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As part of your application to Edinburgh College of Art, you are required to submit a portfolio as evidence of your artistic ability and potential.  You should begin to plan your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.  

Deadlines

  • 1 December 2024: portfolio submission site opens 
  •  29 January 2025: UCAS deadline for all applicants 
  • 4 February 2025 at 12pm (midday) GMT: portfolio submission deadline

Assessment criteria 

  1. Visual research and enquiry. The level of your engagement in intelligent, structured visual enquiry and how well you communicate this. 
  2. Idea development. Your ability to explore and develop ideas appropriately, and your level of skill in the use of materials and techniques. 
  3. Selection and resolution. How well you judge which ideas have the most appropriate potential and your ability to bring them to a level of completion appropriate to your intended outcome. 
  4. Contextual awareness. The extent of your knowledge of the subject you have applied to and how your work relates to it. 

Assessors understand the potential challenges of creating a portfolio so please be assured this is taken into account during assessment.  

Your portfolio will be assessed by a team of Edinburgh College of Art academic staff with professional and specialist expertise and knowledge. The assessors are particularly interested in how applicants researched and developed their ideas in a visual way and how they engage with the visual arts through their imagination and creative responses to ideas, observations, processes, and concepts.   

For technical support and guidance please see the link below:

Portfolio preparation and requirements: user guide | The University of Edinburgh 

BA (Hons) Animation

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.  

For application to the BA (Hons) Animation programme at Edinburgh College of Art, a portfolio should demonstrate the following elements. 

Please be aware that the inclusion of these elements will not guarantee the offer of a place, this is entirely dependent upon the quality of the portfolio, and the applicant’s qualifications.  

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry  
    We want to see lots of drawings, life drawing is great, but if you don’t have access to a model then drawing from observed reality rather than drawings from photos or screen are also very good inclusions. We want to see examples of drawings of things that you can see AND the products of your imagination. We are looking for balance. A variety of methods is important, don’t stick to one way of making marks. Above all else do not copy or emulate other people’s work. 
  2. Idea Development  
    Show us the journey, not just the destination, we want to see work in progress, ideas changing over time. Show us the decisions you made, show us the rough drawings, the doodles, the pages of your sketchbook. Particularly important, is to show us how you tell a story over time with storyboards or comic strips. Show us the plans for films you haven’t been able to make yet. Originality is important here, make sure you are not extending a franchise that is already out there, no matter how much you love it. Every cliché was original at one point, but if you are going to submit one then you really need to make sure that it is excellent in order to stand out from all the other examples of that cliché. Some examples, drawings of cars, sword, cyborgs, dragons, unicorns, giant eyeballs etc. These are not “bad” subjects, we just see so many of them... 
  3. Selection and Resolution  
    This is the other side of the coin from Idea Development and is where you should be showing us “finished” work. It is especially useful if you have already shown us the work in progress. Applicants often worry about showing us animation, for two reasons, one they worry it may not be good enough, or two they worry because they simply haven’t done any. If you have made animation then please let us see it, the fact you have tried to make it, and have realised how labour intensive it can be, and still want to do it are far more important than its quality. If you haven’t made an animation before then you should really give it a go to understand what you are getting into. If resources are a problem then please reread the advice for criterion 2, show us the plan for the film you would make if you could. 
  4. Contextual Awareness  
    This is the area that seems to cause the greatest confusion for applicants. What we hope to see is evidence that you have looked beneath the surface of animation, past the characters and their stories to the individual animators responsible. Show us a favourite animator, and talk about why their work is important to you. Is there somebody whose work and approach to it inspires you? Show us! The best animation isn’t ABOUT animation, so show us something else that might inspire or inform your animation. It could be a poet, an author, a painter, a sculptor, a printmaker, a musician, a band, a place, a food, a smell. ANYTHING! 

Additional Considerations 

  • Use the text boxes! Your work may not speak for itself, and the text boxes allow you to explain your thinking, your decision making and your methods. A large part of your education at an art school will be through conversation around and discussion of your work. If you can show that you are able and willing to do this in your portfolio then it can be very persuasive. The text boxes are also the perfect place to include links to animation you have placed on online hosting services such as Vimeo or YouTube. 
  • If you don’t know why you are putting a piece of work in then don’t. 
  • A file is a file, but a file can contain many images, if a sketch book has one brilliant drawing in the corner of a page, drowning in a sea of white then fill it up by collaging other lonely images together with it either digitally or physically. 
  • Show that you have done more than simply what your school exams required, show us your motivation by including work from outside your school curriculum! 
  • Do not leave it till the last minute, always allow yourself the chance to reflect upon what you have uploaded. 
  • Artwork isn’t like wine, it doesn’t get better by just sitting there, if it’s done then upload it! 

 Beneficial portfolio assets  

“Beneficial”, in this context, means that evidence of the following elements in your portfolio may enhance your application, but they are not essential. “Familiarity” means to demonstrate an awareness of the software mentioned, to know its purpose and function. If you have used it, then screenshots of things you have made communicate familiarity. 

