Practical Project and Portfolio Work
What the exam tests
The practical project and portfolio domain assesses the design process from brief to evaluation. You must show evidence of research, planning, sampling, fitting, construction and honest evaluation, not only a finished garment.
Portfolio sequence
- Brief and specification: client, occasion, budget, fabric, care and safety.
- Research: mood board, colour palette, fabric samples, existing products and design ideas.
- Development: annotated sketches, pattern choice, toile and fitting notes.
- Production plan: order of work, tools, materials, quality checks and time.
- Final make: photographs, seam samples, construction details and care label.
- Evaluation: what worked, what failed, what you would change, and client feedback.
Worked example
A portfolio for a child’s party dress should show the brief (age, occasion, washability, safety), a mood board, two design ideas, a fabric sample of washable cotton, a toile with fitting notes, a step-by-step plan, and the final dress photographed inside and out. Evaluate: “The zip sits flat, but the hem is uneven at the back; next time I will mark the hem on the wearer and use a hem gauge.” That is stronger than “I like it.”
Traps
Do not include only pretty pictures without annotation. Do not hide mistakes; examiners reward analysis. Do not leave evaluation to the last minute. Do not claim a technique you cannot show in a sample or photograph.