Cat Wentworth
Designer, Neil Donnelly Studio; Lecturer, The New School
Portfolio as Site
The portfolio is an important project unto itself—arguably as important as any of the work contained within. It offers an opportunity to further elevate strong projects through their presentation, as well as to express an aesthetic or philosophical point of view. Whether for an academic or professional setting, communicating one’s strengths concisely and clearly is paramount.
This two-day workshop takes an in-depth look at the architectural portfolio—as a site for project documentation, a structure for presentation, and a series of spaces through which to tell a story.
On day one, a brief lecture will break down the portfolio into elements operating on scales ranging from XL (format and structure) all the way down to XS (typography), demystifying the construction of a strong portfolio and equipping students with a working understanding of basic typography, graphic design grids, and approaches to project layout and sequence. Students will then review key pages from their submitted portfolios together as a group. A live demo and Q&A session will follow, providing a hands-on, technical crash course on designing portfolios in Adobe InDesign. Participants will have 3-4 weeks to modify their portfolios based on what they have learned, before being invited to receive additional feedback in small groups on day two of the workshop.
