Due: April 1 (two days before class)
Please add your response as a comment below. You can review guidelines for the responses here.
Due: April 1 (two days before class)
Please add your response as a comment below. You can review guidelines for the responses here.
With only having a professional website as my portfolio, it was interesting to learn more about the ins and outs of creating a simplistic portfolio to present to potential employers and most effectively portray one’s work. One portion of the reading that stood out to me was how college grants designers “the freedom to experiment.” Following this, Taylor discussed how these “struggles and failures will play an essential part in discovering where your strengths lie” (13). In reading these sections of the reading, I connected this to the way the Taylor emphasizes a designer’s need to present work to future employers and the public that shows growth through sketches and illustrations.
Attached below are six pages from the author’s portfolio examples that I feel most relate to the pieces that I have created over my time in the Communications program. Two portions of the portfolios that I pointed out are the two pages of typography and the page of designs that were based on a particular phrase. With the presentation of these two different types of work, they look like a more simplistic and professional brand identity but for a designer’s own personal brand. The black, white, and tan colors used throughout those pages also reflects on muted designs that stand out on the page with the consistent white background.
/Users/michellemccann/Desktop/Screen Shot 2019-03-31 at 3.44.15 PM.pdf.zip
/Users/michellemccann/Desktop/Screen Shot 2019-03-31 at 3.44.23 PM.pdf.zip
https://imgur.com/a/7XuqJtV
https://imgur.com/FWrVtGX
In the readings for this week, Fig Taylor gives many useful tips on how to create a portfolio you will be proud to show off to future employers. Her use of personal anecdotes helps the reader truly know what a professional both goes through and what those hiring or accepting are looking for. I never really thought about how much your portfolio evolves with your life, the portfolio you use to get accepted into a masters program and the one you us to get a job are drastically different. Obviously the work will be different but even the way you write and the presentation has to change. While it is important to keep your style and showcase what you like, it is also important to have content that shows the person who is looking to hire you that you can do what they need. Another part that I found interesting was when Taylor said “While it is imperative that you are able to talk potential employers through the contents of your folder articulately and in depth, your core strengths should also be apparent in your absence.” This is definitely important, especially when applying online and a portfolio is requested. You need to explain your portfolio well, but it should also be able to speak for itself through what you present to them. I also found it useful how she said you should start and end on what you feel is your some of your best work in your portfolio. Going off that what really stuck with me was that your “best work” should not just be what somebody else says, you have to listen to your gut. Just because somebody else likes something doesn’t mean that it belongs because at the end of the day you have to be sold on your portfolio and proud of what is in it.
I chose this example after reading because I loved the unique way they displayed their work portfolio. Using previews in the honeycomb pattern was creative and formed one cohesive unit that kept everything together even though the work they do is for so many diverse companies. Although it is not shown in the picture, when you go to their website you can also see a short statement that just explains what they do for someone just coming to the site. Their website is very user-friendly and makes the viewer want to keep clicking.
https://millo.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/14-buffalo-e1547226372924.png
This week’s readings came at the perfect time making them extra engaging and helpful for this point in my life. A portfolio is something I’ve struggled with getting right ever since I entered college and this week I’ve been working hard on trying to make mine perfect. While discussing the different types of portfolios, Taylor in the “professional portfolio” section, states “In order to succeed in a highly competitive market, your portfolio must adequately reflect the needs of your chosen target(s)” (pg 13). This is something not a lot of people think about but tends to be really important for applying to future jobs. Making sure that your portfolio is tailored to the job your applying to provides an advantage and can sometimes be the deciding factor between you and another applicant. At the same time, finding a balance between showing too specifically what you can do and having a wide variety can also be challenging. On page 18 Taylor explains that “if your portfolio shows that you can design for print, digital and or interactive media, you’ll get more work and wider variety of that.” Knowing how to adapt your portfolio for each case and finding a balance is a skill that takes time but will be very beneficial.
The main idea that keeps circulating throughout these readings centers around having a balance in your portfolio. In today’s day and age technology is prominent in job hunting and creating a portfolio. To support this, a quote by a creative director named Judy Wellfare stood out to me. Wellfare states, “A website link can be entered easily into our employment database. CDs get lost in closets, paper gets swallowed by paper” (pg. 112). This quote really backs up the importance of making sure your portfolio is available online somewhere. Having both a hardcopy and a website to back it up is important and in today’s society vital if you’re going to be remembered. Making sure your online profile is easy to navigate but still shows your brand is also very important. One of my favorite website/portfolio layouts is Ron Dadon’s (https://www.rondadonphotos.com/). Her website is easy to navigate but displays her work right away, drawing her visitors to scroll and check out her photos almost automatically. The tabs on her site make each category accessible and easy to find.
