When you apply to study a Bachelor of Design or Bachelor of Arts (Visual Communication) with us you will need to submit a portfolio of your creative work. This gives you the opportunity to show us how you stand out from the crowd. We want to ensure that you will have the ability to excel in the course. Viewing your portfolio gives us some insight into your potential, originality and motivation.

What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of creative work that can be submitted in a variety of formats:

• paper
• CD/DVD
• website

You can include any type of work that you think best represents your creative talents. It’s best to include a range of work and this can be in any genre that you like:

• drawing
• painting
• sculpture
• photography
• video
• digital media
• anything else you can think of

We’re interested in seeing what you’ve been up to and what kinds of ideas you’ve generated. This will help us in assessing your aptitude for studying design.

What we want to see

A portfolio is not a test of design skills - we teach that. We like to see portfolios with original ideas. We understand that you want to come here to learn the skills necessary to become a designer, but we want to see that you already have a solid creative foundation. Therefore you should include 5-8 examples of the work you are most proud of, the work that you believe best shows your creative ability.

There are no rules about what should be included in a portfolio. Here are some examples of what you might like to include:

• Developmental items
• Completed pieces
• Work in different media
• Work that demonstrates a range of abilities
• Work that tells us something about yourself

How to display your portfolio

It is entirely up to you how to display your portfolio. It is a good idea to keep it neat and simple, as you do not want to distract from the pieces you are displaying.

How to submit your portfolio

Applying in Australia

When possible, we require all local applicants to come in for an interview. This is when you will submit your portfolio. You will generally take it with you after the interview, but if we need you to leave it with us, we will advise you when and how we will get it back to you. You should label everything with your name and contact details so that if you need to leave your work with us, it can be returned to you safely.

Applying from interstate or overseas

If you are unable to attend an interview in person to show your portfolio, you will need to send us your work either by post or electronically. You can send some photographs or a CD of your work. Please label everything clearly with your name and contact details so that it can be returned to you. You are also able to email your work to us or send us a URL of work you have online.

Discussing your portfolio

When interviewed, you can expect to be asked questions about the pieces of work in your portfolio. We are eager to hear about what inspired you to create your work, the themes that have emerged and the techniques you used. This is your chance show us how passionate you are about the work you have done and the area of design you wish to pursue.