The AIAS is looking for members to showcase their portfolios and to provide inspiration for those looking to enhance their own professional portfolios. This competition is open to all years and skill sets – but focuses on students who are ready to apply for graduate school or who are looking for a summer internship or full-time position.

We are accepting PDF submissions, portfolios on published sites such as Issuu and Adobe, and website portfolios.

 

How to Enter

Put together your portfolio

Decide what story you are going to tell.

Package your portfolio in one of three ways:

  1. If a website portfolio, make sure your site is live.
  2. Publish to an online publisher, such as Adobe, Issuu, etc.
  3. Create a PDF of your portfolio, no larger than 10MB

Click “Submit Now” to upload or share your link.

SUBMIT NOW

At the close of the competition, the jury will select three winners from the submissions posted.

Winners will be announced and their sample portfolios posted on www.aias.org in March 2024.

*Note: You must be an active AIAS member to participate*
**Limit one submission per AIAS member**

Criteria

Overall Composition

How well organized and graphically pleasing is the portfolio?

Quality of Narrative

How well does the portfolio tell the story of the student’s work?

Creativity/Differentiation

How well does the portfolio stand out among the crowd?

Quality of Work

How strong are the individual components of the portfolio?

Employability

How well does the portfolio position the individual to be hired?

Prizes

Three winners will be selected and their work will be showcased on www.aias.org.

The winning cash prizes are as follows:

1st Place: $300

2nd Place: $200

3rd Place: $100

 

Words of Wisdom

  • Spell check, spell check, spell check
  • Your work should speak for itself, in as few words as possible. Especially when you are not with your work to explain it
  • Best 3 projects only. Best first (#1), then #3, #2 in that order. Wow them immediately, and then end on an equally high note.
  • Know your audience.
  • Don’t make text too small for old eyes
  • What is the primary work of the firm you are applying for? How can you tailor your resume and/or portfolio to them?
  • If you want text to be legible, don’t put it on top of an image illegibly
  • If your program does something unique to help differentiate you as a candidate, include it. Remember, all of your competitors are also designers and just as good, if not better.
  • BONUS: In the interview, know your work and be able to talk about your process passionately. This is also why you want to include your favorite work so your passion shows through.

Deadline

You must have uploaded your portfolio by 11:59 pm on Monday, February 19, 2024.