The process of creating and recreating a portfolio is something that really shows off my indecisiveness. I can make decisions regarding product design aesthetics but when it comes to creating a portfolio that represents me... I tend to draw a blank. There are so many interesting graphic design trends out there and different ways to go about presenting my work its easy to get overwhelmed. I have never taken a graphic design class and my knowledge of the subject is poor at best. So, with each new job hunting season I take a look at some nifty graphic design sites for inspiration and guidance and do my best to create my own graphic representation of my work and myself.
I use stumbleupon to find different graphic design sites and interesting posts and it is from this source that I stumbled across this post: 7 Tips For Creating a Print-Based Design Portfolio Even though this post deals with printed portfolio design I feel a lot of the advice carries over to the pdf format prevalent in my major. The advice that the article has to give goes beyond the realm of print and covers problems that all designers face when creating our portfolios.
"As a designer, building a portfolio is by far one of the most challenging tasks that you will ever encounter because there are no set rules. There is no right or wrong way to build a portfolio, only your way" - Nubbytwiglet.com
I found that quote to be particularly poignant, most of the portfolios that I have seen that I though were particularly good were also completely different from everyone else.
-The first tip is to get as much professional work in your portfolio as soon as possible. So far I have zero professional work that I can show. I understand the importance of professional work because its from the real world from real companies that need to sell real products.
-The second tip is to invest in a format that you're passionate about. I like landscape layouts but I don't know how passionate I am about a particular aspect ratio.
-The third tip is to limit the number of projects that you choose to showcase. I already limit what I show, there's no need to throw everything including the kitchen sink at a potential employer.
-The forth tip is that simple layouts are good. I understand this as the work is supposed to be center stage, but I have a hard time marrying originality and simplicity together.
-The fifth tip is to create an order that works for you. I am still struggling with where to place my best project. Some say the front because a potential employer may not flip through the whole portfolio others say the back to leave on a high note.
-The sixth tip is to get feedback. I need to do this more often rather than just going it alone slowly going crazy with the decision to use or not use a drop shadow.
-The seventh tip is the one I like most of all. Accept that your portfolio is never really finished. I am fully aware of this...every day, but its nice to know that my portfolio can always be a little better if I keep working on it.
