Portfolios - Design Post 4

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    Portfolios are a collection of creative works that showcase your designing and artistic skills. They are put together so that you can showcase your work to prospective employers who will be able to evaluate your composition, typography, generation of ideas, creativity, problem solving, visualization, tech skills, and your overall experience as a designer.

Portfolio Presentations

    In this day and age, the digital age has taken over. Digital portfolios are easily accessed, you can visit them as many times as you need, and they will always be on the internet for one to reference. Print portfolios still exist, and the one characteristic that they provide is the feeling related to actually holding something in one’s hand.

Digital

Tips For Digital Presentations:

    Your work should be showcased, not overpowered.

    Organize your work by categories, and make sure it is legible and readable to show your typography and design problem-solving.

    Include links of your website.

    Easy navigation to contact information including email, and phone number.

    Links to relevant social media platforms.

    Downloadable resume.

    About me section needs to be short and sweet.

    Write clearly and straight to the point. Make sure you use spell check!

    Make sure your typography is outstanding.

Print

    You will need to purchase a presentation binder, case, or bound book, depending on what will be included. This is where all of your designs will be stored.

    A case will be useful if you have a variety of projects including packages or book covers, and a binder or bound book would be useful for everything else.

Presentation Case

                                                                                   Bound Book

Portfolio Content

Present your portfolio with projects that you will be creating in the field you are applying for.

Portfolio Organization

    According to Landa, include these sequences to set up a portfolio:

    Next to best piece first

    Third strongest in the middle

    Best piece last

    No weak pieces

    Or

    Best piece first

    Third strongest in the middle

    Next to best piece last

    No weak pieces

General Graphic Design Portfolio

    For a jr. general graphic design portfolio, Landa recommends providing 4 integrated media projects, each with several component pieces created for a variety of brand, causes, and entities.

Advertising Portfolio

    For a jr. advertising portfolio, Landa recommends providing 4 integrated media advertising campaigns, with each campaign representing ideas generated for and using some of the following media: interactive, print, mobile, outdoor/out of home, ambient, installations, broadcast, vids/animations, and games.

Resumes

    “A resume is a summary of your skill, education, and work experiences for the information of prospective employers” (Landa, 2022).

    Mention your education, awards relating to design, design skills and familiar applications, experience, and any workshops/conferences that you have attended.

Cover Letters

“A cover letter is an introductory business letter that accompanies our resume.

    Address your reader appropriately: Mr., Ms., or To Whom It May Concern, and conclude it appropriately: sincerely yours.

Be brief and to the point.

Do not copy what is in your resume.

Job Search

    Research companies and design artists that you admire then go on the internet and search for job openings. You can also search on indeed.com and other online sources. The newspaper is also not extinct, so you can look in there, as well.

Network!

Research Internships!


The Interview Process

    Be prepared for you interview. Be ready to answer any questions that the interviewer may throw out. You must also be prepared to design a project on-the-spot. You never know what they will have planned.

    Do some research on the company you are applying for. You want to have a bit of familiarity with their history, who does what, and what the company does.

Have a reasonable salary picked out when they ask you what you would like to be paid.

Explain what value you bring to the table, and what makes you unique.

Be courteous, and land the job position!

 

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