Portfolios
All our accredited courses require a portfolio to be submitted as part of your application to study with us at West Dean. If you want to find out more about the application process, please visit our admissions page.
Interior design
The content of the portfolio will vary depending on the applicant’s background. The portfolio is reviewed holistically alongside the application, and we have received a broad range of work in the past.
Some of the things we look for:
- General design skills, including the graphic presentation of the portfolio
- Any sketching or drawing skills
- Any physical modelling
- Evidence of technical drawing (i.e. plan drawings, section drawings, and/or elevation drawings)
- Any digital renderings or visuals
- Plus, any relevant information that demonstrates creativity
If you do not come from an interior design, architecture, or other spatial design background, it would be worth thinking about your creative work and how it applies to interior design.
If your skills and experience are more in line with design and creative industries and you are not as confident in technical drawing, it might be worth having a look at one of our technical drawing short courses to help with your portfolio.
FdA Courses
There is no single layout or correct portfolio to aim for, it’s about showing us who you are and your passion for the subject, even if you haven’t studied it before.
Here are some things to consider when putting together your portfolio:
- Firstly, decide what projects you would like to include; it’s useful to see a variety of your works so that we have a greater idea of where your skills are.
- It’s great to see finished pieces, but progress photos and evidence of exploration and experimentation will show us your ability to develop an idea from concept and to challenge yourself.
- It is always good to include photos and videos of you working on the practical aspect so we can see your hand-skills.
- Show us who you are - we want to get to know your style, your inspirations and what your aspirations are.
- We’re happy to see work from previous courses, work experience and personal projects outside of education.
- If you have no prior experience related to the subject area, use your portfolio to show us what interests you about the subject.
You could choose to present your works and experiments in a portrait or landscape format, but it’s preferrable if you keep the format consistent throughout. When photographing your work or sketchbooks, try and do so in good natural light and against a plain background.
Try not to worry if you cannot provide a portfolio - the College will provide a practical exercise that can be completed remotely to assess mental agility and dexterity and suitability for the programme.
Fine Art and BA Art & Contemporary Craft
What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a curated collection of your work that highlights your creativity, personality and potential. It contains your ideas, skills and interests and should give an idea of past experience, present knowledge and future development. It should demonstrate your ability to explore different materials, themes, and techniques. We don’t only want to see finished work so include sketchbooks and journals to show us the journey in developing your creative practice.
What to include
The contents of a portfolio vary depending on your previous experience. There is no ‘standard’ portfolio, but we would encourage you to:
- Include a range of different type of work including drawing, sketching, painting, printmaking, sculpture, journals, sketchbooks
- Organise your work into a selection of 3-5 projects that demonstrate the creative process and show us how you think and develop your ideas
- Be prepared to speak about every image in your portfolio – your ideas, the materials and methods you used
Creating a digital portfolio
A digital portfolio is an online version of your physical one. This is what should be submitted when you apply and must be sent before you can be considered for interview. This usually means photographing or scanning physical work (e.g., sketchbooks, artwork, 3D models) and converting them into digital files.
Format
Your portfolio should be submitted as a PDF file and emailed to the admissions team [email protected] You can produce the portfolio in many different types of software. Typically, candidates will use one (or a combination) of the following:
- Canva
- Google Slides
- InDesign
- Photoshop
- PowerPoint
Length & structure
Aim for 10-15 slides/images. Think of each slide as equivalent to an A4 or A3 page. Multiple images can be placed on one page, but avoid clutter, if the layout is cramped, your work won’t be seen clearly.
Think about how your pages are laid out. It is a good idea to try to align things, for consistency and clarity. There are many online resources that you can find to help you with the basics of page layout.
FDAD/OFCAD/OFDAD
Up to 30 pieces of artwork produced through attending local classes, courses and self-directed/taught. Show the breadth of your creative experience.
Include preparatory work – sketchbooks such as experiments and samples with media, drawings for personal interests or designs for artwork.
