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The Product Design Program is a limited intake program with 22 first-year seats available each Fall intake.
First off, have you applied to KPU?
Before you submit any of your work to us, you must first apply to KPU. Detailed steps are outlined here.
Where do you submit your portfolio package?
Once you have completed your application, you will receive instructions on how to submit your portfolio through an online submission platform called Slideroom. Eligible applicants who have met the application and documentation submission requirements will be contacted for an interview. On the online submission platform, you will upload a PDF version of your portfolio.
Portfolio Guidelines
What should you include in your portfolio package?
Between 8-10 examples of varied work.
- You can include such items as drawings, illustrations, posters, typography, computer graphics, animation, video, paintings, printmaking, photography, drafting, crafts, sewn garments, and three-dimensional pieces.
- Some of our students come from engineering, science, trades or technical programs and include projects showcasing programming, building or design skills.
- A journal, sketchbook, collections of ideas, or process documentation for a project will help to demonstrate your thinking processes.
- As you select work for presentation, keep in mind that we are interested in seeing what you consider to be your best work, demonstrating your skills and abilities. A wide range of varied items is better than several of the same kind of work. As a designer you will be expected to work on a wide repertoire of tasks, so you need to show versatility.
- Also, if possible, include one project that shows how you began (e.g. research, notes, early sketches), through to development stages (revisions and tests), and then the final result. Design typically involves taking projects through several stages before completion.
- Make sure that your work is logically organized. We want to understand your projects: explanations of what you were trying to achieve, dates, sizes, medium, whether school work or done in your own time.
About the interview
In the Product Design program, eligible applicants receive an invitation to the next stage of the selection process, which is an interview at our Richmond campus. Alternative arrangements are possible for students who live outside the Greater Vancouver Region and who cannot attend in person. It is, however, in the best interest of applicants to make every effort to attend in person. The interviews are approximately 30 minutes in length.
What's next?
We will contact you via email or phone to let you know whether or not you are being invited to attend an interview with the Product Design faculty.
If you have not been invited to attend an interview, you are welcome to apply again to the Product Design program between October 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, for the Fall 2024 intake.
If you are invited to an Interview
If you receive an email or phone call inviting you to attend an interview, you will be requested to arrange a date and time for an interview. Interview dates and times will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis.
What happens at the interview?
At the interview, you will have the opportunity to:
- discuss your portfolio (previously uploaded on the online submission platform), describing the projects and your process with faculty;
- outline your reasons for applying to KPU’s Product Design program;
- discuss your educational and career objectives, and
- demonstrate your knowledge of this aspect of design.
Out-of-town Applicants
If you live out-of-town, province or country, you will be required to participate in a prearranged Microsoft Teams or Zoom interview.
Please Note: An interview is not a guarantee of a seat in the program.