Digital Media Design Entrance Portfolio

Important: Generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Gemini, are becoming invaluable tools in our industry. However, since we’re assessing your aptitude and skill level, use of AI for the portfolio will be seen as academic dishonesty and result in a disqualified portfolio.

Program Application Deadline: March 1, 2025
Portfolio Submission Deadline: April 17, 2025 at 5pm

The ability to meet deadlines is a crucial skill. Therefore, handing the portfolio in on time is part of the admission process. No portfolios will be accepted after this deadline.

Instructions

The mandate of the Digital Media Design (DMD) program is to provide comprehensive training in visual arts and design for a broad range of new media. Specifically, DMD students are trained in web and mobile design and development, photography and video production, motion graphic design, 3D animation, graphic design and illustration.

Special Selection

We require applicants to submit an entrance portfolio. This portfolio is graded by a committee, and the applicants achieving the highest grades on the portfolio are granted entrance into the program.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for people who love to create and are passionate about design. We’re also looking for those that demonstrate an eye for detail, craftsmanship, artistic talent, and a strong work ethic, as these are the key components to being a successful new media designer. The care and effort you take presenting and mounting each portfolio piece is important as well. But don’t be intimidated: work hard, do your best, and try to have fun with this. We can’t wait to see your results. Good Luck!

Before You Begin Working on the Portfolio

Make sure that you have applied for the DMD program. Apply online or at the Student Service Centre on the main floor of 160 Princess Street in Winnipeg.

Handing In Your Portfolio

About one month before the DMD portfolio is due, you will be emailed instructions on how to submit your portfolio.

Hearing Back From Us

After the admission committee has assessed all of the portfolios, you will be contacted by RRC Polytech Enrolment Services letting you know if your portfolio score falls within acceptable range. If so, you will be required to attend a June informational session in which we will hand out all of the specs for the laptop and camera, and also give you a chance to ask questions about the program.

We will then begin sending out letters of admittance to qualified applicants based on portfolio scores in descending order until all available seats are filled. Five to seven people with the lowest acceptable portfolio scores will be placed on a waitlist. Once the program starts in September, anyone still on the waitlist will have their application cancelled and must re-apply if they wish to try again for program entry in the following year.

International applicants: If you get your portfolio handed in before March 1, 2024, we will fast-track your results.

Required Portfolio Assignments

1. Resumé

Prepare a resumé stating your educational background, work experience, art training, and any computer software and/or programming experience that you have had. You can also list hobbies and interests, and volunteer work. No references are needed.

Organize the content in a way that is easy to scan and looks professional.

RESUMÉ SPECS: 8.5″ X 11″
TITLE PAGE IS NOT NECESSARY.

2. Question and Answer

Answer each of the following sections using 75 to 175 words. To be clear, each of the three answers (a to c) needs to have 75 to 175 words.

Why are you interested in the DMD program? Where did you hear about the program?
Tell us about your experience with technology. What social media platforms (if any) do you use? What software do you regularly use or enjoy? Do you have any programming experience?
Imagine a friend of yours is a chef and has just started a food truck business. The food she serves is delicious, but she doesn’t have a lot of customers. Few people have heard of her business, and she parks in different spots throughout the week — so people have a hard time finding her truck. Luckily her family has offered to help: her brother is a photographer/videographer, her sister is a web developer/designer, her mother is a game programmer, and her father is a famous 3D artist with a large following.

Describe several specific ways you would recommend to grow her business (you may suggest using all, some, or none of her family’s skill sets). Be creative and think big!

Format the answers, along with the questions (or at least part of the question) in a visually interesting way that makes the content easy to scan and enjoyable to read. Think of this as designing text for a website or online magazine. No images are allowed — text only.

Q AND A SPECS: 8 1/2″ X 11 INCH.
YOU MAY USE MULTIPLE PAGES IF NEEDED.

3. Self-Portrait

Create a natural or stylized self-portrait drawing in an environment indicative of some aspect of your character, lifestyle or interests (hobbies such as sports, music, reading, etc). Pay attention to using the entire frame of reference and visually balance your portrait with other elements. Ideally, your drawing should be done from direct observation (eg. use a mirror or phone), without using photographs as reference. We’re looking for artistic skills, attention to detail and, above all, effort. Take your time and create a portrait that really has the “wow” factor.

