How to apply

Applicants to Design and Computation Arts are expected to submit a maximum of 15 creative works from two or more of the categories listed below. An ideal portfolio would include a diverse range of projects, mediums and interests. Applicants who cannot submit a range of work should explain this in their letter of intent to show their enthusiasm, motivation and potential for success in our programs.  

1. Visual Communication: Still images, illustration, graphic design, collage, book work, packaging, print media, typography, photography, moving images, animation, video. 
2. Multi Media/Digital Media: Web design, 3D modelling, sound, programming, social media projects, programming or scripting, electronics.
3. Built Environment: Furniture, objects, maquettes, technical drawing, clothing, textile design, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, arts and crafts, exhibition, display and installation. 
4. Design or Media Studies or Sustainability: Collaborative projects, history/theory essays, sustainable research, community work, nature inspired/biomimicry or solar/wind power projects.

General portfolio tips

• Maximum 15 pieces of creative works combined into one single pdf. The table of content is the first page and lists the submitted works.
• A table of contents must be included for all material submitted for review. Each work must be clearly numbered and labelled with: applicant’s name, title of the work, date of completion, duration (in the case of time-based work), size of work, medium.
• In the case of collaborative projects, applicants must clearly define their contribution to the project. 
• Image file size: each image file should not exceed 3 MB.
• Media file such as animation and video can be uploaded individually (.mov, .avi, .mpeg-4, .m4v, .qt, .wmv, .flv) and sound files (.mp3, .wav, .flac, .wma) should not exceed 60 MB.
• If your portfolio is a web link, please embed in a pdf page and upload it to Slideroom in the portfolio category.

Applicants to Computation Arts may submit up to 10 creative works. An ideal portfolio would include a diverse range of projects, mediums and interests. If you cannot submit a range of work, explain this in your letter of intent to show your enthusiasm, motivation and potential for success in our programs. We acknowledge and welcome all forms of artistic practice, from sewing to carpentry to musical performance to dance; if you’re passionate about it, we want to see it. However, to show engagement with the underlying themes of the program, we especially look for work that reflects some combination of the following categories:

• Programming: any language and any outcome are relevant, with special interest in arts-oriented and interactive programs; please submit both the code itself (e.g. a GitHub link, a PDF of the code) and documentation of the program (e.g. a link to the working program, a video of the program running, etc.).
• Web: some combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript used to create a website; we also welcome advanced work using tools such as Node.js, React, etc. Note that if you have created a portfolio website from scratch, this can be a portfolio item itself if you list it explicitly as one of your works.

• Electronics: projects based on processor-based kits such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi as well as building electronics from scratch; can include intelligent textiles, electronic sculptures, and more. Ideally include video documentation.

• Sound: music, sound design, soundscapes, generative sound, and more, whether programmed directly or created in software such as MaxMSP, DAWs, game engines, or elsewhere.
• 3D: work using 3D modelling software such as Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, etc. Documentation could include a series of images from multiple angles, or a “turntable” video that shows the model or scene rotating.

• Game design: completed games and prototypes of games should ideally be playable online without a large download; ideally include video documentation as a backup. Game design documentation and non-digital games are also welcome.

• Media theory: exceptionally well-written and researched essays or other forms of writing about media and technology.


Note that we do not expect every work to be a masterpiece and are open to, for example, tutorials you have completed but altered sufficiently to make them clearly your own creation (credit the tutorial in your description in this case).

For each work submitted, please include a description that includes:

• Title: the title of the work

• Medium: the technologies or other media used to create the work (e.g. JavaScript, Unity, Arduino, Blender, etc.)

• Process and intention: comment on how and why you made the work as well as what the desired experience of a user/reader/view/etc. is. Consider answering questions like "What did I learn?" and "Where do I see this work taking me?"

Credits: for collaborative work or work based on a tutorial you must credit all other contributions explicitly


Work can be uploaded to the online submission system (Slideroom) either individually, as a single portfolio PDF, or as a single PDF containing a link to your portfolio website. In all cases the above guidelines should be respected.