Entrance Portfolio
The Industrial Design program at Western Washington University requires an Entrance Portfolio submission in order to declare a major in Industrial Design. This initial screening process helps to determine a candidate's potential for success within the program.
In order to maintain academic program quality in relation to faculty, staff and facilities, the program limits the number of applicants admitted. The school reserves the right to be the sole judge of who shall be accepted into the program. In order to declare a major in industrial design, an applicant must submit an entrance portfolio to the Industrial Design program after they have been accepted to the university.
A portfolio is a collection of an applicant's best work, revealing the applicant's interests, skills, and presented as professionally as possible. Applicants should submit only original work from high school/university courses, professional work, or self initiated projects. The applicant's entrance portfolio requires examples in the following areas:
- Sketching (examples of hand-drawn sketches that express ideas, and creative problem solving, show a variety of concepts, or demonstrate an ability to draw)
- 2D design (examples of page layout, composition, color, etc. as demonstrated in an illustration, advertisement, website, painting, or other 2-dimensional work)
- 3D design (examples of form development, construction, craftsmanship, etc. as demonstrated in a 3-dimensional piece such as a model, sculpture, structure, clothing, jewelry, etc.)
- Computer skills (examples of computer-aided drafting [CAD], and/or evidence of aptitude in drawing/image editing software programs such as Rhinoceros, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, CorelDRAW, etc.)
Portfolios will be reviewed by an Industrial Design committee three times per year prior to the quarter of acceptance into the major. Submission deadlines are:
- October 22nd for winter quarter
- February 14th for spring quarter
- May 5th for fall quarter
If applicants do not qualify for acceptance one quarter, they may reapply for a following quarter after improving the content of their portfolio.
Application:
Download the following PDF application, complete and include in your portfolio.
Format:
A maximum of twelve original pieces (or 16 total pages) are allowed. A piece may be allotted more than one page. These must be in a physical standard size (8.5 x 11 to 9 x 12) flat portfolio. Pieces may be prints, photographs, or original media if they fit the format. CD's and DVD's are not acceptable.
Each piece is to be clearly marked with the applicant's name, title of the project, medium (or software/materials) used, size, date of completion, and the story behind the piece. In the case of professional or group projects, applicants should indicate their personal responsibilities. Portfolios may be picked up in the Engineering Tech administrative office after notification. Portfolios will be mailed back if a self addressed and stamped envelope are provided. Please include current contact info (email, telephone, address) so that we can contact you regarding your application.
Send application and portfolio to:
Prof. Arunas Oslapas
Prof. Jason Morris
Industrial Design
MS 9086
Western Washington University
516 High St.
Bellingham, WA 98225