SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

Your portfolio is an extension of your creative identity. For clients and potential employers, it is a showcase of your talents and best work. Building a knockout portfolio takes commitment, but the process can be fun and rewarding. The stronger your portfolio, the higher your chances of landing the design job of your dreams.

What’s the best format for presenting your work? How should your portfolio be organized? When’s the right time for a portfolio update? Read through for advice on creating, promoting, and evolving a portfolio of your best work. (Our thanks for the Pro Tips from Sessions College advisory board and department heads!)

CREATE. PROMOTE. EVOLVE.

SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

CREATECONSIDER YOUR FORMATAs you begin building your portfolio, consider which presentation format is best suited to your work. If you’re pursuing a job in photography or graphic design, a print portfolio will be a key component of your job interview. An in-person presentation of your work is what will “wow” the employer. However, for web designers, game artists, and multimedia designers, it’s all about the online portfolio. If your audience will be viewing your work online, that’s where you’ll want to focus your efforts!

Many designers have online and print portfolios with overlapping work. If you’re using the same examples in both portfolios, keep a few fresh pieces on hand for clients and potential employers.

KEEP IT SIMPLEWhichever portfolio format you choose, your work should be front and center. If you’re presenting your portfolio online, don’t get caught up in complicated site design. Unless your personal design style is flashy and loud, keep the interface simple and allow the content to speak for itself. The same principles apply when

compiling a print portfolio: choose a unifying theme for your work and stay consistent with shape and size.

If you’re having trouble simplifying your portfolio, consider your specialized skills. Choose an area of specialization and build your portfolio around that strength.

PROVIDE CONTEXTRemember to give each project a bit of context. Who did you create this project for? What were the goals of the project? Does this project have a unique story? In an online portfolio, you can include mockups and case studies to give website visitors, clients, and potential employers a sense of your process. In presenting a print portfolio, you can personally share the backstory and creative development of a particular project.

PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARDOur advisory board unanimously agreed that a portfolio is about “quality over quantity.” Resist the temptation to include every piece you’ve ever worked on.

Web Designer Phil Martinez naturally chose an online portfolio format to showcase his work.

SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

Pro TipsIMPORTANCE OF PORTFOLIO

“A portfolio plays a huge role in my assessment of an applicant...In many ways it plays one of the largest roles and is far more important to me than where they went to school or what degrees they have.”

—Rebecca Yaffe, Web Designer

“The portfolio is what gets you your job. Words on a resume, credentials, references, these are all last, second to your portfolio.”

—Elizabeth Brenke, Graphic Designer

BEST PORTFOLIO FORMAT

For web designers and game artists, it’s all about the online portfolio. “Actual printed work is cumbersome and doesn’t show me very much of how their web design would look in the environment in which someone would actually see it: online.”

“If the person has print work or fine art work that they want to show me, they can bring that to an in-person interview. But I want to be able to do my initial review online.”

— Rebecca Yaffe, Web Designer

STRENGTHS AND FOCUS

“Be sure to choose an area of specialization, rather than trying to sell yourself as a generalist. Generalist positions are typically geared toward experienced professionals rather than recent grads.”

— Jason Baskin, Game Artist/Animator

Pro Tips

Your portfolio will likely be defined by the weakest piece. It’s better to present a small portfolio with stunning work than a large portfolio with mediocre examples. In an online portfolio, push your best content to the front and keep the site navigation simple. If a person comes looking for your best pieces, they shouldn’t have to dig deep!

PERSONALIZE YOUR WORKAbove all else, your portfolio presentation should be organized and consciously curated. It’s nice to stand out from the crowd, but the portfolio itself should not look gimmicky.

Enliven your portfolio with your personal style. If your work is fluid and round, incorporate these shapes into your design. If your pieces are minimal and geometric, consider a simple, grid-based design.

However you personalize your design, remember to focus your energies on the content. A personalized portfolio is a nice touch, but the viewer should be more aware of your work than the portfolio itself.

Interactive designer Anthony Lombardo personalized his portfolio with the fun, interactive touches you’d expect from an animator.

Illustrator Nayla Smith kept things simple in her portfolio, putting her work front and center.

SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

PROMOTE

TELL THE WORLDSelf-promotion is essential to the portfolio-building process. After compiling and organizing your best work, it’s time to send that portfolio out into the world!

