Portfolio guidance
To support your application you will be asked to submit, or bring in, a portfolio. Your portfolio is an opportunity to show us who you are, your creative ability and your potential.
This page provides a detailed insight into how to prepare the best possible portfolio for your course.
Portfolio submission deadlines
For those applying to our BA programmes, we would ask you to submit your portfolio within four weeks of making an application. The guidance below sets out our typical requirements, but in light of the current circumstances please be aware that you can submit: GCSE work, and work from last year; work in progress such as sketches of ideas; photos of your work; fewer examples of your work than we have recommended in the guidance.
For those applying to our MA Visual Communication, please submit your portfolio within two weeks of making an application, following the guidance outlined below.
We will make a decision on your application as soon as possible when we receive your portfolio. If you have any questions or concerns, please do contact us.
We look forward to seeing your work.
Watch this video for further advice for creating your portfolio.
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BA (Hons) Graphic Communication – Physical Portfolios
It is important to note that portfolios are subjective, but if you’re struggling with ideas of what to include or how to structure it take a look at the following guidance.
Content
- We would like to see a good range of ideas. Your portfolio should be a collection of final pieces that is professionally presented.
- You are free to include as much work as you would like to in your portfolio but please ensure it is presented in either an A2 or A3 folder.
- Please include any work that you think is relevant to graphic communication. This can include examples of advertising, packaging design, design for print, illustration, communication graphics, branding, multimedia, design for film and television, multimedia and interactive media (web, app and game design). We welcome applications from applicants from a variety of disciplines so it important to note that you are not limited to these, nor are you expected to provide everything listed.
- It is essential to bring along sketchbooks, or pages from your sketchbooks that support the work presented in your portfolio. This is because they show us the research behind the work, your thought process and how your ideas develop.
- You should include at least one project from start to finish, as this allows us to see your thought processes and design-processes in action.
- If you would like to include any 3D pieces please include a single photograph of each piece in your portfolio. Ensure any photographs of 3D work show a sense of scale, texture, material, colour and context.
- If you are including work that has been created as part of a collaborative project please explicitly state what your role in the project was the specific elements you produced.
- Work outside of prescribed school/college work is always welcome. For example, if you’ve been making relevant work through your job, or a specialised class, include this.
- In terms of the structure of your portfolio, we would prefer that you present your work in a chronological order with your most recent first.
Skills we would like to see
- Standard of presentation
- Organisation
- Evidence of creative thinking
- Use of a visible design process for idea development.
- Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
- Problem-solving
- Evidence that you’re passionate about the subject.
Your portfolio review
The last part of putting your portfolio together is to practise speaking about it, as we will ask you about your work and what made you apply to the course during your portfolio review. Be prepared to talk about your interest, passion and how you have worked in the past. It would also be useful to have examples of problem-solving skills where you’ve solved problems in the past.
Remember, this isn’t to put you on the spot, but it’s a dialogue to help us understand your aspirations and how the course fits them.
- Who are three of your favourite graphic designers?
- What is the last film you saw at the cinema?
- Where do you draw inspiration from?
- What are your career aspirations?
- Why have you chosen to apply to BA (Hons) Graphic Communication at Birmingham City University?
BA (Hons) Graphic Communication – Digital Portfolios
The content of your digital portfolio and the skills it demonstrates should be the same as if you were creating a physical portfolio. The only difference is that you will need to submit your portfolio through your applicant portal rather than physically bring it in for us to see.
Watch this video guidance on digital portfolios.
Take a look at the course specific guidance below for help with putting your BA (Hons) Graphic Communication digital portfolio together.
Content
- Please open your portfolio with a short statement introducing yourself, your inspirations, your aspirations, what we can expect to see in your portfolio and if there are certain parts that you would like us to focus on and why. When preparing for your statement consider the following questions:
- Who are three of your favourite graphic designers?
- What is the last film you saw at the cinema?
- Where do you draw inspiration from?
- What are your career aspirations?
- Why have you chosen to apply to BA (Hons) Graphic Communication at Birmingham City University?