  • Familiarity with a 3D modelling & animation package (Such as Maya or 3D Studio Max or Blender for example). 3D Studio Max and Maya are free while you are a student at ECA, but as industrial standard software, it can be expensive for individual purchases. There are free demos from Autodesk that are time-limited to 30 days of usage, but this is certainly enough time to develop and show familiarity Free trial versions are available here: www.autodesk.co.uk/free-trials. There are also free alternatives which may suit you, such as Blender, available here: www.blender.org/thanks/ (donation is optional and can be bypassed by following the direct download link on the previous URL). 
  • Familiarity with 2D painting or photo manipulation packages (Adobe Photoshop or GIMP for example.) Free alternatives include GIMP - GNU Image Manipulation Program, which is available here: www.gimp.org/downloads/
  • Familiarity with compositing software (Adobe Premiere or After Effects for example.) There are free alternatives such as Blender which can be used effectively for compositing too.  

Information for Year 2 Direct Entrants: 

In addition to the points covered above for year 1 portfolio applications you should be able to show evidence of the following:

Additional Requirements

  • Animation should be evident, as either exercises or finished films.
  • Life drawing should be evident and observed from actuality rather than drawn from screen, photography, or print.

Tips

  • Use the text box to describe the associated image and its method.
  • An uploaded file can consist of more than one image, make sure to fill dead space in sketchbook pages by copying and pasting related images in there to make better use of the available room.
  • In terms of contextual awareness, please try to give us the names of animators, rather than their animated characters. It is also good to show your awareness of related fields, try picking artists or film directors or composers or writers whose work inspires you.
  • Be diverse in style, content and method.
  • Be original in style, content and method.

(updated on 22/10/2024 to include information for Year 2 entrants)

BA (Hons) Fashion

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.  
 

Information for entry into Year 1 

A portfolio application for fashion can vary widely, based on a student’s personal research interests and creative outputs. It is important to stress that we are seeking evidence of an applicant's interest in the subject, a sense of their awareness of fashion, and a strong feeling of their own, personal creative identity. Portfolios may consist of a series of projects or short experiments. 

Things to include:

  • Observational Drawing Skills: Creatively capture clothing details, prints, and textures to push your boundaries. 
  • Fashion Designer Knowledge: Review and analyse inspiring designers and their current collections, showing their influence on your work. 
  • Drawing: It may be helpful to include life-drawing from the body where possible. You may wish to take an external course, or you can draw and depict friends or relatives styled in a range of garments to showcase your observation skills. If this is not possible, you could draw from fashion catwalk collections, online campaigns or other visual references.  
  • Personal Research: Engage in unique research that inspires your creativity, even beyond fashion design. 
  • Experimental Garment Design: Where possible, it may be beneficial to include examples of actual garment making, although we expect this to be at a formative quality level. This may, for example, by achieved by utilising paper garment making or creating experimental outfits in upcycled materials, created on small-scale mannequins, along with associated sketches, designs, and photography. 
  • Fashion Illustrations: Include examples of fashion sketches and illustrations—this might be of your own work but might also be depictions of credited designers and brands as a visual analysis. 
  • Materials: You may wish to showcase textile work, but it would be helpful to depict or illustrate how this work is envisioned in a fashion context. 

Key Tips 

  • Include Diverse References: Avoid only referencing common designers where possible; explore and reference a range of global designers. Remember, there are lots of portfolios, and students often outline very similar inspirations—try to be unique in this aspect. 
  • Variety of Work: Include examples of sketchbook pages, research, and experimental pieces, not just final products. 
  • Experimental Sketching and Illustration: it is useful to research a range of fashion illustration techniques and experiment with various styles and use of differing media. 
  • 3D Garment Design: Purchasing a half-scale mannequin may be beneficial to test and photograph small-scale garment design without the expense of working full scale – this process can be very quick, experimental, space-saving and productive. 
  • Early Planning: Plan your mini-portfolio’s layout and narrative for a cohesive story. 
  • Creative Layout: Consider using creative, modern graphic design layouts, and annotations/captions to explain your ideas throughout your portfolio. Try to clearly communicate to the viewer what the work is, expressing your interests in fashion study and a future career in the discipline.  
  • Stand Out: Make your portfolio eye-catching and distinctive to leave a strong impression. 
Information for entry into Year 2:

A portfolio application for fashion can vary widely, based on a student’s personal research interests and creative outputs. It is important to stress that we are seeking evidence of an applicant's interest in the subject, a sense of their awareness of fashion, and a strong feeling of their own personal creative identity. Portfolios may consist of a series of projects or short experiments.  

Things to include:

  • Observational Drawing Skills: Creatively capture clothing details, prints, and textures to push your boundaries.  
  • Fashion Designer Knowledge: Review and analyse inspiring designers and their current collections, showing their influence on your work.  
  • Drawing: It may be helpful to include life-drawing from the body where possible. You may wish to take an external course, or you can draw and depict friends or relatives styled in a range of garments to showcase your observation skills. If this is not possible, you could draw from fashion catwalk collections, online campaigns or other visual references.   
  • Personal Research: Engage in unique research that inspires your creativity, even beyond fashion design.  
  • Experimental Garment Design: Where possible, it is beneficial to include examples of actual garment making, photographed on a person.  
  • Fashion Illustrations: Include examples of fashion sketches and illustrations—both of your own work and depictions of credited designers and brands as a visual analysis. 
  • Materials: You may wish to showcase textile work, but it would be helpful to depict or illustrate how this work is envisioned in a fashion context.  