Whether you’re freelancing or employed by a design firm, take every opportunity to promote your work. Blog about your favorite design trends, retweet inspiring pieces of art, and share your most recent projects on a public or personal Facebook page. You don’t just want

people to remember your name—you want them to remember your style!

When it comes to self-promotion, pick and choose the tools that feel right for you. If you don’t like maintaining a blog or tweeting, there are other ways to extend your reach. Search for local design meetups, contribute to online discussions, and always—and we mean always—keep business cards on hand. Check out some great networking resources for designers below:

• Meetup.com - Search for local design

meetups and connect with others in the field.

• Civic Hackathon - An annual event that connects designers and developers with positive community initiatives.

• AIGA events - Local, national, and global design events and competitions.

• An Event Apart - One of many conferences around the world that caters to developers and designers. This one places special emphasis on design and usability!

• Behance - A hosted platform for sharing your portfolio online. Great for those who don’t want to build and maintain their own website.

PROJECT CONFIDENCEIf you find yourself critiquing every piece you’ve chosen for your portfolio, it may be time to step back and do a positive assessment of your creative accomplishments. Read below for tips on overcoming negativity and building confidence in your work:

• Share your experience with other designers - Even the greatest creators have, at some point, questioned

the value of their work. If you’re experiencing a lack of confidence, ask other designers for advice. Not only will they have helpful tips, but you’ll discover a community of people who want to see you succeed!

• Learn to recognize and avoid negative thought patterns - If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, consider what set those thoughts in motion. If you can learn to recognize negative thought patterns, you’ll be able to stop those thoughts before they spiral out of control.

• Write down a list of your accomplishments - What did you study in school? What awards have you won? What lives have you touched? Write down a list of your accomplishments, both large and small, to remind yourself how far you’ve come to get where you are today.

• Complete a challenging task - It feels great to finish something. Solve a problem, wrap up a design project, put the finishing touches on a painting. You may not be totally happy with your work, but you’ll get the energizing benefit of overcoming procrastination and seeing a project through to the end.

SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

“Present your work confidently, if you aren’t proud of it then it won’t impress me either. “

— Elizabeth Brenke, Graphic Designer

“Positivity is HUGE. Being around someone negative or harshly critical just kills creativity. “

— Chad Perkins, Multimedia Designer

“When I speak to a large audience, at a conference or a lecture, I ask how many of the attendees are designers. Those who are eager, or not bored, will raise their hands. Nominally, just a few out of a lot. To which I will say, to those who didn’t raise their hands, you’re wrong. As human beings we are all designers.”

— Andrew Shalat, Graphic Design department head

“Your skill at communicating ideas visually is what appeals to employers. Digital is just the media you will use to do your job.”

— Gregory Marlow, Digital Media department head

BUILD YOUR BRANDDesign management advisor and author Jens Bernsen writes, “The objective of a design policy is making yourself heard and seen in a world of over-communication.”

Your personal brand is the glue that holds your portfolio together—the unifier of your professional and creative identity. A brand isn’t just a logo; it’s also a name, slogan, color scheme, mission statement, and design aesthetic.

When building your brand, aim for a cohesive visual identity that reflects your work as a designer. A wedding photographer might build a brand by choosing a white background for his or her website, stationery, and business cards. This brand could be further supported by an elegant cursive font,

pastel headings, and a simple logo that won’t distract from the key focus of this designer’s work: a couple’s special day.

If you’re just starting out, don’t get caught up trying to invent the perfect slogan or logo. Just focus on a consistent design and layout that will unify your creative work. This brand should be reflected throughout your portfolio, website, and promotional tools.

Brand designs by Brian Carpenter, Stephanie Jones, and Daniel Vasquez.

Business cards by Kyle GilbreathLogos by Malaika Iman and Susan Gerber

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SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

EVOLVE

REFRESH YOUR CONTENTSo, you’ve compiled a portfolio of your best work. You’ve sent that portfolio around to friends, family, and potential employers. Congratulations—you’ve completed the most difficult step of the portfolio-building process! What’s left to do?

Your design portfolio should be treated like a living creation. Just as you grow and change, it should evolve with you. It doesn’t require regular watering (in fact, we’d advise against that), but it does require frequent updates, refinements, and care.

As your share your portfolio with others, it will be judged not only by the quality of work, but also by its recency. Clients and potential employers want to see both great pieces and fresh pieces. If you’re not refreshing your portfolio every few months, people may start to wonder if you’re still working in the industry, or if you’re still interested in design. You’re much more likely to get design work with an up-to-date portfolio!