- We would like to see a good range of ideas
- You are free to include as much work as you would like to in your portfolio.
- Try to include any work that you think is relevant to graphic communication. This can include examples of advertising, packaging design, design for print, illustration, communication graphics, branding, multimedia, design for film and television, multimedia and interactive media (web, app and game design). We welcome applications from applicants from a variety of disciplines so it important to note that you are not limited to these, nor are you expected to provide everything listed.
- It is essential to include photographs or scanned pages from your sketchbooks that support the work presented in your portfolio. This is because they show us the research behind the work, your thought process and how your ideas develop.
- You should include at least one project from start to finish, as this allows us to see your thought processes and design-processes in action.
- If you would like to include any 3D pieces please include a single photograph of each piece in your portfolio. Ensure any photographs of 3D work show a sense of scale, texture, material, colour and context.
- We are happy to watch any video/ animated work, but please consider including an edited version, or include specific timecodes that you would like us to watch for work that is particularly lengthy.
- If you are including work that has been created as part of a collaborative project please explicitly state what your role in the project was the specific elements you produced.
- Work outside of prescribed school/college work is always welcome. For example, if you’ve been making relevant work through your job, or a specialised class, include this.
- In terms of the structure of your portfolio, we would prefer that you present your work in a chronological order with your most recent first.
- Annotations and labelling is a must. Please add project titles so we can see where they start and end, label items and annotate pieces that need context.
Skills we would like to see
- Standard of presentation
- Organisation
- Evidence of creative thinking
- Use of a visible design process for idea development.
- Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
- Problem-solving
- Evidence that you’re passionate about the subject.
Format
- Submit your work as one PDF file.
- Your digital portfolio should be no more than 10MB. Please compress your file if it exceeds the limit.
- Ensure your work has a good screen resolution.
- Add any links to video, animations, and moving image work in your PDF. Please check that these links work before you submit your portfolio and that they can be easily accessed. We will not be able to view links that require a password.
BA (Hons) Illustration – Physical Portfolios
A portfolio is a collection of final pieces that is professionally presented. It is important to note that portfolios are subjective, but if you’re struggling with ideas of what to include or how to structure it take a look at the following guidance:
Content
- We would like to see a variety of work using a variety of techniques. This does not have to be directly related to illustration.
- It is advisable to include no less than 10 pieces of work and no more than 20.
- Include any work you think would be relevant to the course. Examples of the type of work you can include are: drawing, print-making, 3D modelling, graphics based work and typography, but it important to note that you are not limited to these, nor are you expected to provide everything listed.
- It is essential to bring along sketchbooks, or pages from your sketchbooks that support the work presented in your portfolio. This is because they show us the research behind the work, your thought process and how your ideas develop.
- We would like to see at least one project from start to finish. It would be nice to see a mixture of short projects and long projects if you have them.
- You are welcome to bring in 3D pieces, but photos are acceptable if objects are too large or fragile to transport. If you do take photos, please ensure they are clear and show a sense of scale, texture, material, colour and context.
- There is no preferred folder size, but if you choose to use a folder we’d advise that you don’t use one that is bigger than A1 as it may be impractical for you to carry. An A2 or A3 folder is sufficient.
- There is no set way to structure your portfolio, but we would advise that you arrange it in an orderly way that allows you to talk through it confidently. For example, you may find it useful to cluster your portfolio into projects, or put it in a chronological order, or start and finish with your best pieces.
Skills we would like to see
- Drawing
- Composition
- How you use colour
- Use of a visible design process for idea development
- Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
Preparing for your portfolio review
The last part of putting your portfolio together is to practise speaking about it, as we will ask you about your work and what made you apply to the course during your portfolio review. Remember, this isn’t to put you on the spot, but it’s a dialogue to help us understand your aspirations and how the course fits them. When preparing for your review consider the following questions:
- Why do you want to study BA (Hons) Illustration at Birmingham City University? What interests you about the course?
- What do you think your strongest project is?
- What and/or who are you inspired by?
- What are your aspirations?
