For an individual aspiring to be a designer, a well-fabricated portfolio holds immense significance, serving to be a cornerstone for carving a successful design journey. A good student portfolio design gives the confidence to stand out by demonstrating versatility in ideas, catering to diverse challenges that may or may not be design-specific. The portfolio for design students is not only crucial for getting into top design schools, but it is a never-ending constant process of updating projects with every experience and adding new learnings, that promote the credibility in the professional life of a budding designer.
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Through this article, aspirants can get an idea of how to make a portfolio for design schools. Moreover, aspirants are provided with answers to some of the common queries on how to make a good portfolio for design.
The student portfolio design is a document talking of one’s conscious awareness of surroundings, the skill set that is contemporary to the need of the hour. In the earlier stages of aspirants' career, the portfolio plays a significant role in landing the D-schools of your preference. Portfolio for design students is a constant practice for career advancement showcasing growth and accomplishments. There is no strict guideline for crafting up portfolio design. However, in this article, we will be focusing on a bunch of healthy practices compiled in the form of Learnings from the experience of diverse stakeholders in industry and academia for more than a decade.
“It is not quantity but quality that matters”
The idea is to showcase your best that communicates your skill set but does not include everything. It is not only the drawings or sketches but also “Your thought process” Most critically, how you approach a given challenge or situation whether you are appearing for NID or NIFT or any good D-school doesn’t matter much. You can communicate your thought process through sketches or illustrations creatively. Secondly, your urge to reflect on challenges around you. Amongst all the most crucial thing is to be genuine and humble in your efforts, believe me, it pays.
“A strong Portfolio is like a good Restaurant, that serves varieties, but all equally good”
I have seen students repeating one common mistake where they assume the portfolio is only to showcase their sketching skills. Sketching is a medium in design to communicate unlike any other language, better the quality better the impression. But always try to include a variety of works in your portfolio, unlike a restaurant that serves a variety of things rather very good idli only on the menu. Try to include your classroom projects, your craft work, and even any good piece of literature like a poem or Shayari provided where to use and how to use is crucial.
“ Overcome the fear of not being extraordinary”
Sharing with experience of more than 06 years being part of the design community, and multiple professional experiences earlier.
Design is not for extraordinary people, rather it is for ordinary people with extraordinary efforts. What makes a design, or portfolio effective, are extraordinary efforts to communicate your idea very simply.
For example, a simple depiction of Pythagoras' Theorem to make it understandable even to class two students is a good piece of design that could make a strong portfolio. Only the crucial factor is looking at how a student would learn, which can be through digital or physical mediums.
“Be Organised”
When I say "organise," I don't only mean neatly arranging papers; I also mean assigning tasks a priority. I'm going to give you a cheat code: your second-best project should always be the best, but your best project should always be the second. Why? This would provide the ideal atmosphere for arousing people's curiosity. People are naturally intrigued when they look through your portfolio, but the final project may be purposefully left unfinished with a clear perspective plan. If done effectively, this could spark intriguing discussion among the jurors. Once more, this is merely a suggestion and not a rigid guideline that must be adhered to.
“ If a good design portfolio is like a good restaurant that serves variety, what should be on the menu? ”
The most crucial question by the time you might be seeking for all along this article, is what to and not to include in the article. What should be the chronology of the projects etc?
a) Good Opening Page (First Impression of a good Menu)
A good opening page is graphically attractive enough but to convey the idea about your skillset and understanding Of design at this level.
b) Second Page talks about you (The chef)
The second page should talk about you and depict you being full of energy and life facilitated by a good photograph of you (The chef). When talking about photographs one should avoid sincere passport size, rather a good mid-shot photo graph depicting you in an activity is an ideal click.
c) The third Page Onwards (Projects- The Recipes)
Ideally, we should keep between 05-08 different projects in our portfolio, the chronology of the portfolio should be as per the best and most relevant work.Sketching/Portraits Should not be more than 02-03 sheets, rather a better practice is to showcase the sketching as part of projects as a medium to communicate the thought process.
d) Overall Theme (Be Specific)
It is advised to include works more as per the opted domain, e.g. if someone has opted For Fashion design Particularly in Lifestyle Accessories, your portfolio should include more works around the same theme rather than including photography or product sketches.
