5 Mistakes to Avoid in a Design Portfolio –Tips from NID Topper

Want to know the 5 common mistakes to avoid in Design Portfolio for NID and other various Design Entrance Exams?

Here you are at the right place!

Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Design Portfolio

After going through numerous portfolios while preparing, and then discussing it with the professors and faculty members, we were able to shortlist some common mistakes that every candidate should avoid while preparing a portfolio.

Any mistake can be a make or break at this stage of the selection process. After all the hard work going in and clearing all the previous stages of the assessment tests, it is going to be a disaster if you miss out on this stage, which might cost you a complete year, or might have to settle for an institute other than your favorite one.

We know you do not want this to happen. So, let us get straight down to the mistakes to avoid in a design portfolio and important points to remember.

1. For Design Students their Portfolio can be considered as their resume

Well, one important thing aspirants should keep in mind are that portfolios can be divided into two types, the one on whose basis you get a Job, while the other on the basis of which you get admission to design colleges.

Here, the first one should highlight your experience, while the second one should demonstrate your desire to learn and grow as a performer.

There is no room for errors in your portfolio for the job interview. However, given that you are a newbie and a fresher, mistakes in the portfolio you are submitting for admission to design colleges may be overlooked. In the latter scenario, the process you went through, the effort you made, and your level of originality will be evaluated, not whether your portfolio is good or bad. The only information the examiners will be interested in is ‘HOW’ you came at your solution and ‘WHY’ you think it is functional.

2. Do Not Forget to add an Appeal to your Portfolio

Here we would like to emphasize the fact that important steps and processes cannot be overlooked, at the cost of beautification. While making a portfolio you will be following a particular template, but you should never forget to elaborate on the research and analysis process you have put in. So, rather than following a template, it is more important to showcase your efforts.

3. Clear communication of the concept

You might have done a lot of work, and put in a great effort, but whatever you have done does not come out clear, by clear we mean, it actually, is unable to communicate your concept well. It is important to annotate and explain to convey your thoughts, but, too much text can get messy at the same time. So always avoid using too much text in a way of explanations. So, to avoid your work looking cluttered up, you must maintain a balance between your text and images.

Therefore, you must consider your portfolio to be a visual diary that will express your creative journey through the work that the portfolio comprises.

4. Do not decide which is simple or which is great

At this given point you might think that your earlier works are simple and you might decide to start off fresh on your portfolio for admission, or might avoid including them with your current work. As the saying goes “The simplest thing is the hardest thing to achieve”, so maybe what you think was simple is actually good.

So, as discussed in our previous BLOG, your portfolio should always include your creations from the very beginning, this might as well showcase the development or the transition process. It will also reflect your ability to learn and implement.

So, it will be up to you how you represent it and how well you are prepared to answer the ‘WHY”.

5. Do not decide to consider the stream factor

You might have started creating a portfolio even before you have analyzed your abilities and whether will suit your selected stream or discipline or not. Therefore, it is not for you to decide whether the portfolio represents your abilities for a particular specialization you have selected. Otherwise, these selections would not have been stream-independent.

Let the panel assess your abilities, skills, your inclination, and what you are capable to do best, as they are the experienced ones, and might be your mentors in the coming years of college if you get selected; And which you will, we wish.

Conclusion

Remember that the Portfolio will reflect your personality as a designer. You are not to decide beforehand how things are going to work, but you must leave no stone unturned to put in your best efforts. Always remember the examiners, just by flipping through the sheets in your portfolio are going to decide whether they will continue further or not. And their decision will be on the above-discussed factors. So, avoid the mistakes discussed and follow the steps to get admission into the Best Design Colleges, make the best use of the coming years and give your Design Career a head start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How to Make a Good Portfolio?

Answer: Your portfolio ought to reflect your personality and unique perspective. You need to express it to the examiners why they should accept you. We recommend you to produce art that is unique from what other people are creating and the level of passion. Technical prowess is insufficient if all you can do is copy what others have done. When you are first creating your portfolio, you should look at examples of previously submitted art portfolios.

Check out our detailed blog on How to create a Design Portfolio.

Q2. What should my Portfolio include?

Answer: Potential! Not flawless executions Design experiments by inquisitive minds, This is what you have to keep in mind. The main goal of the portfolio is to evaluate your potential for admission to the top design colleges and to examine your aptitude for a career in design.

We emphasize that creating a portfolio is all about showcasing your abilities. Therefore, be sure to include all the artwork that showcases your skill set rather than what you believe to be a nice finished result. Make sure the work you submit in your portfolio accurately represents your interests, concepts, experience, and design-related skills. In addition, incorporate work that will set you apart from the competition and provide you the slight advantage that the panel reviewing your application is genuinely seeking. The interview panel will pick out specific details from your portfolio and begin quizzing you on them, so make sure to properly understand each and every piece you include in it.

Q3. How to Organize a Portfolio?

Answer: Below is the Checklist on how to organize  a portfolio:

1. A portfolio's size depends on the amount of work it contains. Make sure it is handy to carry.
2. There is no restriction on how much work it should hold. Be sensible and pick the best. It is sufficient to have a variety of projects and two to three full sketchbooks.
3. Mount work onto identical-sized pieces of white paper to keep it simple, neat, and relevant.
4. Make room in your worksheet. Choose only the best 2 or 3 prints out of a dozen that are identical to one another.
5. Try to present your work with everything facing the same way up and in a logical position.
6. Your portfolio should begin and end with your best works.
7. Make sure your portfolio demonstrates diversity.
8. Display work that YOU can discuss in-depth.

Q4. Should my portfolio be Hard Copy, or should it be Web or Digital?

Answer: For better impact, we recommend you should display your work in hardcopy. There are several places available today where you can upload your work, but refrain from doing so. Your entire portfolio presenting procedure could be destroyed if the center doesn't have reliable internet access.

These days, a lot of students choose to present on a laptop to show off their talents. When presenting their portfolio on a laptop, they should make sure that everything is clear, comprehensible, and not overly flashy.

Q5. How to ensure my portfolio reflects my true creativity and potential?

Answer: Don't miss the chance to put forth your creative talent. If you didn't do very well on the written test, your portfolio will give you a good indication of your creative flair. Perhaps it is difficult to convince the judges of your creativity since your mind is overburdened with worries about completing it correctly by giving it your best. We urge you to focus on a few key factors. Make your content completely unique and creative.

Make sure they understand the range of your abilities by demonstrating your versatility. Your work needs to be fluid and full of potential. Your portfolio will stand out if it has a distinctive flair. Choose a well-known subject and depict it in a distinctive way. Describe how you make the simple appear spectacular. There is nothing to replace your inventory of concepts. Be distinctive and make the most of your creative inimitableness to create a stellar portfolio that will propel you through the cherished doors of design excellence.