Portfolio Guidelines

Your portfolio will be evaluated by an assessment committee, which is responsible for determining your readiness for the Bachelor of Design program. The committee looks for:

• Neat, well-organized presentation of pieces

• Creativity and versatility in a variety of mediums

• Attention to detail

Your statement of intent is considered an integral part of your portfolio. It will be assessed using these criteria:

• Your ability to express your ideas in writing

• Clear and thoughtful formatting/presentation

• No spelling or grammar errors

Your portfolio is a collection of original work that shows the assessment committee your creativity and reveals your design interests. You do not need to have prior training in design. We do not expect technical or artistic proficiency. We are examining your creativity and versatility in a variety of mediums, your ability to challenge yourself and your attention to detail — the hallmarks of a designer budding with potential.

Number of pieces

Choose 12 to 15 original pieces for your portfolio. Below are suggestions for the kind of work that can be submitted. There is no requirement for the number of pieces per category; however, we recommend that you demonstrate a range of capabilities in your portfolio by limiting the number of pieces within a category to three unique works. Please organize your work by category.

Image size

All images must be approximately 1200 pixels wide. If the image is under 1200 pixels, you’ll need to either find the original hi-res digital image or you’ll need to retake the image using a better camera that has a higher resolution output. Discover how to find the resolution of your digital image.

There are some good tutorials on youTube on how to photograph your artwork for point-and-shoot cameras or for digital SLR cameras. You can also use a flatbed scanner. We recommend that you do not use your cell phone to photograph your work as it will not produce the best results. Please make sure there are no shadows obscuring your artwork and that the image you submit is the best representation of your original artwork as possible. 
 

Categories

Please use the following category titles in the labels of your pieces.

Drawings

• Show your sensitivity to form and attention to detail

• Must be from direct observation (i.e., looking at an object and drawing it)

• Any medium, such as charcoal, ink, pencil, pastel or combined media

• Subjects may be simple objects, figures, portraits or self-portraits, room interiors, architecture, nature

• Use a variety of tools and techniques (line, texture, composition, light, perspective)

• Consider using different surfaces and papers

Paintings

• In any medium, such as acrylic, oil, encaustic, watercolours, canvas or gouache

• Subjects may be still life, landscapes, figures, portraits or self-portraits, abstracts

Photographs

• Show your sense of composition

• Black and white or colour

• Concentrate on framing, angle and light

• Subjects may be simple objects, figures in landscape, architecture, nature

Mixed media/collage

• Work with a range of materials and ideas (imagery, text, texture, paper, fabrics, etc.)

• Treat the collage as a design/art piece; not as a journal or scrapbook

Three-dimensional work

• Work with a range of materials to show your understanding of three-dimensional form and space, such as wood, clay, paper, fabric

• Submit good quality photos of these pieces

• Photograph the piece from several angles/views and put the photos into one document.

Design work

• Previously completed design projects, such as posters, brochures, CD packages, exhibits, websites, interactive work, videos

The Design Studies program has an emphasis on human-centred design and the interface between people and technology, which requires a strong understanding of human behaviour and technology. The following categories have been created to appeal to students that may not have an art/design background.

Social Science (Psychology, Sociology, Human Factors, Communication, etc.)

• Research poster or paper in social science focused on understanding humans (cognition, behaviour, emotion, culture, etc.)

Computing Science and Engineering

• Work may be structural, electrical, or computer engineering (computing science, coding) solutions to everyday problems. Work in this category must show some emphasis on solving human needs.

Do not include in the portfolio:

• Fantasy-style imagery — things that do not exist in reality, i.e., dragons, fairies, unicorns, mermaids, animé, etc.; cartoons or comic book illustrations

• Subject matter that is not suitable for an academic environment

• Hobbies and crafts, i.e., scrapbooking

• All pieces using the same technique, i.e., 10 photographs

• All pieces using the same subject, i.e., a series of drawings and paintings of the same person, still life, etc.

• Digital work that only adds some unmanipulated digital filters to a photograph or is a tracing of a scanned picture. Digital work must adhere to the above categories and demonstrate the principles described within that category.

Your statement of intent is an important part of the portfolio package. It tells us about you, your aspirations and goals and your commitment to pursuing a career in design. Clear and engaging written communication is an important tool for a visual communicator.

Answer these questions in your statement of intent, with no more than 150 words per answer:

• Why do you want to study design at MacEwan University?

• What personal attributes and interests do you possess that make you a suitable candidate for a career in design?

• What are your goals after graduation?