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Graduate school application

Cella Portfolio Template

Spectral serif with ochre labels; scholarly. Built for: graduate school application portfolios. Every page sits on a 12 x 12 grid, so text, captions and data are in the same place on every page and a reviewer can find them without searching.

  • Pages14
  • FormatsA3 landscape, A4 portrait
  • Opens inInDesign, Affinity Publisher
  • FontsPublic Sans, Spectral

Every page

Both formats have the same pages in the same order, so you can decide late or make both.

Landscape A3 420 x 297 mm
Portrait A4 210 x 297 mm

Page by page

What goes on each page, and what a reviewer looks for there.

PageWhat goes hereWhat a reviewer looks for
01 CoverSix project images as a grid, name besideCuration: range of work at a glance
02 StatementA short design statement, portrait and contentsConcept and narrative across the whole portfolio
03 Project opener - P1Number and title above, image band belowConcept and narrative; one clear hero image
04 Concept & diagrams - P1The idea in one sentence and four diagramsConcept and narrative; diagramming and analysis
05 Drawings - P1Plan and section at the same scaleTechnical drawing quality: scale, line weights, north arrow
06 Visuals - P1Main render or model photo with two supporting imagesRendering and visualisation
07 Project opener - P2Number and title above, image band belowConcept and narrative; one clear hero image
08 Process - P2Six iterations with one-line captionsProcess and iteration: decisions, not volume
09 Models - P2Four model photos in a gridProcess and iteration through physical models
10 Project opener - P3Number and title above, image band belowConcept and narrative; one clear hero image
11 Axonometric - P3One centred drawing with generous white spaceDiagramming and analysis; drawing as the main event
12 Sketches - P3Sketchbook pages as a 3 x 3 gridProcess and iteration; how you think by hand
13 Curriculum vitaeCV with portrait and contact in a side columnSubmission fit; easy to scan
14 Back coverCentred name, contact and QR codeEasy to reach you

Type and colour

Paragraph styles

Display
Spectral RegularYour name on the cover
Number
Public Sans Medium capsProject numbers on opener pages
Title
Spectral RegularProject and section titles
Lead
Spectral LightThe one-sentence idea of a project, statements
Heading
Spectral MediumSub-headings, contents entries
Body
Public Sans RegularRunning text
Label
Public Sans Medium capsSmall section labels
Data
Public Sans RegularProject data, CV entries
Caption
Public Sans RegularImage captions
Folio
Public Sans Regular capsRunning header and page numbers

Colours

  • Paper#F5F0E1
  • Ink#1D1A12
  • Grey#7A735E
  • Accent#B8841A

Recolour the whole document by editing one swatch. All fonts are free under the SIL Open Font License and come in the download.

What is in the download

  • Editable InDesign IDML for both formats: master pages, paragraph styles, swatches and labelled frames. Opens in InDesign CC 2019 or later and in Affinity Publisher.
  • Preview PDF and page images of both formats, to see the layout before you open anything.
  • The fonts, free under the SIL Open Font License.
  • A user guide: the grid, styles, filling it in and exporting the PDF.

Use this template

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