Through this article, we tried taking you on the journey along with tips that would be immensely useful in crafting an impactful portfolio being a design aspirant. We have shared experiences and lessons that have worked for many. Additionally, whatever is shared here is the summation of years of collaboration with professionals from diverse design backgrounds.
Wishing you All the very best!
Hello aspirant,
A design undergraduate degree programme is called BDes. Numerous prestigious design schools in India offer four-year BDes programmes. The technical and practical aspects of design in a range of domains are covered in this course. It offers a variety of specialisations, including industrial design, fashion communication, product design, and fashion design.
To know the admission process you can visit our website by clicking on the link given below.
https://www.careers360.com/courses/b-des-bachelor-of-design
Thank you
Hope this information helps you.
Hello,
MIT Institutes of Design BDes Highlights 2024. Maharashtra Institute of Technology Institute of Design offers three years BDes programme across eleven specialisation. BDes is the flagship course of the Institution Candidates are required to appear in the MIT DAT to get into BDes programme.
Hope this helps you,
Thank you
https://www.careers360.com/colleges/manipal-institute-of-technology-manipal
Hey Krithika,
Yes, there is a negative marking of 0.25 for every wrong answer. So, make sure not to attempt any question you are not confident enough.
For detailed exam pattern (revised) you can visit : https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-exam-pattern
Hope this helps you.
All the best!
There isn't an official reason available publicly for why Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) doesn't offer a Bachelor of Design (B.Des) program. It could be due to various factors like:
AMU might prioritize other academic disciplines and not have the resources to establish a full-fledged design program.
There might not be enough student demand for a B.Des program to justify the investment in faculty and infrastructure.
AMU's Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc) program in Fashion Design & Garment Technology could be their way of catering to design aspirations while keeping resource allocation focused.
Diploma programs are known for their practical approach, equipping you with technical skills like pattern making, draping, and garment construction. These programs are often designed in collaboration with industry experts, ensuring the curriculum reflects current design trends and industry needs.
https://design.careers360.com/download/ebooks/know-all-about-fashion-design
I hope it helps!
Hello,
Designing is a growing course in today's worlds. With the speedy growth in Fashion industry, the need for good designers has increased.
The courses available in B.Des in NID are:
1) Animation Film Design
2) Film & Video Communication
3) Product Design
4) Exhibition Design
5) Ceramic & Glass Design
6) Textile and Interior Design
7) Textile Design
8) Graphic Design
I hope this helps,
All the best.
Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.
Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.
An animation career is one of the most interesting career options in the creative field. The primary job of careers in animation is to create multiple images, known as frames, that results in an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in a quick sequence. Students should pursue Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Visual Arts to opt for an animator career path. Individuals who opt for a career as an animator typically specialize in one of the media and may further concentrate on a specific area, such as characters, scenery, or background design. Animators typically use computer software to do such work.
Individuals who opt for a career as product designers are responsible for designing the components and overall product concerning its shape, size, and material used in manufacturing. They are responsible for the aesthetic appearance of the product. A product designer uses his or her creative skills to give a product its final outlook and ensures the functionality of the design.
Students can opt for various product design degrees such as B.Des and M.Des to become product designers. Industrial product designer prepares 3D models of designs for approval and discusses them with clients and other colleagues. Individuals who opt for a career as a product designer estimate the total cost involved in designing.
The concepts for manufactured products such as cars, home appliances, electronics and toys are developed by industrial designers. They combine art, business and technology to produce daily goods that people need. Individuals who opt for a career as Industrial Designers operate in a number of industries. Ironically, manufacturers employ only 29 per cent of industrial designers directly. Students can pursue Visual Communication to become Industrial Designer.
A visual merchandiser is a professional who makes it look astonishing by utilising his or her designing skills. Visual merchandising contributes to awareness and brand loyalty among consumers. An individual, in visual merchandising career outlook, plays a crucial role in fetching the attention of customers and bringing them to the store.