Portfolio advice

This advice page is for Architecture BA (Hons) and Graphic Design BA (Hons) applicants. For all other courses, please email artshumsadmissions@kent.ac.uk for further advice on portfolio requirements.

As part of your application to the University of Kent, you will be required to submit a portfolio to the Kent School of Architecture and Planning. A portfolio is a reflective document of who you are as a designer or artist, and the work you have already completed, which can include development work right through to completion of final projects.

The portfolio that you are required to submit as part of your application to the Kent School of Architecture and Planning will give us an understanding of your creative and presentation skills. As you will not be present to explain your portfolio to the admissions officer, your portfolio should be presented in a clear and coherent format. For example, the portfolio can be ordered chronologically or ordered according to types or styles of work.

We want to see a broad range of examples in your skills and talents, whilst not repeating examples of techniques and styles. We encourage work that demonstrates your understanding of three-dimensional form and your use of mixed media.

We receive applications from students from a variety of backgrounds, having studied a number of different subjects therefore we encourage you to select work that represents your strongest skills. This may include freehand drawings and sketches, paintings, ceramics, textiles, photography, animation etc.

We want you to use these skills to demonstrate your ability to observe, think and create. As part of your portfolio submission, we would like to see:

Observational skills: Can you record a scene realistically? Life drawing, still life drawing, urban/rural landscapes are all excellent examples of demonstrating observational drawing skills.

Artistic, conceptual and creative thinking: Can you demonstrate your design process from the beginning to end of a project?

We also like to see analyses of colour, form and space. Please note that it is essential to demonstrate an aptitude for freehand and/or observational drawing.

We are not interested in seeing portfolios that consist purely of design technology or 3D design work and such submissions may not necessarily meet our requirements.

We will request a portfolio from you once your application has come through to us, and if you apply before the UCAS January deadline, you will be given a three week window in which to submit your portfolio. Please upload your portfolio as a PDF document to the Kent Vision applicant portal. Please note, for uploads, the file size needs to be 5MB or under. If your file size is over 5MB, please email your portfolio to artshumsadmissions@kent.ac.uk.

Below are a few good examples of what we like to see in portfolio submissions.

This advice page is for Architecture BA (Hons) and Graphic Design BA (Hons) applicants. For all other courses, please email artshumsadmissions@kent.ac.uk for further advice on portfolio requirements.

As a Graphic Designer you get paid to have ideas. As part of your application to the University of Kent, you are required to submit a portfolio as evidence of your artistic ability and potential to present your ideas visually.

Take time to plan this from the moment you decide to apply. Assessors at the University are expecting 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. We do not expect to see professional outcomes at this level.

Below you will find details of what we are looking for and how your work will be assessed. You will also find tips on how to plan and present your work and what makes a strong Graphic Design portfolio.

Requirements

1. Development/sketchbook work – up to 10 images of your development/sketchbook work (minimum of 5 images)
2. Resolved/finished work – up to 10 images of your resolved work (minimum of 5 images)
3. Influences/context images – up to 5 images which demonstrate your influences (minimum of 2 images, see below for more detail)

Each image can have up to 100 characters, including spaces and punctuation, of supporting/explanatory text.

Influences/context Images

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, events which have inspired or provoked a response

Guidance

Assessors are interested in how you have decided to put your portfolio together; it should be carefully planned and well presented. They will also be judging your ability to edit your work, so be selective and strategic in your choice of material. If you have lots of high-quality work, include it to showcase your talent and commitment. 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. Resist the temptation to pad out your portfolio with mediocre work.

For entry to Year 1 Graphic Design a strong portfolio is likely to display the following:

• Evidence of ideas, concepts and problem-solving.
• Experimentation with materials and how ideas develop into more 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.

If you are applying to join Year 2, your portfolio should include:

• 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.

Each image can be accompanied by a small amount of text, and we encourage you to make use of this opportunity. Avoid including titles or describing the work and instead explain the ideas behind each piece, the challenge undertaken or any other significant factors. It may also be useful to explain why you have included the image in each 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. Poor quality photographs and bad scans of your work will not create a good impression. Take the time and care to make your work look as good as possible.

Portfolios are assessed by academic staff who are particularly interested in how you research and develop ideas in a visual way and how you engage with design. This is broken down into four main areas:

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 – no two portfolios will be the same.

As a Designer you get paid to have ideas. As part of your application to the University of Kent, you are required to submit a portfolio as evidence of your artistic ability and potential to present your ideas visually.

Take time to plan this from the moment you decide to apply. Assessors at the University are expecting 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. We do not expect to see professional outcomes at this level.

Assessors are interested in how you have decided to put your portfolio together; it should be carefully planned and well presented. They will also be judging your ability to edit your work, so be selective and strategic in your choice of material. If you have lots of high-quality work, include it to showcase your talent and commitment. 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. Resist the temptation to pad out your portfolio with mediocre work.

A strong portfolio is likely to display the following:

• Evidence of ideas, concepts and problem-solving
• Critical engagement with design ideas
• 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.

How we assess your portfolio

Portfolios are assessed by academic staff who are particularly interested in how you research and develop ideas in a visual way and how you engage with design. This is broken down into four main areas:

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 – no two portfolios will be the same.

We will request a portfolio from you once your application has come through to us, and if you apply before the UCAS January deadline, you will be given a three-week window in which to submit your portfolio. Please upload your portfolio as a PDF document to the Kent Vision applicant portal. Please note, for uploads, the file size needs to be 5MB or under. If your file size is over 5MB, please email your portfolio to artshumsadmissions@kent.ac.uk.

Please ensure you allow time for the technical aspects of portfolio submission. Take time to familiarise yourself with the submission portal once it opens in December (you’ll get a link to it after you apply via UCAS) and work out what you will need to do to prepare your images.

If you are an international student, visit our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country, including details of the International Foundation Programmes. Please note that international fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.

Please note that meeting the typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee that you will receive an offer.