Too many hats?
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- JamesThomson
If you can do both illustration and design, should you specialize your portfolio for one or the other?
I'm having trouble getting hired and starting to get the feeling that if you do more than one thing you're blackballed as a "jack of all trades..."
Any other multi-hatters out there?
- monNom0
it depends where you want to go. One big shiny hat can help people understand exactly where you fit. Many hats will probably help you in higher level positions or when running your own stuff.
If you get the feeling that it's a problem, try specializing your portfolio and keeping quiet about the other stuff... see if it makes a difference.
- r3mote0
I'm in the same boat - do illustration + brand + website + print. I think that your abilities in many different fields would suit a smaller agency where they need everyone to chip in on all manner of projects/tasks. Unless you want to specialise in a specific area I'd keep your folio multi disciplined...
- JamesThomson0
Too hard to choose! All my old-school design heroes (bauhaus, etc) seemed to see design, fine arts and photography as all just "image making" , but it feels like the big-money studios today want you to fill a more specific role.
- r3mote0
Aye, that's true on both counts. Big studios are big enough to take on people who specialise. There are plenty of boutique agencies out there who covet multi skilled people though.
- Stugoo0
I cross the board from design through to technical, I've found, a major advantage in a small and large agency.
having a broad skillset is really handy but I mostly specialse in front end develoment....
- imnotadesigner0
I design, I art direct, I illustrate from time to time, I mock things up, I install software, I do press proofs too, and I photograph.
Im working on getting my own company off the ground but Im going to have one business set up for my photography and another set up for my creative/design work.
I feel that if you come across as "doing it all" although you're great at everything, people may lack confidence in your abilities because you don't focus on any one area.
So I would certainly have 2 portfolios in your case
- chossy0
I have found that people have been very impressed that I can do many things. Especially in todays worry-some times people want to get someone in who can do lots of things so they don't need to hire many people to do the jobs.
- eating_tv0
James, you have a good point. Doing too many things might dilute your capabilities aswell. For example, I used to script PHP aswell as do graphic design. At one point I was only scripting PHP (did this for a year or two) and was not only increasingly unhappy with the boring chore, I was also wasting time scripting instead of building up experience in the graphic design field.
I think it's important to make really hard choices. You can do more than one thing, but don't necessarily advertise it. Focus on the things you like best and do best. The ones that in five years time will still be enjoyable and give you the most fulfillment. In my case that turned out to be anything -but- webdesign. More specifically; graphic design, illustration and motion design. I can still build websites but no way in hell i'd do it for a client. Let alone script complex CMS systems, i'm through with those!
THEN it's easier for yourself to show off a hat or multiple hats. Because you not only love those hats better but for others it will be easier to pinpoint exactly what it is you do and do best. Added to that; remember that "from what you do, you'll get more". Meaning; if you are designing websites for a month it's probably you'll be doing that next month too instead of doing some illustration.
So for me it was cutting down on the possibilities and really sifting out the things I liked doing best.
- In short; multiple hats is fine, just not too many. I'd say 2, max 3.eating_tv
- True. Fair enough.JamesThomson