BA (Hons) Illustration – Digital Portfolios
The content of your digital portfolio and the skills it demonstrates should be the same as if you were creating a physical portfolio. The only difference is that you will need to submit your portfolio through your applicant portal rather than physically bring it in for us to see.
Watch this video guidance on digital portfolios.
Take a look at the course specific guidance below for help with putting your BA (Hons) Illustration digital portfolio together.
Content
- Please open your portfolio with a short statement introducing yourself, your inspirations, your aspirations, what we can expect to see in your portfolio and if there are certain parts that you would like us to focus on and why. When preparing for your statement consider the following questions:
- Why do you want to study BA (Hons) Illustration at Birmingham City University? What interests you about the course?
- What do you think your strongest project is?
- What and/or who are you inspired by?
- What are your aspirations?
- We would like to see a variety of work using a variety of techniques. This does not have to be directly related to illustration.
- It is advisable to include no less than 10 pieces of work and no more than 20.
- Include any work you think would be relevant to the course. Examples of the type of work you can include are: drawing, print-making, 3D modelling, graphics based work and typography, moving image work, animations and film. You will need to scan or photograph any physical work. It important to note that you are not limited to these, nor are you expected to provide everything listed.
- It is essential to add photographs or scanned pages from your sketchbook/s. This is because they show us the research behind the work, your thought process and how your ideas develop.
- We would like to see at least one project from start to finish. It would be nice to see a mixture of short projects and long projects if you have them.
- If you would like to include any 3D pieces please include photographs of them that show a sense of scale, texture, material, colour and context. We are happy to watch any video/ animated work, but please consider including an edited version, or include specific timecodes that you would like us to watch for work that is particularly lengthy.
- Remember, the order you present it in is the order we will view it in so structure your work in a clear and organised way. For example, you may find it useful to cluster your portfolio into projects, or put it in a chronological order, or start and finish with your best pieces.
- Annotations and labelling is a must. Please add project titles so we can see where they start and end, label items and annotate pieces that need context.
Skills we would like to see
- Drawing
- Composition
- How you use colour
- Use of a visible design process for idea development
- Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
Format
- Submit your work as one PDF file.
- Your digital portfolio should be no more than 10MB. Please compress your file if it exceeds the limit.
- Ensure your work has a good screen resolution.
- Add any links to video, animations, and moving image work in your PDF, PowerPoint or Keynote file. Please check that these links work before you submit your portfolio and that they can be easily accessed. We will not be able to view links that require a password.
BA (Hons) Photography – Physical Portfolios
What you choose to include in your portfolios is to you. If you’re struggling with ideas of what to include or how to structure it take a look at the following guidance:
Content
- We would like to see a good range of ideas. Your portfolio should be a collection of final pieces that is professionally presented.
- Work suitable for inclusion includes: photographs (portraiture, landscape, still-life, fashion or documentary etc.), any lens-based images (for example stills from videos), experimental imagery, photographic installations and moving image (please bring a laptop or tablet with the file downloaded as you may not have connection to the Internet during the review).
- Your sketchbook or notebook showing your thought processes and research
- Any 3D work can be represented by including a photograph of the work showing a sense of scale.
- We’re looking for quality rather than quantity so we request that your portfolio contains no more than 20 images. Try to show a variety of work and focus on selecting the best work you have produced.
- There is no preferred folder size, but we’d advise that you don’t use a folder that is bigger than A1 as it may be impractical for you to carry.
- Similarly there is no set structure for how your portfolio should be presented. You just need to ensure it is ordered in a way that best expresses your ideas.
- Work outside of prescribed school/college work is always welcome. For example, if you’ve been making relevant work through your job, or a specialised class, include this.
Skills we would like to see
- Creativity
- Your critical thinking process
- Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies
- Use of a visible design process for idea development.
Your portfolio review
The last part of putting your portfolio together is to practise speaking about it, as we will ask you about your work and what made you apply to the course during your portfolio review. Be prepared to talk about your interest, passion and how you have worked in the past. It would also be useful to have examples of problem-solving skills where you’ve solved problems in the past.
