages you’ve gone through. Illustrate your journey with a range of examples, for instance drawings, paintings, 3-D work, photography, digital pieces, storyboards, film footage or animations.
Do your research – Visit an open day and explore all information on the University website, then make sure your portfolio is relevant to the course you’re applying for, using your portfolio to evidence you have the range of skills and the talent required.
Decide on the content - Showcase your creative talents and select your best projects carefully. The examples of work should reflect a range of skills and ideas. Your portfolio should include finished pieces, supported by artwork or notes summarizing the things that worked as well and the things that didn’t. An assessment takes into account that mistakes are part of the process but they will want to see how you have used the experience to reflect, learn from the experience and progress to another stage. Talk about your favourite pieces and what or who inspires you. Your aspirations reveal your purpose and commitment to your chosen subject area.
Cover all bases - Have a digital version of your portfolio available. Remember original work cannot be returned so think about submitting it electronically. You can upload your portfolio using Flickr and YouTube and then forward the link, or email it as one PDF file. Always have a back-up, so as well as an online version, store one on a USB in case of any network issues.
Keep it neat - Presentation is key so check every piece of work is clean. Make sure you remove any finger marks and straighten any edges. Keep your work flat, not rolled, and make sure everything is clearly labeled.
Test it out - Ask a friend or relative to look at it, or better still ask an artist or designer you know who can give you constructive feedback.

If you want to know more, come along to an Open Day and meet out our academic team who will be happy to give you more advice and answer any questions. Book now at www.ucreative.ac.uk/opendays

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