Portfolio tips
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id take a mixture of all your work, anything that relates to the arts, but try and keep the portfolio diverse and only show your best work its quality not quantity but its best not to lug around anything larger than A2. Try and include a mixture of work in terms of the medium/materials used.... try and include photos and present them neatly with some kind of title that you can elaborate on.
In addition to all this try to print off an A5 or A4 booklet of your work including your CV on it- preferably get it thermally bound (very cheap to do) this is what you can leave with your interviewers and is always a cool thing to have to hand if you want to show someone in a compact form (for future interviewers & friends alike). This will hopefully be helpful in leaving a lasting impression on them so you dont get lost in the crowd.
Which uni/course do u have an interview for? -
Printing of a mini copy is a pretty cool idea, cheers.
I havent actually gotten an interview yet, although i got the impression form the open day talk that they interview nearly all of the candidates. This is at cambridge btw.
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Nice portfolio btw mateo, some pretty impressive stuff in there.
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I'm not an architect myself, but I did send a lot of A Level students that way, once upon a past life. I'd suggest getting out the 2B, 4B and watercolour box and working on a nice selection of hand-drawn concept and objective studies. Don't be too repetitive; one concept car design (or whatever) works just as well as half a dozen. Try and diversify. They are probably looking for more artistic flair and creativity...as opposed to technical prowess...than you imagine.
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Cheers alan, i got a similar impression form the admissions tutor, althohugh its always cool to hear it coming form someone as experienced as yourself.
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Remus
I just had a portfolio review on Thurs. and it went realy well. My suggestion is to keep it simple and to the point. Only use your best work, so you may need to be selective. I spent several months putting mine together. I started with a lot of images and pages, then narrowed it down over time. I dont have it on this computer but when I get home I wil post it for you to look at. I'd be happy to review and give comments on it so post stuff while your working on it.
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Also, How are you with Photoshop and Indesign? Those are some of the better programs to use for this type of work. Illistrator works weel too but I have never used it before.
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Remember creative universities are looking for students with creative potential and an open mind not students that are skilled but already set in their ways. Your porfolio should avoid mimicking the 'professional look'! Be free and experiment! Try things out that you are genuinely interested in and don't worry about if there is a going to be an employer at the end of the day. Since you are going to develop a set of technical skill while you are in Uni anyway. You only need to show what your best work however don't shy away from less polished work if they are tied to your own interests in any way. Show enthusiasm in your portfolio and think about whats important to you. Don't go chronological unless needed. If you have anything that is genuinely developed over a period of time and the process is deemed interesting then present the finished work FIRST, and work backwards. This makes your process more interesting and relavent in light of the final product. Anything that showcase your observational skills is also crucial!
btw I was at the Bartlett then UEL.
My 2 cents
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I think Chango70 is absolutely correct. Very good advice Chango!
Many schools require an essay and/or a portfolio. The vast majority of applicants will try to impress via their submissions that they are already 'designers'. They make the mistake of trying to sell what they (wrongly) assume the reviewers want to see. Namely, they will show images of buildings they have designed. The typical essays reads as ego-stroking crap.
You will stand out if you reach deep into yourself and are able to honestly explain what interests you about studying architecture. What they really want is for students to be challenged, experience joy and satisfaction, develop creative ways of thinking, and to have fun. They want students to have personality, excitement, enthusiasm - a spark!
Regards, Ross
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Sweet tips guys, cheers.
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Remus
Sorry I didn't post my portfolio I tried to last night but the file is too large and I'm going to be busy the rest of this week but When I get time I will post it here for you. When do you need to have it done by?
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September october, so not very long but ive got a good month where i havent got anything else to do, so hopefully i'll get a lot of it done by then.
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