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Graduate school application

Nave Portfolio Template

Editorial condensed serif on pure white. 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
  • FontsInstrument Sans, Instrument Serif

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 CoverTypographic cover: name, rule and details, no imageGraphic identity carried by type alone
02 StatementA short design statement, portrait and contentsConcept and narrative across the whole portfolio
03 Project opener - P1Title and idea first, image secondConcept and narrative: the reader knows what to look for
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 - P2Title and idea first, image secondConcept and narrative: the reader knows what to look for
08 Process - P2Six iterations with one-line captionsProcess and iteration: decisions, not volume
09 Elevations - P2Three elevations or sections stackedTechnical drawing quality; consistent scale
10 Project opener - P3Title and idea first, image secondConcept and narrative: the reader knows what to look for
11 Models - P3Four model photos in a gridProcess and iteration through physical models
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 coverA thank-you line and contact, nothing elseEasy to reach you

Type and colour

Paragraph styles

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

Colours

  • Paper#FFFFFF
  • Ink#1A1A1A
  • Grey#8C8C8C
  • Accent#0B6E4F

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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