MEDIUM: ANY NON-DIGITAL MEDIUM
SIZE: MINIMUM: 11 X 17 / MAXIMUM: 20 X 26

4. Game Art Redesign

Redesign the game art for ONE of the three video game titles below for the console of your choice. The console can be any hardware from the past or present (NES, SNES, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE S, Nintendo Switch, etc.).

We’re looking for you to redesign the main game title logo and develop a new key image. This may be either a self-produced illustration or a photographic image. The remaining elements (the console logo, publisher/game company logos) can remain as they were on the original box art. You are only responsible for designing the box front, don’t worry about the back, side, top and bottom panels.

You should try to match the box proportions and graphic style of your chosen console. Exact measurements aren’t critical. Feel free to mix and match games and console styles (for example: Call of the Sea designed in the style of an NES game, or Space Invaders designed for the Xbox One S).

Choose ONE of the following video games:

Frostpunk
Space Invaders
Dorfromantik

All elements should form a terrific, cohesive design appropriate for the game.

SIZE: (ROUGHLY) MATCHING BOX PROPORTIONS OF CHOSEN VIDEO GAME CONSOLE

5. Model Chair

Design and build a scale model of a chair. The chair may be an office chair, living room chair, an armchair, or any type of chair for individual human seating. Be creative. Your finished model must fit inside the space of a 6″ cube.

You may use any solid material with which to assemble your model. Examples of materials that you may use include wire, wood, plastic, found objects, paper, cloth, etc. You may use glue or other methods to hold your model together. If you wish, you may use 3D printing to complete the chair* (see below for details).

Once completed, make three colour photographs of your finished model. Each image must provide a different view of your model. You are being judged on the craftsmanship, creativity, and design of the chair, as well as the composition and lighting of the photographs. When taking your photographs, consider what kind of lighting will best illuminate the chair. Choose interesting angles which show the chair at its best. Please keep the 3D model of the chair, as the judges could contact you and ask to see it (or send more photos).

* If (and only if) you decide to print your chair using 3D printing, you must work the letters “DMD” into the design of the chair.

6. Logo Design

Design a logo for ONE of the following three fictional products/businesses:

Phon-e-Fabrix
This company has found a way to convert discarded phones into a material similar to wool. They use their material to produce socks, sweaters, and scarves.

MoCamp
This is a summer camp for motion designers. Every morning is spent learning design and animation, and in the afternoon campers put away their computers and enjoy the outdoors by hiking, swimming, canoeing, and building campfires.

BioFuel Pro
This new app uses real-time biometrics (pulse, blood pressure, etc) to configure the perfect recipes and food suggestions that your body needs at the moment.

A logo should be simple, smart, memorable, and represent the company or product. It should look good in colour and in black and white. The logo should be scalable, meaning that it should look good at all sizes.

SIZE: ONE PAGE
PRESENTATION STYLE IS UP TO YOU
PLEASE INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE PHOTO THAT SHOWS YOUR PROCESS (ROUGHS, SKETCHES, ETC)

7. Personal Work

Select four to seven items from your personal portfolio. Include only the best samples of your work. Make sure to present these items as neatly as possible, mounting non-digital items. You may include pencil or digital drawings, paintings, posters, videos, photographs and/or Photoshop creations, 3D models and animation, web design, motion graphics, and other creative work. If multiple people worked on a portfolio piece, please state your role. Digital works may be handed in on a USB thumb drive. If submitting a USB thumb drive, consider taping it to a piece of presentation board so it isn’t lost or overlooked.

SIZE: THIS IS UP TO YOU

How the Portfolio is Marked

Resumé

Artistic/Work Skills and Experience

New media and artistic experience, work experience, education, employability skills, professionalism (spelling, grammar, etc)

Technical Experience

Technical experience, software, coding experience, web and mobile experience, computer experience

Question and Answer

Writing

Spelling, grammar, writing clarity and correctness, communication ability, content/suitability

Layout and Execution

Concept/structure, solution/presentation, readability, negative space, organization/execution

Knowledge of Technology

Technical experience and knowledge, understanding of digital tools and online landscape, ability to problem solve using digital tools, marketing using digital tools/technology, social media awareness/expertise

Self Portrait

Overall quality, rendering, complexity, composition and use of space

Game Art Redesign

Concept, content, craftsmanship/execution, design/composition, creativity/illustration, solution/presentation

Model Chair

Design and Construction

Design/artistry, originality and creativity, construction, professionalism and quality, attention to detail

Photography and Use of Light

Composition, use of light, environment, effectively displays product, shot variety/presentation

Logo Design