Key Tips  

  • Include Diverse References: Avoid only referencing common designers where possible; explore and reference a range of global designers. Remember, there are lots of portfolios, and students often outline very similar inspirations—try to be unique in this aspect.  
  • Variety of Work: Include examples of sketchbook pages, research, and experimental pieces, not just final products.  
  • Experimental Sketching and Illustration:  It may be useful to research fashion illustration and sketch methods and include examples of illustration experiments with various drawing styles using differing media.  
  • Early Planning: Plan your mini-portfolio’s layout and narrative for a cohesive story.  
  • Creative Layout: Consider using creative, modern graphic design layouts, and annotations/captions to explain your ideas throughout your portfolio. Try to clearly communicate to the viewer what the work is, expressing your interests in fashion study and a future career in the discipline 
  • Stand Out: Make your portfolio eye-catching and distinctive to leave a strong impression.  

BA (Hons) Film and Television

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.   

The portfolio is made up of written answers to three questions (below) and a short film. 

The film should consist of a dramatic, documentary or experimental work. The film should be no more than five minutes long and ideally be a complete work, or else a strong excerpt that shows your ability to express a story or concept through audio-visual material. If your film is not in English it should include English subtitles. 

All submitted portfolio clips must be uploaded via one digital video file (or URL link to it) and be readily accessible (e.g. are not password protected) and must not contain copyrighted material. 

We are looking for a clear understanding of what it means to employ film/video as a means of artistic expression and as such portfolios consisting of showreels, music videos, travel reports or storyboards are unlikely to meet our criteria. 

We also do not accept films made as part of film trainee schemes such as BFI Academies or summer schools. 

  1. What element of filmmaking do you feel most passionate about and why? (Maximum 250 words)  
  2. What attributes do you feel you would bring to the course and what have you done so far that evidences this? (Maximum 250 words)  
  3. Which scene or sequence in a film has made a real impression on you and why? We are not looking for a description of the scene or sequence, but how you have been inspired by this. (Maximum 250 words) 

Information for applicants to year 2 entry:

Year 2 applications should take all the above points relating to Year 1 entry into account, but we would also expect to see greater emphasis within the portfolio on completed film projects. Additional experience should include:

  • Practical engagement across a range of film forms and approaches, which may include: experimental, artists film and video, drama and documentary.
  • Foundational understanding of film theory and history, and evidence of the application of conceptual thinking in support of creative practice.
  • Collaborative practical work and familiarity with film industry conventions including an understanding of the distinct production disciplines/stages, and some awareness of key film organisations and structures.

(updated 21/10/2024 to include information for applicants to year 2 entry)

BA (Hons) Fine Art

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    

General Advice 

For your application to Art at Edinburgh College of Art, we are interested in seeing portfolios that demonstrate engagement and a personal response to the world around you. 

We require a presentation of 20 slides (a slide could contain more than one image) that shows your enthusiasm for the subject and the art world.

We recommend that you include slides that fall into the four assessment criteria below.

Assessment Criteria 

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry 

    These slides should demonstrate your investigations into your chosen subject matter. This could include images of sketchbooks and notebooks, photographs, drawings, and found visual material (both physical and digital).
     

    Visual research should relate to your own interests and could come from a huge range of sources e.g. the built environment, the natural world, social situations, journeys, mapping, science, music, collecting and other individual activities. 

  2. Idea Development - Practical Explorations 

    The slides in this category should evidence experiments when developing ideas. Images could include the use of various media, materials, and processes, and demonstrate the progression to making resolved work.

    This could include various drawing, 3d, textile and printmaking materials and processes, moving  image clips, maquettes, models, and collage, for example.

  3. Selection and Resolution - Resolved Work

    Please include some slides of your resolved work. This can include images of single works, installations of multiple works, stills from moving image, documentation of performances, 

    Resolved works could include video, sculpture, painting, performance, photography, projections and sound, for example. We welcome all approaches to making art.

  4. Contextual Awareness - Awareness of Contemporary Art 

    What was the last art exhibition you visited?  What artists have you looked at? Are there practitioners from other fields that you have found influential? Please include some images and notes that show your interest in the art world and try to include artists that are relevant to the work you have made.

    Your awareness of contemporary art might come from exhibitions you have seen locally or travelled to, from art books and other art publications. We are looking for a genuine engagement with galleries, artists and exhibitions.  Internet searches can also be useful. Artist's talks, interviews and online exhibition tours are widely available online through reputable galleries.

General advice to consider:

  • Each image you upload is a slide that can include multiple forms of photo, picture and/or documentation. Try to make use of this by striking a balance of including more than one image per slide (where relevant) but also be aware that we are reviewing your submissions digitally so try not to overburden each slide with too many pictures, photos and/or text as this can make the work and your intentions less clear to assessors. 
  • Upload good images of your work. Please make sure they are in focus, appropriately lit and at an appropriate resolution. 
  • There is no need to include long explanations of processes. Instead, annotate images succinctly with text that adds information which may not be obvious in the image itself. 
  • Please do not feel it is essential to include life drawing. 
  • We appreciate that many applicants will be applying straight from school. We warmly welcome seeing projects that you have undertaken independently outside of the school curriculum.  
  • Please do not include QR codes in your uploads, there will be the option of providing links to moving image works. 

