Portfolio Advice: Art and Design

We like to see how your work is informed by thorough research. We are interested to know why you’ve made something, not just how.

Your supporting material should demonstrate a range of possible directions explored in the production of work. This should include the work of artists/designers that have informed your practice.

We're interested in your engagement with contemporary art/design and culture in general. What recent exhibitions have you attended? What are you currently reading? What are you interested in?

As we consider your portfolio, we'll be looking for evidence of:

• Editing – remember quality over quantity!
• A sense of who you are – we want to get an idea of your interests, not just see a college/school project.
• Experiments – remember it's not always the most complete or resolved work that tells the best story; often things that are being tested out or things that have failed say much more.
• Details – think about how you document a work; you might need more than one image. Including a detail might be important so we can see what it is made from.

We want to see evidence of your engagement and interest in your work as a maker of photographic images and a critically reflective thinker. We'll look at supporting work to discover how you have resolved any problems you've encountered whilst making your images.

We'll look for examples of research into contemporary photographers and artists - this might be short excerpts from articles or essays, records of gallery visits or images of photographers' or artists' work that inspires you.

We want your portfolio to convey a sense of who you are - what are your wider interests? What are you passionate about?

We're looking for a portfolio that demonstrates your passion for fashion photography. Provide a carefully edited selection of photographic work that best reflects your enthusiasms; this may include experiments and work in progress.

We are very interested in how you make photographic work, but equally keen to learn why you want to be a fashion photographer - what motivates you? This should be demonstrated in supporting research examples and may include reflections on gallery visits and sources of inspiration.

We recommend that your digital portfolio should contain approximately 15-20 images of your recent work, or links to online video works, or an online portfolio.

Try to include works that represent your range of your interests and also some of the areas that you would like to explore further during the Master’s programme.

Also keep in mind the idea of editing your works; we'd rather see quality over quantity.

You can also include experiments and works-in-progress, sometimes these can be useful indicators of the sort of areas that you might explore further during the Master's programme.

Think about how you document your work; you might need more than one image. Including a detail might be important so that we can see what it's made from. If you're working in artist’s moving image or animation, think carefully about the best way to show us your work. We're happy to watch up to 15 minutes of video works (providing a link to a video on a streaming platform such as Vimeo or YouTube is a good way to show us your work).

We're looking for evidence of an exploratory and developing practice that would benefit from the rigorous MA Fine Art programme. At interview, we'll ask for more details on the research process that has informed your works and evidence of your critical engagement with the wider contemporary art context.  

What should your portfolio contain? 

We're looking to understand who you are as a designer, and to see something of your creative process. Please show your initial and development work, including sketchbooks, maquettes, and working drawings, as well as final outcomes and finished pieces. 

We are interested in seeing how you think and communicate in 2 and 3 dimensions. This can be in any area of art or design including drawing, making, mixed-media work, and digital modelling and drawing. This can be taken from creative work from school, college, professional practice, or any independent activity which gives us an idea of your abilities, values, and interests. 

What will staff be looking for in my portfolio?

Please include a range of work that shows how you engage with architecture, art, and design along the following themes: 

• Three-dimensional work – we're keen to see how you engage with making and how you think 3-dimensionally. This may be from any 3D area, such as ceramics, woodwork, product design, sculpture, mixed–media constructions, constructed textiles etc., and in the form of models, experimentation, prototypes and/or final pieces.
• Mark making in any media – we value both digital and analogue tools. Drawing is an important part of the course and can be used as an exploration tool as well as represent ideas and form. Paint, photography, charcoal, pencil, pen, pastel, collage, and printmaking can all communicate ideas about mood and atmosphere. Industry and gaming software can show how you plan the use and form of space in 2 and 3-dimensions.
• Creative process – we're interested in how you develop an idea, not just in the finished piece. Sketchbooks or work demonstrating your design process are very important in showing how you test ideas and refine your projects. We're very interested in seeing how you approach a creative brief and in your creative process, as well as the final outcomes. 

Please organise your ideas carefully, sometimes showing us your best work first is better than putting it in chronological order. 

What should your portfolio contain? 

We're looking for a well-presented collection of work that is imaginative and shows your creative process. Include pages that show an understanding of visual research and the design process (the development or ‘working out’ of your ideas), as well as your own individuality.

What will staff be looking for in my portfolio?

We'll be looking for both finished and in-progress work that shows:

• Craft skills, such as drawing, working with materials, making, photography, composition.
• Artistic scope, for example – ideas, use of colour, form, shape, proportion, fabrication.
• Creativity and imagination.
• Development work – include scans of 3-4 pages from your sketchbooks, notebooks or other examples of development work to demonstrate your working methods and ideas.
• Engagement with your chosen subject area of Fashion Design.
• Film – if you have any films that you want to include in your portfolio, please add a link.
• Contemporary fashion awareness should be evident throughout.

We're looking for students who have flair and understanding of the creative process, and would like to see the progression of your initial ideas into a final design outcome. The process is just as important as the outcome.

Important note: 

If your current course does not have a focus on fashion outcomes, set yourself a mini project so we can see your ideas for fashion/clothes; alternatively you could use existing project work (art, textiles, photography) to respond to and develop into ideas for fashion in the form of sketched ideas for outfits/ garments.

What should your portfolio contain? 

We're looking to understand who you are as a creator, so we want to see your creative process. Try to show your preliminary work – sketch books, concept drawings (digital or hand rendered), prototypes and iterations – as well as your final outcomes and finished work.

We're interested in seeing photography (colour or black and white), illustration, drawing, painting, typography, 3D work which has been photographed, animated gifs, video or animation.

