Tips for putting together a creative portfolio for university interviews

If you’re considering a creative degree such as Art, or Animation and Illustration, you might be asked to show a portfolio of your work when you’re invited to an interview.

For our Animation and Illustration degree at the University of Bolton, we love to see applicant’s work, it demonstrates your ability and enthusiasm for the course and helps us to learn a little about you. Here are some tips for putting together an effective portfolio:

Presentation
Think about which format fits your work best; for paper sketches and photographs, it might be best to display everything neatly in a folder. If your artwork is more digital, then an online portfolio would be ideal.

Start early
You never know when you might be asked to an interview, as soon as you have finished a piece of creative work, organise it into your portfolio so you aren’t trying to gather everything together at the last minute.

Tell your story
Include a variety of work in your portfolio to give an idea of your strengths and range, plus showcase small and large-scale projects. Don’t worry if you have unfinished pieces like sketches, these can give an insight into your process and creative choices.

Start and end with the best
Bookend your portfolio with your best work, whether that’s a selection of animation design, or illustration projects, make sure these are your strongest pieces.

Find out more about Animation and Illustration degrees at the University of Bolton, which is ranked in the Top 50 best UK universities in the Guardian 2021 league table. We have a good reputation for putting our students and their needs first; come and enjoy #UniAsItShouldBe.

For questions related to accommodation, finance, funding, health and wellbeing, disability support or anything else you’d like to chat about, our award-winning Student Services Team is here to help. Contact +44(0)1204 900 600 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk.