portfolios....
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- MLP0
this thread was good. any suggestions for the newbs coming out?
- madirish0
one-page portfolio is my pref. that, of simple one-click to large view of work (think SimpleViewer here) works too. personally, super-tech, over-thought nav schemes for portfolios drive me nuts and really don't read that well, IMO.
good luck.
- ********0
Hello, I would suggest forgetting about having 'a portfolio' and thinking more in terms of collating projects that you expect to be of the most interest for specific appointments/interviews about which you can talk and offer relevant insights. That way your presentation can always be tailored exactly to the client/employer and your narrative stays fresh. If you bolt down a definitive portfolio two things tend to happen... you become dull and repetitive as though reading a script, and you fail to maximise the opportunity of the appointment. I used to have two rules when in employment: 1. Don't collate your portfolio until the morning of the interview. 2. Put something in there that you have never shown anyone before, even if it means doing something in a sketchbook specifically for that meeting. And as someone who looks at portfolios can I also suggest you don't show too much, it gets very boring even with an excellent portfolio. Talk yourself through a portfolio of ten minutes maximum and then have a second batch of work at your feet if they are interested and want to see more.
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- ********0
I would recommend losing the idea of having a portfolio and instead collate a bespoke selection of projects / pieces that are tailored to the intended audience. When I was in design employment I would devise a fresh portfolio for each interview I did. It keeps the presentation and your narrative fresh, and it allows you to create an edit that best suits the opportunity. Interweave printed project sheets with real examples of finished production work if it exists to vary the experience for the interviewer, and never be afraid to show a better visual version then the finished piece, if the project process was compromised in some way for valid commercial reasons. It is often the case that the end result of a live job will differ from your creative best intention. If you speak positively about both and illustrate/explain why the final thing wasn't how you would have chosen to do it it can be more interesting and insightful for the potential employer than just looking through a bunch of finished projects.
- ********0
Damn it, look at that... I posted my first ever post earlier but Safari crashed halfway through posting, so I just now re-wrote it based on my memory and lo and behold both versions have now appeared, revealing contradictions, changes of mind and general inconsistencies. I love it when that happens.