March 18, 2004 | View Comments (15) | Category: Our Thoughts
Summary: My very minimal thoughts on portfolios.
Yesterday Todd asked me to share my thoughts on portfolios. Well, I can honestly say I do not have many thoughts on portfolios since I never had to use one. If someone ever asked to see one of my sites I just sent them a link. Maybe it is because I never went for just the graphic design type jobs where a portfolio is expected. In any case I can see how an online portfolio is important for any designer. It gives easy access to your work and also helps to keep your own progress in perspective, which is good because we all like to see how we have improved over time.
The question then becomes what are the viable ways in presenting your portfolio. The first obvious method is to just shoot the link to someone or include it in your resume. Another less attractive method would be to carry your sites on a CD, which of course might not be possible for every site. Of course I do not think that I have ever been in an interview where a computer was not close by with Internet access. So now it looks as though keeping everything online is the only really good option.
Since I have never created an official "portfolio" I have no idea what types of items are required. I guess a screenshot, title, blurb about what you did is always a good thing. Besides that I have no idea. Any suggestions?
Here is a small list of portfolios that show the range of how you can present them (Kottke has always been my favorite for presentation):
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I'm still working on building a portfolio. Currently, I send prospective clients a list of links to my past work. However, a good online portfolio is much easier to access.
I find that the most attractive portfolios are those which both let the work do the talking and which are a work in themselves. A well-designed portfolio can usually make me think something between "Hey, that's cool," and "Whoa." At the same time, the work being presented should be presented plain and clear. Supporting text should point out special areas of interest on the design, and the specific roles played in the process.
These are just things I've picked up while looking through other people's portfolios, and it's the kind of thing I'm aiming to do.
Chris Vincent (http://dris.dyndns.org:8080/)
I think it's always a good idea to have a printed version as well.
You just can't assume that a hiring agent is going to be web / computer saavy - hard to believe, but there are still people who try to type in URLS in the Yahoo search box, and get highly frustrated when the unexpected happens.
Also, as is the case with most designers, those who do web work also have print collateral to show off. A computer montitor - especially those found in most HR depts - isn't going to do any justice to a high rez printed piece.
Mark Fusco (http://www.lightpierce.com/ltshdw)
Mark - I have a regular portfolio book that I take to all interviews. You're right, some HR, art directors, creative directors are still not that web savvy. I always include screenshots of websites and web graphics in this.
What I've been having some trouble with is now that I'm starting to move away from printed work and towards web and interactive media is if I should start to put together CDs to give to potential employers to compliment the portfolio book.
I guess I'm kind of old school when it comes to portfolios. In college we have one whole semester class on prepping and building a quality portfolio. This was before the web hit big. I still like to go into an interview with an actual physical case to show my work.
Thanks for getting this discussion going Scrivs!
Todd (http://www.monkeyhouselounge.com/loungeact/)
When I graduated college back in 2000, I had 2 forms of my portfolio. Since I was a graphic design major, I had a fair amount of print design mixed with some interactive. I had a wooden portfolio case that held 18x24 black matboards with my design work pasted on it. I included screenshots from some of my interactive work as well. I also built a portfolio in Director and burned it to a CD, a little something to leave with potential employers.
I haven't really been looking for a job since I got my current job out of college. Since I am the senior (only) designer here, I could pretty much point to the portfolio page of the company and say, "That's all mine".
I don't even think I have a current Resume anywhere.
Jeremy Flint (http://www.jeremyflint.com)
CDs are always good because you never know if the company/person you are going to interview with is online. Internet connection outages do occur and it is always best to be prepared for whatever.
Jeremy Flint (http://www.jeremyflint.com)
I find maintaining a portfolio website one of the least fun experiences after the adrenaline rush of "get a job! get a job! get a job!" is gone.
But, oh well. I do need to update my own portfolio website sometime very soon, since I never quite finished it before I got a new job. The site is quite a mess, really, since I had a very severe deadline to address. One of the bigger things I'd like to do is convert to MT so that updating the website will become easier.