Remember, this will be a conversation to help us understand your aspirations and how the course fits them.
- Why do you want to study BA (Hons) Photography at Birmingham City University?
- How are you engaging with contemporary photography practice?
- What or who is your work influenced by?
- What is the most recent exhibition you have looked at, or photography related book you have read?
BA (Hons) Photography – Digital Portfolios
The content of your digital portfolio and the skills it demonstrates should be the same as if you were creating a physical portfolio. The only difference is that you will need to submit your portfolio through your applicant portal rather than physically bring it in for us to see.
Watch this video guidance on digital portfolios.
Take a look at the course specific guidance below for help with putting your BA (Hons) Photography digital portfolio together.
Content
- Work suitable for inclusion includes: photographs (portraiture, landscape, still-life, fashion or documentary etc.), any lens-based images (for example stills from videos), experimental imagery, photographic installations.
- It is essential to include scanned versions or photographs of pages from your sketchbooks that support the work presented in your portfolio. This is because they show us the research behind the work, your thought process and how your ideas develop.
- You may also include audio compositions and moving image work. Please include a link to where the file is hosted online within your PDF.
- 3D work can be represented by including a photograph of the work showing a sense of scale.
- We’re looking for quality rather than quantity so we request that your portfolio contains no more than 20 images of finished pieces. Try to show a variety of work and select the best work you have produced.
- There is no set structure for how your portfolio should be presented. You just need to ensure it is ordered in a way that best expresses your ideas. Remember the order you present it in is the order it will be viewed in.
- Work that you have created outside of school or college is always welcome.
- To help your reviewer get a better understanding of you and your portfolio please include a small paragraph detailing the reasoning behind each of your pieces of work.
Skills we would like to see
- Creativity
- Your critical thinking process
- Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies
- Use of a visible design process for idea development.
Format
- Submit your digital portfolio as one PDF file.
- Your digital portfolio should be no more than around 10MB. Please compress your file if it exceeds the limit.
- Ensure your work has a good screen resolution.
- Add any links to video, animations, and moving image work in your PDF. Please check that these links work before you submit your portfolio and that they can be easily accessed. We will not be able to view links that require a password.
MA Visual Communication – Digital Portfolios
The content of your digital portfolio and the skills it demonstrates should be the same as if you were creating a physical portfolio. The only difference is that you will need to submit your portfolio through your applicant portal rather than physically bring it in for us to see.
Take a look at the course specific guidance below for help with putting your MA Visual Communication digital portfolio together.
Content
- Please open your portfolio with a short statement introducing yourself, your inspirations, your aspirations, what we can expect to see in your portfolio and if there are certain parts that you would like us to focus on and why. When preparing your statement, please answer the following questions:
- Why have you chosen to apply for MA Visual Communication at Birmingham City University?
- What can you bring to the course?
- What do you want from the course?
- What interests you about the course?
- We would like to see a good range of ideas and concepts. You should include at least one project from start to finish – showing all iterations for concept, technical ability, and research processes.
- It is useful to include any live projects, competitions or industry work, as this can help illuminate your potentials.
- We would like to see a variety of work using a variety of techniques. This does not have to be directly related to all areas of Visual Communication, but should illuminate your interests in your specialist area to the selection panel.
- The order you present your work in is the order we will view it in so structure your work in a clear and organised way. For example, you may find it useful to cluster your portfolio into projects, or put it in a chronological order, or start and finish with your best pieces.
- If you are including work that has been created as part of a collaborative project please explicitly state what your role in the project was and the specific elements you produced.
Skills we would like to see
- Evidence of creative thinking
- Use of a visible design processes for idea development, related to contemporary or historical theories.
- Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
- Problem-solving abilities, and rationale(s).
- Evidence that you’re passionate about the subject.
Format
- Submit your digital portfolio as one PDF file.
- Your digital portfolio should be no more than around 10MB. Please compress your file if it exceeds the limit.
- Add any links to video, animations, and moving image work in your PDF. Please check that these links work before you submit your portfolio and that they can be easily accessed. We will not be able to view links that require a password.