Your portfolio is your opportunity to show us who you are as a creative thinker — what inspires you, how you develop ideas and the type of work that excites you. Whether you’re still exploring your direction or already have a clear favourite medium, we want to see your creativity in action.
What to include
A great portfolio doesn’t need to be perfect or fully polished. What matters most is that it reflects your creative journey. You can include:
- finished pieces that demonstrate your developing skills
- work in progress, concepts, sketches or experiments
- sketchbooks, notes, process work or visual research
- digital projects, models, prototypes or photographs
- anything else that shows how you explore ideas, materials or tools.
We’re as interested in how you think as we are in the final outcome. Your curiosity, energy and approach to problem-solving are just as important as technical ability.
How to present your work
- Use clear photographs, scans or digital exports so we can see the detail
- Feel free to add short captions to explain your thinking or development
- Show a variety of work if you can — this gives us a fuller sense of your creativity
- Don’t worry if everything isn’t resolved yet; we value potential and progression
Your portfolio doesn’t need to follow a strict format. Think of it as a creative story of what you’ve been exploring so far.
Applying early? No problem.
Many students apply early in the year, before their latest work is complete. That’s absolutely fine. You’re welcome to include:
- early-stage ideas or drafts
- pieces from previous projects
- experimental work
- anything that demonstrates your direction and interests.
We’re looking for your potential, not a finished final collection.
What happens next
Some art and design courses may invite you to join a creative review session once your application has been considered. This is a relaxed conversation where you can talk about your work, inspirations and ambitions.
To find out more about the review process, please see our guidance notes.
Read our guidance notes
