Portfolio Interview

Regular and atypical applicants are required to undergo the written test portion of the Registered Qualification Examination in addition to the portfolio interview. Seniority applicants are exempt from the written test portion of the exam, except for the Rules of Professional Conduct section (as of April 26, 2008) and this section has a 75% passing mark. Seniority applicants must also undergo the portfolio interview.

Portfolio Interview candidates are interviewed for 25 minutes by three R.G.D. reviewers. Candidates bring 6 pieces of work (in original format) that demonstrate a range and quality of achievement in one or more of the following professional areas: (1) Design Practice (2) Design Education and (3) Design Management.

All candidates are assessed on their ability to articulate their role in the projects presented, and the processes used to establish goals and to arrive at the final product. Projects from the design education and management fields are recognized as valid and equivalent evidence of professional attainment, demonstrating the application of design knowledge and abilities.

Written Rationales

Candidates must submit in advance on a specific date a written rationale for each of the six portfolio pieces that will be presented at the interview. It must include an account of the problem, the design objective and the solution.

Details on the preparation and evaluation of portfolios are included in the Handbook for the Registered Graphic Designers Qualification Examination. Download it now. To see examples of written rationales submitted by candidates who passed the R.G.D. Qualification Examination click here and type in "case study" into the Keyword Search field.