You can start a design or video portfolio before you have a client. Use a fictional brief, solve a specific communication problem and show your decisions. A small, well-explained project tells a reader more than a folder called “final_final_really_final”.
Try a teaching example
Same message. A clearer reading order.
An original illustrated exercise. The event and work are fictional.
SATURDAY
Bring a book.
Leave with a new idea.
- One lead: the event name answers “what is this?”
- Useful grouping: audience and practical details stay together.
- One next step: the enquiry instruction has its own space.
Your turn: sketch a third version using only black, white and one typeface. Can someone find the event and next step in a quick glance?
Start with a problem, not a software menu
A portfolio helps someone understand what you can do and how you think. Begin by writing the audience, the message, the format and the action the viewer should take. Keep the project small enough to finish, review and improve.
The briefs below are original fictional exercises. They are not Upnova student results, client campaigns or assessed course assignments. You can adapt them for your own practice.
Brief 1: make a local reading event easy to understand
Imagine a neighbourhood library is running a free Saturday reading session. Design a poster and a square social graphic using supplied placeholder details. The main challenge is hierarchy: a reader should find what, when and where without hunting.
Example to practise
Fictional event: Open Book Saturday Audience: teenagers and parents Message: bring a book and join a short reading session Action: ask the library team for session details Use clearly labelled example dates and locations.
- Make two rough layouts before choosing one.
- Use a small type system and enough contrast to read the details.
- Check the design at phone size and at its intended print size.
- Present the brief, one rejected direction and the final pair.
Brief 2: tell a 30-second making story
Record a simple process you have permission to film: arranging a desk, planting a seed or making a paper model. Shape it into an opening, a short sequence and a clear finish. You do not need a dramatic soundtrack for a paper crane.
Show the finished export alongside a short explanation of your clip choices, captions and sound. Explain one revision you made after watching it on a phone.
- Keep copies of the original footage.
- Make the order understandable without relying only on music.
- Use captions where speech or context needs them.
- Use music, footage and images you own or are licensed to use.
Brief 3: connect a visual identity to a short video
Invent a small bicycle-repair service. Create a simple wordmark direction, two service graphics and a short explainer. Keep the type, colour and message consistent across the set.
Focus on one promise you can communicate in the fictional brief, such as explaining a repair process. Avoid fake customer reviews, invented sales figures or claims that imply a real business hired you.
What to put beside the finished images
Write a short case study in your own words. Explain the problem, your role, the main decision and what you would change next. You do not need to turn every project into a 40-page documentary.
- Label the work “self-initiated fictional brief”.
- State which assets you created and credit any permitted third-party material.
- Show useful process, not every saved screenshot.
- If AI helped, explain the part it played and what you checked or changed.
- Use working links and include a way for someone to contact you.
Use the portfolio to choose what to practise next
Ask a reviewer one focused question: can you understand the message, follow the edit or see why the design choices fit the brief? Collect the feedback and make one meaningful revision.
If your layouts feel unclear, work on design foundations. If the sequence feels confusing, practise editing and story structure. The next lesson becomes easier to choose when the work shows you the gap.
Official resources for further learning
The exercises and examples above were created for this guide. These references provide additional background; a link does not imply an endorsement or training partnership.
- Adobe: graphic design foundations (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe: video editing basics (opens in a new tab)
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Put the idea into practice.
Explore the graphic design + video editing learning path, or ask how the current batch teaches and reviews this kind of work.