https://imgur.com/1AQfd2z
Regardless of whether a portfolio is physical or digital, one of the more important ideas I picked out early in Taylor’s first chapter is that of discretion. She writes “it’s likely that, whether you are a designer or an illustrator, you graduated with a little bit of everything in your folder. It will be necessary to decide which of the areas you touched on during the course of your studies interest you the most” (13), and she then goes on to explain that picking relevant pieces and trying to keep it as fresh as possible. I think what I really like about this passage is that there is little to no focus on what you think is “good” in your portfolio; Taylor is advising to choose pieces that reflect who you are and those that help a viewer understand what you think is important in design. This takes a certain pressure off the artist. Of course, we want all of our work to be as finished and satisfactory as possible, but focusing more on picking pieces that both express your personality and instruct an audience of your purpose and direction proposes a different task (albeit one that still has challenges). Still, the idea that the whole point of a portfolio is not necessarily to show off your best work but your most YOU work is something of a comforting concept. Her assertion that you need only be “around 87 per cent satisfied with whatever you choose to start with—and, for that matter, with everything that follows” (99) supports this idea. Not everybody is going to love every piece of work you put forward, but they will still be able to learn something about you and your skill set in the process.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that a portfolio can be filled with work that is sloppy or unfinished just because one thinks that it well reflects how they operate. The discussion of what NOT to include is also helpful, as well as the reminder to try to be as objective as possible in the selection process. Taylor mentions that many artists/designers leave college feeling confused due to the amount of critiques and suggestions this discipline elicits during the learning process, and she mentions the importance of trusting one’s gut as well. Overall, one of the biggest takeaways for me is that the portfolio itself is not just a place to gather your other work, but it IS a piece of work. Keeping this in mind while choosing its location and included pieces will help to make it cohesive and personal, and treating it like another work of art will also show potential employers or any audience that you have respect for your own work and are thinking about the importance of presentation and perception.
https://i.imgur.com/W7Nf8LZ.png
https://i.imgur.com/uebtezH.png
(Josh Miller’s Online Portfolio)
https://i.imgur.com/qhuQKnj.png
https://i.imgur.com/ve5gGYU.png
(Denise Chandler’s Online Porfolio)
This week’s reading focuses on the creation of a portfolio. Taylor lays it all out for the reader. The author talks about different career paths, print and digital portfolios and how to choose which work could be displayed within the portfolio. The author says “Try to choose samples that best reflect your unique approach to visual problem-solving or image-making” (Taylor 10). I like that Taylor emphasizes this. I believe that it is a great tip when picking out pieces one wishes to show. I also like how the author goes through the benefits of both a print and digital portfolio at the end of chapter 5.
The example I chose is an infographic I found on Pinterest that summarized what Taylor talks about within these chapters. It also includes how to order pieces within the portfolio itself. It explains that one should begin and end with a strong piece. But in the following step it also says to leave the viewer wanting more. In an employment/interview setting this would definitely be a good thing to keep in mind when creating a portfolio. Leave the employer wanting more so they will keep you in mind along with other candidates that they may have in mind for the job. This then leads back to another one of Taylor’s tips saying, keep in mind that there is competition and that one should always be aware of what is happening within the industry that they want to be a part of.
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/93/9a/7b/939a7b55e5db5fceb5e4c397db9e920e.jpg
Fig Taylor gave us great tips on how to create and design a portfolio. This reading was super interesting to me because I am excited to make my own soon. Fig Taylor says it’s important to keep It up to date especially with your style, make It important to you but also to your potential employers, know your target audience. You should pick pieces that are important to you, not just because someone said It was really good.
Taylor encourages people to pick designs and artwork that have meaning to them and say in an interview be able to explain the importance to them and why they created it.
I really like how simple the colors are in these portfolios. I would use both of these inspirations for my own portfolio.
https://creativemarket.com/bilmaw/2550272-Portfolio-Inara?u=bilmaw
https://crmrkt.com/2QyEda
A designer’s portfolio is unique to them, their projects, and their field of design. However, as you transition from a student into a professional, the rhetorical and technical aspects of your portfolio may be subject to change, depending on what your future employers are looking for and the angle you want to present yourself. Portfolios can be assembled either physically or digitally, and can even be interactive. Given that this is a highly competitive market, it is really important your portfolio best fits the audience you are targeting (Taylor p. 13). A common theme/ idea I’ve noticed while doing readings over the semester is the emphasis on trying to find a balance between representing you and your ideas and promoting your aesthetic, as well as altering your work to fit the audience so other people like it, whether it be clients or employers.
One of the basic tips is to not include every project you’ve ever done as a student. Rather than clogging it up with work that isn’t particularly your best, only include your strongest pieces (Taylor p. 98). With this being said, it is also important to be objective and know your strengths and weaknesses, and which pieces display what you’re best. When picking pieces, the golden rule is quality over quantity. Employers want to look at a portfolio that shows the designer has a clear direction, and the pieces execute it. In today’s day and age, digital portfolios are generally a better choice, and easier for the client. However, it’s important the photo resolution, layout, and dimensions are all correct, and your portfolio should be able to seamlessly transition from a laptop to a tablet (Taylor p. 115). The link below is an interactive digital portfolio of Nathan Riley. It had a minimalistic color scheme of black and gold and his projects are organized and are beautifully presented. Even his website alone feels like a work of art.
https://nrly.co/
I wish I had read this textbook a very long time ago. While I have been scrambling to compile this information through online resources, it is so nice to have a compendium of portfolio-based information all put together.