Information for applicants to year 2 entry:

Year 2 applications should take all the above points relating to year 1 entry into account, but we expect to see greater depth (and potentially breadth) of examples of your work and research. This is reflective of our expectations of how students studying with us will develop across their first year and enter their second year.  

  • Visual Research and Enquiry – here we expect that you will be articulating a clearer link between what you are looking at and how it is informing the ways you make art. This means demonstrating greater coherence between the visual material and influences you are researching and what you are making. In particular, we want to see how you are engaging with contemporary fine art practices of making and how this informs the way you are developing your own understanding of the subject. 

  • Idea Development – For a YR2 entrant, this means demonstrating that your ideas have begun to develop from responding to set briefs from teachers and tutors into independently identified projects that you have defined and developed in consideration of the ideas involved and their relationships to the media you are working with. We are also hoping to see that you have engaged with current themes and concerns within contemporary fine art practices during this process. 

  • Selection and Resolution – We are looking at how you resolve and cohere ideas and experiments into artworks. This means not only showing a range of developments but identifying which are successful and trying to articulate why. This doesn’t always mean only presenting completely resolved examples of your work, but it does mean demonstrating you can critically identify the potential for the development of specific processes and subject matter within your work. 

  • Contextual Awareness – when applying to enter the second year we expect to see you demonstrate that you have an awareness of, and are developing an understanding of, the ideas, theories and histories of contemporary art. The best way to develop this is through visiting exhibitions at reflecting on the subjects they are about. We’re interested in seeing how this type of research helps you develop your ideas about your own work, both in terms of how you make it but also what you make art about and how this relates to the broader discussions within and about contemporary fine art. 

Key Tips   

  • Include diverse references: Avoid only referencing only famous artists where possible; explore and reference a range of global artists. Remember, there are lots of portfolios, and students can often outline very similar inspirations—try to be unique in this aspect.   

  • Variety of work: Include examples of sketchbook pages, visual research, and experimental pieces and works in progress, not just final artworks. 

  • Early planning: Plan your portfolio’s layout and narrative to communicate your work and its development cohesively.   

  • Clear communication:  A picture may be worth a thousand words but remember that annotations/captions can also communicate elements of your ideas and process which may not be obvious in an image. Try to clearly communicate to the viewer what the work is and how it relates to your research and development. 

  • Stand out: Make sure we get a sense of who you are and what you are interested in. We see a lot of portfolios that evidence an applicant’s engagement with a national curriculum of subjects but try to go beyond this to accentuate what you have developed independently. 

(updated on 24/10/2025 to include information for year 2 entry)

MA (Hons) Fine Art

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    

General Advice 

For your application to Art at Edinburgh College of Art, we are interested in seeing portfolios that demonstrate engagement and a personal response to the world around you. 

We require a presentation of 20 slides (a slide could contain more than one image) that shows your enthusiasm for the subject and the art world.

We recommend that you include slides that fall into the four assessment criteria below.

Assessment Criteria 

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry 

    These slides should demonstrate your investigations into your chosen subject matter. This could include images of sketchbooks and notebooks, photographs, drawings, and found visual material (both physical and digital).
     

    Visual research should relate to your own interests and could come from a huge range of sources e.g. the built environment, the natural world, social situations, journeys, mapping, science, music, collecting and other individual activities. 

  2. Idea Development - Practical Explorations 

    The slides in this category should evidence experiments when developing ideas. Images could include the use of various media, materials, and processes, and demonstrate the progression to making resolved work.

    This could include various drawing, 3d, textile and printmaking materials and processes, moving  image clips, maquettes, models, and collage, for example.

  3. Selection and Resolution - Resolved Work

    Please include some slides of your resolved work. This can include images of single works, installations of multiple works, stills from moving image, documentation of performances, 

    Resolved works could include video, sculpture, painting, performance, photography, projections and sound, for example. We welcome all approaches to making art.

  4. Contextual Awareness - Awareness of Contemporary Art 

    What was the last art exhibition you visited?  What artists have you looked at? Are there practitioners from other fields that you have found influential? Please include some images and notes that show your interest in the art world and try to include artists that are relevant to the work you have made.

    Your awareness of contemporary art might come from exhibitions you have seen locally or travelled to, from art books and other art publications. We are looking for a genuine engagement with galleries, artists and exhibitions.  Internet searches can also be useful. Artist's talks, interviews and online exhibition tours are widely available online through reputable galleries.

General advice to consider:

  • Each image you upload is a slide that can include multiple forms of photo, picture and/or documentation. Try to make use of this by striking a balance of including more than one image per slide (where relevant) but also be aware that we are reviewing your submissions digitally so try not to overburden each slide with too many pictures, photos and/or text as this can make the work and your intentions less clear to assessors. 
  • Upload good images of your work. Please make sure they are in focus, appropriately lit and at an appropriate resolution. 
  • There is no need to include long explanations of processes. Instead, annotate images succinctly with text that adds information which may not be obvious in the image itself. 
  • Please do not feel it is essential to include life drawing. 
  • We appreciate that many applicants will be applying straight from school. We warmly welcome seeing projects that you have undertaken independently outside of the school curriculum.  
  • Please do not include QR codes in your uploads, there will be the option of providing links to moving image works. 

