Portfolio guidance

BA (Hons) Design for Performance – 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

1. We would like to see a variety of work using a variety of techniques. This does not have to be directly related to the course.
2. You are able to include anything that is relevant to design for performance. Examples of the type of work that can be included are: drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, 3D pieces, structures, set designs, visual research and images of digital artwork, etc. it important to note that you are not limited to these, nor are you expected to provide everything listed.
3. The most important and necessary thing to include is pages from your sketchbook/s as this shows us the process behind your work and how your ideas develop.
4. 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.
5. We like to see 3D pieces, but photos are acceptable if objects are too large or fragile to transport. If you do take photos, please ensure they show a sense of scale, texture, material, colour and context.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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. Likewise, ensure it is not too small- we want to be able to see your work easily!
9. In terms of the structure, try to start and finish your portfolio off with your best work, or the work you can talk about well. It is not necessary to structure your portfolio in a chronological order, but ensure it is orderly and composed well. For example, you may find it useful to cluster your work into projects so that it tells a story.

Skills we would like to see

1. 2D and 3D visualisation.
2. Drawing.
3. Composition.
4. Use of a visible design process for idea development.
5. Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
6. Analogue (painting, drawing making, construction) and digital (film, projection mapping, photographs).
7. Evidence that you’re passionate about the subject.

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:

1. What are you inspired by?
2. What are your aspirations?
3. Where do your interests in the design for performance industry lie?
4. Why have you chosen to apply to BA (Hons) Design for Performance at Birmingham City University?

BA (Hons) Design for Performance – 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 BA (Hons) Design for Performance digital portfolio together.

Content

1. 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:
• What are you inspired by?
• What are your aspirations?
• Where do your interests in the design for performance industry lie?
• Why have you chosen to apply to BA (Hons) Design for Performance at Birmingham City University?
2. We would like to see a variety of work using a variety of techniques. This does not have to be directly related to the course.
3. You are able to include anything that is relevant to design for performance. Examples of the type of work that can be included are: drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, 3D pieces, structures, set designs, visual research, digital artwork, moving image work, animations, film etc. 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.
4. The most important and necessary thing to include is scanned pages from your sketchbook/s as this shows us the process behind your work and how your ideas develop.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. We are able to watch up to 10 minutes of video footage, so consider including an edited version for any videos exceeding this duration.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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. We advise that you cluster your work into projects so that it tells a story.
11. 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

1. 2D and 3D visualisation.
2. Drawing.
3. Composition.
4. Use of a visible design process for idea development.
5. Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
6. Analogue (painting, drawing making, construction) and digital (film, projection mapping, photographs).
7. Evidence that you’re passionate about the subject.

Format

1. Submit your work as one PDF file.
2. Your digital portfolio should be no more than 10MB. Please compress your file if it exceeds the limit.
3. Ensure your work has a good screen resolution.
4. 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) 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

1. We would like to see a good range of ideas. Your portfolio should be a collection of final pieces that is professionally presented.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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

1. Standard of presentation
2. Organisation
3. Evidence of creative thinking
4. Use of a visible design process for idea development.
5. Willingness to experiment using a range of media, materials and technologies.
6. Problem-solving
7. 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?