Well i was out around Folkestone, Kent today as me and my boyfriend have came down to Lydd for an Easter break and my phone notified me of an email, and it was from Northumbria offering me an interview!!!!!
To say i am excited is an understatement, yes i know i have applied for Creative Practice for 3rd year but if i was able to get a place with Northumbria Uni it would mean that i would gain more experience in the Interior side of the industry.
I have been looking at Northumbria's website to get some tips on what i should include in my portfolio and how to stay calm in the interview. This is what i found.....
Good Portfolio Guide
When it comes to portfolios we cannot give you a set of prescriptive rules to follow or a neatly presented recipe for success. With applicant portfolios each portfolio is as varied as the individual who creates it. We can however, share with you some of the key ingredients we always look for and explain why.
| DO's | DONT'S |
| Show us you can draw | Just fill your portfolio with endless ‘still lifes’. Certainly show off your drawing skills but also include abstract images, graphics and photography. Try to relate your drawings to ready made imagery |
| Feature a variety of media and subject matter | Be a ‘one trick pony’ - show us the breadth of your experience and expertise |
| Express yourself – this is your chance to sell yourself and your design perspective | Show us what you think we want to see |
| Continuously record your ideas, observations, research, preliminary sketches and written notes | Leave your sketch book at home |
| Celebrate your creativity – show us how you’ve explored and experimented with colour, texture and form | Be too literal or restrained |
| Show us how a person, place or object can inspire you to create something new | Just provide unexplained images or photographs of people, places or objects |
| Tell us a story. Show us how your ideas evolved; include your initial sketches and concept development work | Just show us the outcome or end product |
| Demonstrate your interest in Design. Include images of historical or contemporary designers you admire or exhibitions you have visited and how that has impacted your work | Hide your enthusiasm and the motivation behind your work |
| Be selective. Think about what you include in your portfolio and be ready to explain why it’s there | Fill your portfolio to overflowing with unedited work |
| Indicate the running time of any time-based media that you’ve included | Include any films that run more than a few minutes |
| Include work that reflects the course you’re applying for | Include all the projects you’ve worked on |
| Be practical – where appropriate, photograph your finished 3D or large scale work | Try to transport over-sized 3D models or bring suitcases full of work with you |
| Remember presentation is important, so consider how you put your portfolio together. Think about using plastic sheets, creating a ‘book’ but keep it simple –you don’t want to distract from your work | Pull it together at the last minute and leave loose pieces of work inserted in the pages |
| Talk through your portfolio with your teacher or tutor | Be afraid to ask for some advice |
| Plan your portfolio presentation; start with something that will make us go ‘Wow!’ Then finish with something that will help us to remember you | Bury the good stuff |
| Bring examples of your current course-work and or design-related projects done out of the classroom | Don’t come empty handed – if course-work is being sent away for assessment, make copies of it so that we can see it |
Interview Tips
Going for an interview, whatever the reason, can be daunting. So to help you prepare we’ve put together a few tips and hints that might help you on the day.
Try Before You Apply
Choosing a University is a big decision so it makes sense to visit a range of different institutions before you make your final choices. Open Days are an ideal way to get a real feel for a place. We run Open Days in October and June, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to check us out.
Make Sure You Know How to Get Here
This is not the time to get lost on route so for interviews in Newcastle. Click here for directions to the school.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
The last thing you want on the day of your interview is to arrive hot and bothered. Also, if you are travelling with friends or family, make some time for yourself before your interview. It will help you stay focused and may give you a chance to chat to other candidates
Try to Relax
The interview is not meant to be an ordeal – just a chance for us to learn a bit more about you and for you to find out more about us.
Think Ahead
Be ready to tell us;
- why you’ve applied to Northumbria School of Design in particular
- what it is about our course that appeals to you above all others
- who and what inspires you
- what your aspirations are – where you want to be in 10 years time
- what you have done that demonstrates your commitment
Be Prepared to Talk Through Your Portfolio
Don’t get hung up about whether each piece is good enough, we’re much more interested in what inspired you, the research you undertook and your creative thought process than whether you’ve got perfect technique.
Tell Us About Yourself
Talent alone doesn’t guarantee success – it takes motivation, initiative, drive and sheer hard work. Show us you’ve got what it takes. Give us some evidence of work or projects you’ve been involved in that demonstrate these qualities. These examples don’t all have to be design related – they could be things you’ve done in your community or as part of a team.
Above All Come Prepared
Think carefully about what you want to ask us. Feel free to come equipped with a list of questions!
Why not do a dry run interview with your tutor, a friend or your parents? There’s nothing worse than sitting in an interview at a loss for words or tongue tied, so it pays to invest a bit of time practising.
I have also been asked to bring a Visual CV to show what interests and inspires me which i feel will be fun to make, this is what the Visual CV entails...
What is a Visual CV?
It is a creative personal profile made up of images that you feel communicate who you are, what inspires you and what you are most interested in particularly in the areas of culture, design and the wider world. The purpose of the visual CV is to help us to find out more about you and to allow you the opportunity to express your creativity. This is not about your favourite designer, though we do want to know what areas of design interest you. It is a Curriculum Vitae in a visual form that explains who you are. Think about, your favourite novel, film, band and current affairs that have affected you.
Use imagery from newspapers or magazines, photographs, original artwork etc. Add headlines or key word - anything that you feel communicates your message.
It is important to think about your whole presentation including layout, your visual CV should be presented on an A3 board.
Well thats all about interviews i will leave it at this, until my next post all about inspiring fabrics.
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