 

BA (Hons) Graphic Design

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    

The content of a portfolio varies enormously, and no two portfolios will be the same. Choose to include the work you are proud of, no need to pad out your portfolio with work you’re not happy with. We are used to reviewing portfolios that contain a variety of work, not necessarily within the discipline of Graphic Design so don’t let that discourage you. 

Assessment Criteria 

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry  

    Typically visual enquiry is recorded in analogue or digital sketchbooks/worksheets and so forth. 

  2. Idea Development  

    A breadth of initial idea generation and trials with processes and materials. Essentially, we want to see the journey of your idea, the experiments you undertake and the prototypes you create. 

  3. Selection and Resolution 

    Crafted and detailed conclusions which are clearly communicated. 

  4. Contextual Awareness 

    Focus on the subject of graphic design, for instance, which designer has influenced you most; what is your favourite piece of professional design work; your awareness of historical and contemporary design styles; objects; events etc. 

A strong portfolio is likely to display the following: 

  • Evidence of concepts and problem-solving. 
  • Experimentation with materials and how ideas develop into resolved pieces. 
  • Typographic skills. 
  • 2D and 3D skills. 
  • A broad range of projects undertaken with a variety of outputs not just one idea, technique or theme. 
  • Above all, while drawing and digital skills are desirable, assessors are looking to see ideas. Ideas should be evident at the centre of any work presented. 

In addition to the above applicants for entry into Year 2 should display:

  • Evidence of more lateral thinking. 
  • Experimentation and risk-taking. 
  • Graphic application, i.e. use skills with typography and a larger volume of text, leading to compositions. 
  • Ideally some work on a client or more commercial brief. 

Things to think about: 

  • Do you know what a graphic designer does? Do you understand the programme you are applying to? Do your research and be sure it’s the right specialism for you. This will help when deciding what kind of work to put in your portfolio. 
  • You are a unique individual – utilise this to make a strong lasting impression. 
  • If you feel your portfolio is light and you need more or different types of work then look for other projects such as competitions or client-led briefs. 
  • If you have one project that spans the different categories of Visual Research, Idea Development, Resolution and Contextual Awareness they should be titled as such and have the same layout or aesthetic so it’s easier for the reviewer to understand they are all part of the same body of work. 
  • You may wish to place some of your work in context where relevant.  
  • You may wish to highlight a detail or a specific feature of your work. 
  • Be mindful that too many images on one page make the details difficult to see. 
  • Ensure the images are the right way around and in focus. 
  • Each image should be accompanied by a small amount of text, and applicants are strongly encouraged to make use of this opportunity. You should avoid including titles or descriptions of the work and instead explain the ideas behind the work, the challenge undertaken, perhaps the collaboration that took place, a new process you tried, the risk you took or any other significant factors. 
  • Focus on the ideas, we are looking for creative thinkers. 

BA (Hons) Illustration

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    

As part of your application, you are required to submit a portfolio as evidence of your artistic ability and potential. You should begin to plan your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.

Assessors are not necessarily expecting a showcase of final work, but rather an indication of work in progress showing how you approach an idea or subject and develop the work from initial thought, through experimentation and enquiry, to resolved work.

Assessment

Portfolios are assessed by a team of academic staff who are particularly interested in how you research and develop ideas visually and how you engage with your chosen discipline. This is broken down into four main areas of assessment, briefly summarised as follows:

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry shows the level of your engagement in intelligent, structured visual enquiry and how well you communicate this.
  2. Idea Development shows your ability to appropriately explore and develop ideas, and your level of skills in the use of materials or techniques.
  3. Selection and Resolution shows how well you judge which ideas have the most appropriate potential and your ability to bring them to a level of completion appropriate to your intended outcome.
  4. Contextual Awareness shows the extent of your knowledge of the subject you have applied for and how your work relates to it.

How the content of a portfolio provides evidence for the above categories will vary enormously depending on the person and the subject being applied to, and no two portfolios will be the same.

Planning and presentation

Assessors are interested in how you have decided to put your portfolio together. This means that your portfolio should be carefully planned and well presented.

Assessors will be judging your ability to edit your work, so be selective and strategic in your choice of material.

Aim to show a clear narrative or sense of the themes in your work, as well as the connections between the pieces.

If you have lots of high-quality work, include it. It can show that you have talent in breadth and are hardworking and committed. If you haven’t, select your best: these key gems can show us that you know what you are good at, and how to show it. There is no need to pad out your portfolio with work you’re not happy with.

Each image can be accompanied by a small amount of text, and applicants are strongly encouraged to make use of this opportunity. You should avoid including titles or descriptions of the work and instead explain the ideas behind the work, the challenge undertaken or any other significant factors.

It may also be useful to explain why you have included the image in its particular category (development work, resolved work or influences). Consideration should also be given to the graphical layout of the portfolio. Remember that assessors will be looking at your work on a screen so the digital image you present to them is what they assess, so be aware of the quality of photographs and scans. It is worth the time and effort to make your work look as good as possible.