Try setting a regular schedule for updates, and stick to that schedule. If you’re sharing content via social media, commit to a time of day or a day of the week to update your

blog, Facebook page, or Twitter feed. Otherwise, choose a day of the month (or one weekend every few months) to review your portfolio with a critical eye. Add new pieces, remove outdated pieces, and watch your portfolio evolve!

RESPOND TO FEEDBACKWhen it comes to evolving your portfolio, remember that you don’t have to work alone. In fact, every professional designer should be able to accept (and grow from) critique. Frequently ask for

feedback and be willing to incorporate that feedback into future portfolio revisions.

Take note: You may receive feedback that is unhelpful or contradictory. For example, one designer loves the background colors on your website; they’re contemporary, edgy, and bold! Another designer dislikes the background colors; they’re just too distracting! You can approach unhelpful or contradictory feedback in the following ways:

• Request specific feedback to avoid overgeneralized critique. “What do you think of the orange color scheme?” is a more focused question than “What do you think of my portfolio?”

• Consider the source. When you receive feedback, ask yourself, “Is this a person whose design aesthetic I like or trust?”

• Make a choice and stick with it. Because everyone has different tastes, you may have to pick and choose whose feedback you incorporate into your portfolio revisions. Make a decisive choice

SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

“Have a willingness to learn. Understand that you do not know everything and you have a lot of growth ahead of you [....] Be approachable. Be a hard worker. Be willing to go the extra mile. Stay curious. Stay creative. [...] It’s good to show that you can do whatever is asked/needed of you, but focus your work on the type of job you want.”

— Elizabeth Brenke, Graphic Designer

“Equally important as your portfolio and your skill level is your maturity, your demeanor, your willingness to accept you still have things to learn and your level of knowledge about the company you are interviewing with.”

— Rebecca Yaffe, Web Designer

“Practice. Always practice, regardless of if someone has hired you to or not.”

— Chad Perkins, Multimedia Designer

“Specialize in the aspect of art that you are most excited and passionate about. Be self-critical, and consistently push yourself to keep learning and improving your work.”

— Jason Baskin, Character Rigger and Animator

now. You can always reconsider during your next portfolio review.

Remember, you’re the creator! Focus on creating great pieces and accept help as you edit and refine. It can be difficult to cut pieces you care about from your portfolio, but if they don’t work with your overall vision, it’s important to let them go.

BRUSH UP YOUR SKILLSRic Grefé, Executive Director of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), says the following about progressing in the design industry: “The way for individual designers to increase their value and compensation is through consistent training and professional development.” (Source: AIGA 2010 Salary Survey).

Though many design fundamentals never change, design technology is moving forward at a rapid pace. It’s important to keep your skills current, both through practice and through study. A willingness to learn new skills is just as important as a willingness to accept critique.

Even senior designers must remain aware of changing technology and changing consumer trends. Follow relevant design blogs, take an online course, and involve yourself in community forums. Remember that you can always learn from others. If you try to hoard your knowledge, you’ll miss out on essential learning opportunities.

THINK TOWARDS THE FUTUREAs you continue to refine and evolve your portfolio, try to imagine your ideal future in design. Would you like to pursue 3D animation? Do you dream about editing music videos for your favorite band? Would you rather design a website for a popular nightclub or a small yoga studio?

As you imagine your design future, tailor your portfolio to that vision. Your tastes will change over time, and your portfolio should be updated to reflect those changes. Your portfolio represents not only the work you’ve done, but the work you hope to do!

Check out these Sessions College graduate portfolios for inspiration:

PHIL MARTINEZ DESIGN www.philmartinezdesign.com ELEGANT GRUNGE www.elegantgrunge.com

QUEENSWEBDESIGN www.queenswebdesignandgraphics.com

CURIOUS INK www.curiousink.ca KYLE GILBREATH www.kylegilbreath.com

JOSH JACKSONwww.906graphics.com

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SESSIONS COLLEGE FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

Pro Tips from our advisory board and department heads

Jason BaskinCharacter Rigger and Animator

Elizabeth Brenke Senior Designer, Phillips Design Group

Chad Perkins Filmmaker and Multimedia Author

Rebecca Yaffe Creative Director

Gregory MarlowDigital Media department head

Andrew Shalat Graphic Design department head