That being said, it was very interesting to compare and contrast what I have learned with what was mentioned in the text. For one thing, almost every resource will tell you that your portfolio should value quality over quantity. And while showcasing a couple of different mediums is good, it reminds me a bit of social media accounts on, say, Instagram – you go to that account for a certain “aesthetic” or brand of content. At first, I was a little disheartened by this idea, but then I realized that one can be focused on a certain image or brand, but they don’t have to be limited by it. Focus is good. It makes a stronger case for why employers should hire someone like you over another candidate. Finding that perfect spot in between is important, and as Lupton put it, “. . . versatility, even within a specialist field, is generally viewed as a virtue. Although some employers are impressed by designers who have their own strong, distinguishable ‘house style,’ many consider this a limitation. Clients, on the whole, favour work that is tailored to their own needs, so a designer needs to be adaptable, able to translate briefs from a variety of clients in ways suited to their individual needs” (18).
Lupton’s analyses of the “Illustration Portfolio” and “Cross-Disciplinary Portfolio” were definitely wake-up calls for me. After all, while I like to create art in many different styles, I have also been in the position of looking for illustrators or graphic artist and found myself both in awe and intimidated and confused by the variety of some portfolios. So being honest about what professional work you would like to dabble in versus what creative mediums you like to experiment with is very important.
Here’s a portfolio that really focuses on one medium, Apple icons: http://icondesigner.net
Another that focuses very closely on one department: https://ivomynttinen.com
A design portfolio “showcases work and takes on different forms depending on the stage a designer or illustrator has reached in their development or career” (Figs). For some reason, a portfolio has always been something that daunted on me because there are so many ways it can be done. However, this weeks reading was very interesting and gave me some tips on how to create a portfolio suited to your specific field and making it portray your work in a creative way. In chapter 4, they mention that simplicity is the best option and I relate to this. I feel that consistency in the presentation of the portfolio is important. Although I feel that sticking to your design persona is key I also feel that tailoring your persona to the future employer is just as important.
I chose to include Jane Song’s design portfolio because of how simple it is and how she keeps her text to a minimum allowing her designs to do all the talking. The pieces she chooses to include are always changing allowing you to only admire a few pieces of work at a time. I think that this is effective because it forces you to choose a few of your best work because people do not have much time for each portfolio so you want your best pieces to be noticed.
https://imgur.com/FsizfEU
These days designers can easily have their work on the internet with a theme, website or a few clicks. Back before the internet, designers had to put together physical, printed portfolios and hope to get an interview so someone would look at their work. These days everyone connected to a device can see your work. Sure, you can put your projects on a website and tweet or share it, but is just being out there enough? Questions I have been asking myself are: How do you want to get in front? What will make your work stand out from the crowd? Through Taylor’s chapters on portfolios, I was able to put some ease on these questions.
First thing I grasped from the chapters, don’t grab everything you’ve ever created, snap a few photos and include it with a title. I must set aside time to go through all of my pieces, exclude anything I’m not proud of or don’t think is my best work. Go for quality, not quantity because the last thing you want is for the viewer to lose a span of attention. But with this, I must remember, no matter how great my work is, the viewer will still only click through a few projects before moving one.
Variation for the viewer. I understand that it is important not to include only one form of design such as website design or illustration. Though this doesn’t mean that everything shouldn’t work together. Once I have the final pieces selected, make sure they’re cohesive, that they form my “brand.” I don’t want my portfolio to look like it’s a group of many peoples’ work. With having design skills and previous work in writing I want my portfolio to show both sides of my work. Below are examples of work that flow nicely but don’t restrain themselves to one style.
https://imgur.com/TYkaAwd
https://imgur.com/bt6RxlW
In this week’s reading, Taylor Fig gives us some extremely helpful insight on how to create a professional portfolio that is both representative of us but also looks impressive to potential employers. One of the most helpful things I gained from this reading is trying to find that balance between keeping your portfolio true to your aesthetic while also making it fit to what your audience wants to see. I feel like this advice is extremely useful when creating a portfolio and also just being a working creative as a whole. I know from experience working for clients, it is all about finding that balance between fitting your own design style and making something that your client wants. I never really thought about taking that idea into the context of portfolio design so reading this was extremely eye opening. Another piece of advice I really took to heart was when she explains how going from the school environment to the work world requires us decluttering our portfolio. As a communications major, I have done countless design projects that throughout college have taken up much of my portfolio. By cleaning these out and having a portfolio of less work, but better quality, I am only making myself look better to future employers. No matter how much you may love a project you’ve done, you must be objective is selecting what is applicable to future employers.
When looking at online portfolio examples, I found myself drawn to Kit Warchol’s portfolio. I think she does a great job of keeping it looking professional and simple, while keeping her design true to herself as a creative. She also limits the amount of work she has on her portfolio to showcase what she is most proud of.
https://i.imgur.com/XHHTfbJ.png