The images demonstrating your influences may be images of work or objects which have inspired or influenced your work e.g. people working in the same medium or for the same audience, now or in the past; people interested in the same subject or theme, now or in the past; natural or man-made phenomena, objects, places or events which have inspired or provoked a response.

A strong portfolio is likely to display the following:

  • Playful explorative drawing/artwork
  • Time spent on experimentation and development of images and use of a variety of materials
  • A range of ways of documenting the world and your personal and local experience of it
  • Ideas explored and visually presented about both important and playful subject matter
  • Some applied work showing your interest and understanding of illustration
  • Clear and careful layout of each page with multiple images per page and short text annotations guiding through the projects and ideas demonstrating research, development, influence and final work.

Be careful about including too much derivative work, such as:

  • Manga characters and comics 
  • Gothic darkness and melodrama
  • Detailed portraiture from photos
  • Slick digital work 

We recommend developing personal projects or including some:

  • Playful observational work; experimenting with quick, slow, abstract, detailed and gestural approaches in a variety of drawings with a focus on different elements like composition, mark, tone and colour.
  • Applying work to a context; based on a story, song, poem or book you have found, experiment with different imagery and ways of interpreting and representing the subject matter.
  • Experimentation with different materials and styles; consider using influences of contemporary and historic illustrators and artist's work to respond to. In drawings, combine and play with the methods of how you make your work using your own subject matter.

BA (Hons) Interior Design

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    

Assessors are interested in how you have decided to put your portfolio together so your portfolio should be carefully planned and well presented. You may wish to create a template to present a neat graphical layout. Choose an appropriate typeface and size for your template. Add a brief line of text to each page, describing what the page shows and why you have included it. This is a key opportunity for you to include a description of your work, interests and ideas. 

Assessors will be judging your ability to edit work, so be selective and strategic within your page allocations. Aim to show design ambition and outcomes but also your process. 

Take time to make your work look as good as possible by photographing and scanning it carefully. Check for contrast and legibility.  

When photographing any work consider the background carefully and ensure it is not distracting. Well-photographed sketchbook pages can really demonstrate your thinking! 

Please ensure you allow time for the technical aspects of your portfolio submission such as preparing a template, scanning any drawings and leave sufficient time for upload. 

Assessment Criteria 

Portfolios are assessed anonymously by staff within the Interior Design programme. We are looking at four key areas for success.

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry 

    What have you tried, tested and explored, and why? Have you used any interesting and creative materials/light/colour in your work? 

  2. Idea Development 

    Show a project that includes design iteration, each stage of your process, and tell us what changes you made and why.

  3. Selection and Resolution 

    Can you make appropriate design decisions? Show the final outcome of at least one design project (3D/spatial). Ensure it is not only resolved well but presented at its best. 

  4. Contextual Awareness 

    Show us what current themes interest you and who inspires you in the field of Design - Interior Designers /Architects, graphics, textiles, set, exhibition or furniture designers, films etc. 

Please try to include: 

  • A design project, either 3D or spatial, from beginning concept and research to end resolution. 
  • A project that engages with people, other than yourself, and communicates the environment and atmosphere you have created to suit their needs. 
  • Hand drawings of spaces and places, preferably drawn in situ, in a variety of environments in colour and/or black/white. e.g. café, gallery, library.
  • Include photographs of any paper models/maquettes/material studies that consider texture/colour/light/spatial options and/or idea development. Show us that you have explored the unfamiliar! 
  • Finally, provide a page with your design and designer influences and some notes on your selections noting why you chose them. This is your opportunity to show what research you have carried out on the discipline. Have you read any books, visited any sites etc. 
  • Strong portfolios refer to key design movements, designers/architects, and/or current important design agendas in the 20th/21st centuries, citing their impact on the field. 

Information for applicants for Year 2 entry: 

Year 2 applicants should take all the above points relating to Year 1 entry into account, but we would expect to see greater emphasis within the portfolio on completed Interior Design projects.  

  • Applications are expected to have a foundation in orthographic drawing, (so please include evidence of technical drawings such as scaled plans, elevations, and sections). 
  • Portfolios should include photographs of physical modelmaking.
  • Material studies, colour investigation, and CAD work can be advantageous (but not imperative as CAD is a core course in Year 2) 
  • Contextual research into the discipline is vital to show an understanding of the field 

Please note we do accept applications into Year 3. Portfolios submitted for Year 3 entry will be judged for Year 2. 

BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    

Applicants will be asked to submit a digital portfolio to provide evidence of artistic aptitude and potential, this will form an important part of the selection process. You should begin to plan your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.

We are looking for individual creative potential. We want to see your unique perspective on what inspires you alongside drawing in all forms and your ability to translate ideas through a design process and/or 3D sketches into a more resolved 3D piece of work.  This can be in any material.  

We would prefer you not to include images of basic soldering/metal work etc. as this will be taught on the programme.  We are most interested in understanding your creative potential, and your creative process.

Alongside the digital portfolio, please include a film of you leafing through a sketchbook and drawings so we can get a better idea of your creative process.

Your portfolio will be reviewed in the following areas of criteria: 

  1. Enquiry and Visual Research 

    What have you looked at? 