Craft Practices
What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a curated collection of your work that highlights your making experience and skill, your interest in crafts practices as well as your creativity. It demonstrates your ability to focus in a workshop environment, how you problem solve and your manual dexterity skills. These are essential qualities you will need when studying Crafts Practices.
What to include
The contents will vary depending on your previous experience. There is no ‘standard’ portfolio, but we would encourage you to include:
- A range of images that show your skills relative to your chosen crafts practices specialism. For example if you are interested in studying Furniture or Musical Instruments try to show us your skills in wood working
- If you have no prior experience to the subject area, show us what interests you about the subject and any other works that demonstrates your creativity and fine motor skills
- Photographs or short video clips of you working so we can see your hand-skills
- Progress photos and evidence of exploration and experimentation. This shows us your ability to develop an idea from concept and to challenge yourself
Creating a digital portfolio
A digital portfolio is an online version of your physical one. This is what should be submitted when you apply and must be sent before you can be considered for interview. This may mean photographing or scanning physical work and converting them into digital files.
Format
Your portfolio should be submitted as a PDF file and emailed to the admissions team [email protected] You can produce the portfolio in many different types of software. Typically, candidates will use one (or a combination) of the following:
- Canva
- Google Slides
- InDesign
- Photoshop
- PowerPoint
Length & structure
Aim for 10–15 images. Think of each slide as equivalent to an A4 or A3 page. Multiple images can be placed on one page, but avoid clutter – if the layout is cramped, your work won’t be seen clearly.
Think about how your pages are laid out. It is a good idea to try to align things, for consistency and clarity. There are many online resources that you can find to help you with the basics of page layout.
What if I don’t have a portfolio?
We recognise that not everyone will have prior experience to demonstrate their skills. If you don’t have a portfolio, you can request to do the practical exercise that can be completed remotely. Full instructions are given at the time of sending. This exercise is designed to test your mental agility and manual dexterity and will be reviewed alongside your whole application.
Creative Writing
Graduate Diploma
Your portfolio should be a presentation of a sample of creative writing that you have completed within the last two years.
MA
Applicants should submit a portfolio consisting of 3000 words of prose fiction, demonstrating a commitment to writing. The portfolio should show evidence of current practical work and related development and an appropriate level of engagement with current debates in the publishing industry.
Conservation Studies
What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a curated collection of your work that highlights your conservation experience, skill, interest, as well as your creativity. It demonstrates your ability to focus within a workshop environment, how you problem solve and your manual dexterity skills – all essential qualities when you are studying Conservation Studies.
What to include
The contents will vary depending on your previous experience. There is no ‘standard’ portfolio, but we would encourage you to include:
- A range of images that show your skills relative to your chosen conservation specialism. For example if you are interested in Book conservation, show us your skills in Book Binding
- Photographs or short video clips of you working on your skill
- Projects you have completed within a making or conservation environment, ideally related to your chosen specialism
- If applying for the MA Conservation Studies, include treatment reports or similar that you have completed
- Any other work that highlights experience in cultural heritage
Creating a digital portfolio
A digital portfolio is an online version of your physical one. This is what should be submitted when you apply and must be sent before you can be considered for interview. This may mean photographing or scanning physical work and converting them into digital files.
Format
Your portfolio should be submitted as a PDF file and emailed to the admissions team [email protected] You can produce the portfolio in many different types of software. Typically, candidates will use one (or a combination) of the following:
- Canva
- Google Slides
- InDesign
- Photoshop
- PowerPoint
Length & structure
Aim for 10–15 images. Think of each slide as equivalent to an A4 or A3 page. Multiple images can be placed on one page, but avoid clutter – if the layout is cramped, your work won’t be seen clearly.
Think about how your pages are laid out. It is a good idea to try to align things, for consistency and clarity. There are many online resources that you can find to help you with the basics of page layout.