What will staff be looking for in my portfolio?

We'll be looking for both finished and in-progress work that shows:

• Drawing – examples of observed drawing in the studio and on location; together with examples of expressive drawing dealing with ideas and interpretation
• Projects – evidence of project work in the area of creative problem solving and visual communication, together with your roughs and developmental work. A short summary of the brief would be helpful
• Self-initiated work – exercises or projects you have undertaken for yourself out of personal interest or enthusiasm for a particular subject
• Research – some examples of work should be accompanied by evidence of any research or investigation that you have undertaken in preparation for the project
• Materials and media – we are interested to see how you have worked with particular media, for example; photography or printmaking. Your eligibility for the course however will not be disadvantaged if these facilities have not been available to you

What should your portfolio contain?

We're looking to understand who you are as a designer. Typically, we would expect to see finished projects and work in progress that shows evidence of lively and engaging sketchbooks and working drawings that support the projects you are showing us. Try to show your working process and your developing research interests and influences, including scans of your sketchbook pages, observational drawings, illustrations and digital outputs. 

We're keen to see your engagement with making and how you think three-dimensionally. This may be from any 3D area such as ceramics, wood, product  design, sculpture, mixed–media constructions and constructed textiles. If you've done 3D models and sculptures, then including photos of these is a great idea. 

Depending on your current course structure your portfolio may contain work from other disciplines. We're also interested in seeing drawings, graphics, jewellery, photography, videos or animation.

What will staff be looking for in my portfolio?

We'll be looking for both finished and in-progress work that shows:

• Drawing and mark making in any media – we value both digital and analogue drawing
• Sketch/ideas books – we're very interested in seeing how you approach a creative brief, and in your creative process, as well as resolved and well presented outcomes
• Creative ideas and design work in any area – these need not be Interior Design, for instance textiles, graphics, painting, photography print, colour work, CAD or photoshop
• Three dimensional work – we're keen to see and hear about your engagement with making. This may be from any 3D area such as ceramics, wood, product design and in the form of models, experimentation, prototypes and/or final pieces. 

Please organise your ideas carefully, sometimes showing us your best work first is better than putting it in chronological order.

What should your portfolio contain? 

We're looking to understand who you are as a designer and maker, so we want to see your creative process. Try to show your working process and your developing research interests and influences, including scans of your sketchbook pages, observational, technical drawings and CAD renders.

We're keen to see your engagement with making and how you think three-dimensionally. This may be from any 3D area such as ceramics, wood, product design, sculpture and mixed–media constructions. If you've done 3D models and sculptures, then including photos of these is a great idea.

We're also interested in seeing drawings, jewellery, photography, illustration, textiles, videos or animation.

What will staff be looking for in my portfolio?

We'll be looking for both finished and in-progress work that shows:

• Three dimensional work – we're keen to see and hear about your engagement with making. This may be from any 3D area such as ceramics, wood, product design, sculpture, mixed–media constructions, constructed textiles, in the form of models, experimentation, prototypes and/or final pieces.
• Creative ideas and design work in any area – these need not be three dimensional. For instance textiles, graphics, painting, photography print, colour work, CAD.
• Sketch/ideas books – we're very interested in seeing how you approach a creative brief and in your creative process, as well as resolved and well presented outcomes.
• Drawing and mark making in any media – we value both digital and analogue drawing.

Please organise your ideas carefully; sometimes showing us your best work first is better than putting it in chronological order.

What should your portfolio contain? 

Typically, we would expect to see finished projects and work in progress with evidence of lively and engaging sketchbooks and working drawings that support the projects you are showing us.

Try to show your working process and your developing research interests and influences, including scans of your sketchbook pages, observational drawing, painting, collage, evidence of pattern, colour work and consideration of possible design outcomes. If you've made textiles such as knit, embroidery, print, or 3D objects and large pieces, then including photos of these is a great idea.

Depending on your current course structure your portfolio may contain work from other disciplines. We're also interested in seeing drawings, ceramics, jewellery, photography, illustration, videos or animation. Don't worry if you haven't projects in all of these areas, choose and select your best work that represents you and what you are most proud of.

What will staff be looking for in my portfolio?

We'll be looking for both finished and in-progress work that shows:

• Evidence of sketch and or ideas books
• Drawings
• Colour work
• Painting
• Any creative ideas, design work in any area
• Your own photography
• Self initiated projects

What should your portfolio contain?

When looking at your portfolio we're looking to understand your creative process. Try to show your preliminary work – sketch books, concept drawings (digital or hand rendered), prototypes and iterations, as well as final outcomes and finished work. We are interested in seeing photography (colour or black and white), illustration, drawing, painting, typography, 3D work which has been photographed, animated gifs, video or animation.

We don’t expect to see works in all mediums, so choose and select the work that best represents you and what you are most interested in.

What will staff be looking for in my portfolio?

Include a good range of work that demonstrates the subject area. We'll be looking for both finished and work in progress that shows:

• Drawing – examples of observed drawing in the studio and on location; together with examples of expressive drawing dealing with ideas and interpretation
• Projects – evidence of project work in the area of creative problem solving and visual communication, together with your roughs and developmental work. A short summary of the brief would be helpful
• Self-initiated work – exercises or projects you have undertaken for yourself out of personal interest or enthusiasm for a particular subject
• Research – some examples of work should be accompanied by evidence of any research or investigation that you have undertaken in preparation for the project
• Materials and media – we are interested to see how you have worked with particular media, for example; photography or printmaking. Your eligibility for the course however will not be disadvantaged if these facilities have not been available to you