    How have you examined your chosen subjects and why? 

  2. Idea Development and Material/Technical Exploration  

    What materials, ideas and techniques have you experimented with and how? 

  3. Critical Judgement. Selection and Resolution 

    Can you demonstrate an ability to self-edit and curate a coherent selection of works for this portfolio?

  4. Contextual/Professional Awareness 

    What kinds of philosophical and professional awareness does your portfolio communicate to the assessors?

Information for Year 2 Direct entrants:

Along with the recommendations made above relating to Year 1 entry portfolios, we would expect Year 2 direct entry applicants to demonstrate:

  • A solid foundational knowledge of gathering and generating visual research through drawing, photography, collage etc.  The use of a variety of materials and methods should be demonstrated along with observed drawn studies.
  • The ability to develop self-generated visual research through an iterative design process from 2D to 3D using any model-making materials. 
  • A resolved idea/finished prototype made in any materials.
  • A keen interest in bodily adornment and crafted objects.  Applicants should include examples of Artists and Designers who influence their practice.

Year 2 direct entry students do NOT need to include imagery of basic silver soldering and technical exercises using precious or base metals.  These skills will be taught in the programme.  

At this stage, we want to see evidence of your creative potential and abilities in generating and developing visual research.

(updated on 21/10/2024 to include information for Year 2 entrants)

BA (Hons) Performance Costume

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    
 

In your portfolio for entry in to Year 1, we are looking for:

  • Strong drawing in a range of media and materials. This might include costume drawings, life drawings and evidence of an experimental and individual drawing style.  
  • Strong and engaging research with a range of primary and secondary sources as well as historical and contemporary research.  
  • Any art and design work across disciplines that expresses and reflects the applicant’s strengths, interests, uniqueness and personality.   
  • Evidence of an interest in the arts and theatre, film, opera, dance etc. This might include involvement with school plays, amateur groups and knowledge of historical and contemporary costume designers.  
  • Examples of an interest in textiles and surface decoration.  
  • Examples of costume design for characters, which are often evidenced in a personal project designing for a play, film, opera or dance.  
  • Evidence of interest in manual skills e.g. sewing, millinery, textiles, models, puppets etc. (We do not expect applicants to have pattern-cutting skills before they are accepted onto our programme)   
  • Evidence of creative thinking through design development and experimentation with materials.  

 Top tips: 

  • Include a variety of work – sketchbook, research and experimentation. 2D and 3D. 
  • Annotate your slides so they clearly explain your ideas and what is your own work, as opposed to inspirational images. 
  • Consider the layout of your portfolio. Don’t overcrowd the pages. 
  • Let your creativity shine and try to stand out from the crowd. 

For entry to year 2:

Applicants should take into account all the above points relating to year 1 entry but also include a more focussed emphasis within their portfolio towards the discipline of Performance Costume. 

The portfolio should include the student’s research interests and creative outputs and be personal to each individual student. 

Portfolios should consist of the student’s strongest work, this can be from a range of different projects using a variety of media. 

We are looking to see the applicant’s interest in costume in all its many forms and related exploration outside the discipline evidencing a strong sense of their personal identity. 

(updated on 11/10/2024 to include information for Year 2 entry)

BA (Hons) Product Design

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.    


As part of your application, you are required to submit a portfolio as evidence of your artistic ability and potential. You should begin to plan your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.

Assessors are not necessarily expecting a showcase of final work, but rather an indication of work in progress showing how you approach an idea or subject and develop the work from initial thought, through experimentation and enquiry, to resolved work.

In these short guides, you will find details of what we are looking for and how your work will be assessed. You will also find some general tips on how to plan and present your work and what makes a strong portfolio in different subject areas.

Assessment

Portfolios are assessed by a team of academic staff who are particularly interested in how you research and develop ideas visually and how you engage with your chosen discipline. This is broken down into four main areas of assessment, briefly summarised as follows:

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry shows the level of your engagement in intelligent, structured visual enquiry and how well you communicate this.
  2. Idea Development shows your ability to appropriately explore and develop ideas, and your level of skills in the use of materials or techniques.
  3. Selection and Resolution shows how well you judge which ideas have the most appropriate potential and your ability to bring them to a level of completion appropriate to your intended outcome.
  4. Contextual Awareness shows the extent of your knowledge of the subject you have applied for and how your work relates to it.

How the content of a portfolio provides evidence for the above categories will vary enormously depending on the person and the subject being applied to, and no two portfolios will be the same.

Planning and presentation

Assessors are interested in how you have decided to put your portfolio together. This means that your portfolio should be carefully planned and well presented.

Assessors will be judging your ability to edit your work, so be selective and strategic in your choice of material.

Aim to show a clear narrative or sense of the themes in your work, as well as the connections between the pieces.

If you have lots of high-quality work, include it. It can show that you have talent in breadth and are hardworking and committed. If you haven’t, select your best: these key gems can show us that you know what you are good at, and how to show it. There is no need to pad out your portfolio with work you’re not happy with.

Each image can be accompanied by a small amount of text, and applicants are strongly encouraged to make use of this opportunity. You should avoid including titles or descriptions of the work and instead explain the ideas behind the work, the challenge undertaken or any other significant factors.