Alanna (http://www.expio.net)
Jeremy -
Excellent point on Internet connections / availability.
When I took technical writing back in the 1880's, the key goal was to write so a 4th grader could understand.
The same applies to a portfolio keep it simple and easy to access.
Todd - From my experience, there are HR people out there who will ask to keep a sample of your work. In cases such as these, I think it's a nice gesture to offer them a CD.
**Free plug for Jewelboxing** I think the box design of these are an excellent way of getting you noticed and remembered.
Mark Fusco (http://www.lightpierce.com/ltshdw)
Mark - I was looking at Jewelboxing. That would be an excellent presentation to make you memorable.
When I graduated in 1998 the portfolio case was the graphic designer's calling card. It was always assumed that when you went for an interview that the book accompanied you.
From conversations with other graphic designers (both print and web) more and more are just including a URL on their resume and expecting the art director to look there to see their work. This wouldn't work well if you went for an interview at, let's say, a magazine for editorial design.
Todd (http://www.monkeyhouselounge.com/loungeact/)
"...just including a URL on their resume and expecting the art director to look..."
Todd -
Unfortunately, I believe that process of relating to others ("here, you do the work") envelops our thinking in more than just portfolio submission.
It's far easier for us to slap a URL on a resume than to actually flip open a portfolio for a potential employer and sell them on why they need us.
Mark Fusco (http://www.lightpierce.com/ltshdw)
Mark, you're absolutely right. Like I said, I'm old school in that way. I like going into an interview, opening the portfolio and explaining my thought and design process about the project with someone else. Especially if it's the art director that you'll be working under.
Todd (http://www.monkeyhouselounge.com/loungeact/)
I like this post by Dan James of SilverOrange on how to best approach potential clients for a job.
I think "old school" approaches work for a lot of things.
Mark Fusco (http://www.lightpierce.com/ltshdw)
I am in the same boat as Alanna. I had a decent portfolio, www.btkdesigns.com but I haven't updated / maintained it since I have been in the job market. You have those days where you say, "man, I really want to update that portfolio, but then I need to go look for a job". now that I have a good job, I don't have much time to spend on "personal" stuff. I will get to it soon, and in fact, movable type would be nice as well. I would like to start a blog. I am in the process of writing an E-book, so whenever that gets done, and I put a site to it to market it, I might throw a blog on there so I can communicate with people who want to ask me questions or read my material.
Bryan (http://www.gamecubecheats.info)
One of these days, I need to put together a portfolio. 90% of my stuff isn't public, though, so it'll be pretty sparse... I guess I can do screenshots of intranet apps or something.
The best way, though... is probably as Jeremy said. A nice wooden case (maybe leather with carving or embossing, something eye-catching) and black matte board inside (classy) and your work mounted on that. For websites, rather than using the actual website, recreate it in photoshop with nice, rich colors and print it to good coated paper on a high quality photo printer. Maybe have a few extras of each in a plastic liner in case they want to keep a sample to show off. A CD with a director presentation or something like that (flash would work too if you export to projector), as Mark suggested above, would be a good addition. You could highlight different features of each project, why you did what you did or what the benefits are... And include charts and graphs and so on about how the traffic on a site increased after your redesign or whaever.
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
I'm like the many people who, once they got the job, stopped working on their online portfolio. Though, it's always been a minor thorn in my side because as a designer, it irks me how unprofessional my current portfolio looks. I still think it's important because even if you have a "regular" job, I still like freelancing on the side when I can.
My weblog looks better than my portfolio. Hah.
Lea (http://xox.lealea.net/)
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#1
Well, I don't have a suggestion because I can't have a portfolio. All my work is proprietary. In fact I shouldn't even say I have a job. ;)
It sucks in a way because it keeps me out of the running for positions that do require a portfolio.
Matthew Oliphant (http://usabilityworks.typepad.com)