It may also be useful to explain why you have included the image in its particular category (development work, resolved work or influences). Consideration should also be given to the graphical layout of the portfolio. Remember that assessors will be looking at your work on a screen so the digital image you present to them is what they assess, so be aware of the quality of photographs and scans. It is worth the time and effort to make your work look as good as possible.

The images demonstrating your influences may be images of work or objects which have inspired or influenced your work e.g. people working in the same medium or for the same audience, now or in the past; people interested in the same subject or theme, now or in the past; natural or man-made phenomena, objects, places or events which have inspired or provoked a response.

A strong portfolio is likely to display the following:

  • Evidence of explorations through media that demonstrate strong drawing and image-making skills.
  • Evidence of making. Some level of prototyping, and modelling through diverse media, with evidence of experimentation.
  • Design process: demonstration of iterative thinking and designing including sketchbooks. Individual creativity in response to mundane briefs. Demonstration of personal interests.
  • Research sensibility. An indication that applicants look beyond their own imagination for inspiration – images of people in their work, of things in the world, photographic studies, sketches, stories, cinema and wider culture.

Information for applicants to year 2 entry:

Year 2 applications should take all the above points relating to year 1 entry into account, but we would expect to see greater emphasis within the portfolio on completed Product Design projects.  

  • Applications are expected to have foundation skills in design drawing, underpinned by orthographic drawing, an understanding of perspective, and sketching for communication of use and assembly
  • Portfolios should include photographs of physical prototypes of objects developed through an iterative process; photographs of objects in use and in context would be appropriate
  • Contextual research into the discipline is vital to show an understanding of the field, we want to see your interest in the discipline evidenced through your work, and the observation and critical selection of the work of others

(updated 21/10/2024 to include information for applicants to year 2 entry) 

BA (Hons) Textiles

The portfolio guidance listed below is for 2025 entry.   

As part of your application, you are required to submit a portfolio as evidence of your artistic ability and potential. You should begin to plan your portfolio as soon as you decide to apply.

Assessors are not necessarily expecting a showcase of final work, but rather an indication of work in progress showing how you approach an idea or subject and develop the work from initial thought, through experimentation and enquiry, to resolved work.

Assessment

Portfolios are assessed by a team of academic staff who are particularly interested in how you research and develop ideas visually and how you engage with your chosen discipline. This is broken down into four main areas of assessment, briefly summarised as follows:

  1. Visual Research and Enquiry shows the level of your engagement in intelligent, structured visual enquiry and how well you communicate this.
  2. Idea Development shows your ability to appropriately explore and develop ideas, and your level of skills in the use of materials or techniques.
  3. Selection and Resolution shows how well you judge which ideas have the most appropriate potential and your ability to bring them to a level of completion appropriate to your intended outcome.
  4. Contextual Awareness shows the extent of your knowledge of the subject you have applied for and how your work relates to it.

How the content of a portfolio provides evidence for the above categories will vary enormously depending on the person and the subject being applied to, and no two portfolios will be the same.

Planning and presentation

Assessors are interested in how you have decided to put your portfolio together. This means that your portfolio should be carefully planned and well presented.

Assessors will be judging your ability to edit your work, so be selective and strategic in your choice of material.

Aim to show a clear narrative or sense of the themes in your work, as well as the connections between the pieces.

If you have lots of high-quality work, include it. It can show that you have talent in breadth and are hardworking and committed. If you haven’t, select your best: these key gems can show us that you know what you are good at, and how to show it. There is no need to pad out your portfolio with work you’re not happy with.

Each image can be accompanied by a small amount of text, and applicants are strongly encouraged to make use of this opportunity. You should avoid including titles or descriptions of the work and instead explain the ideas behind the work, the challenge undertaken or any other significant factors.

It may also be useful to explain why you have included the image in its particular category (development work, resolved work or influences). Consideration should also be given to the graphical layout of the portfolio. Remember that assessors will be looking at your work on a screen so the digital image you present to them is what they assess, so be aware of the quality of photographs and scans. It is worth the time and effort to make your work look as good as possible.

The images demonstrating your influences may be images of work or objects which have inspired or influenced your work e.g. people working in the same medium or for the same audience, now or in the past; people interested in the same subject or theme, now or in the past; natural or man-made phenomena, objects, places or events which have inspired or provoked a response.

A strong portfolio is likely to display the following:

  • Well-developed, relevant and original work.
  • Evidence of personal enquiry and direction.
  • Some consistency of thought or theme.
  • Commitment to the study of textiles.
  • Some personal and/or independent work.
  • Strong drawing skills.

Information for applicants to year 2 entry:

Year 2 applications should take all the above points relating to Year 1 entry into account, but we would expect to see greater emphasis within the portfolio on Textiles-focused projects and exploration.  

  • Strong foundational drawing, observational and visual skills are required to be evidenced
  • Work should look to demonstrate some aspects of textiles techniques exploration
  • Portfolios should evidence some developed project work from initiation through to resolution 
  • Engagement with material qualities, colour use, and any experience of CAD can be beneficial to include
  • Contextual research into the discipline should be evidenced to indicate your engagement with the work of textile practitioners, makers and/or textiles applications

(updated on 24/10/2024 to include information for year 2 entry)