PERFECT YOUR PORTFOLIO - Page 3
You know you're good, but how to convince others? This is where to go to find out how to create that award-winning portfolio that will really help to get you noticed. Learn inside secrets from how to mount and display your work in ways that grab attention, to how to present each piece both physically and visually. It's all here!
SS1 would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to DIGIT Magazine for letting us use their previously published words of wisdom... happy reading!
Present your portfolio
The opportunity to actively present your portfolio during an interview can be scary - but it gives you a chance to add depth to your book.
The director reviewing your book doesn't know what role you played in each piece's creation - so be prepared to offer details of what you did. If you simply claim credit for everything ('yep, it was all mine'), klaxons are likely to start wailing. It says that either you're fibbing about your role, or that you're not a team player.
Be confident Believe in yourself, show enthusiasm about your work, and demonstrate a keen awareness of your subject. Design is an upbeat industry, and you need to be upbeat as well or you won't fit in.
Research the studio you want to work for - pour over their online showreels and portfolios, and understand the types of work and clients they create for. If you can't be bothered to understand your future employer, why should they invest in you? Demonstrate your knowledge by asking questions, and try to match up some of your work with their output.
Follow up It can seem daunting (creative directors really are busy), but it's worth putting in a phone call a few days after a visit to see if the studio need anything else and to thank them for the opportunity to show them your work. You must do this if you say you will - it shows organization and follow-through - essential when working with clients. At least you'll get some feedback on your presentation and portfolio.
Resh Sidhu
On choosing work... The most important part of any portfolio is presentation and impact. The first and last pieces of work are the ones that are always remembered, everything in between is just a blur. So, always open with your best piece of work and finish with your best, create an impact and leave a lasting impression.
On presentation tips... Organization and presentation are crucial - have a clean portfolio with neatly mounted work rather than sheets of paper all over the place. Label each piece of work: title, client and description. Sometimes it's not always obvious what the work is.
Another key reason for labelling work is that it gives you help when talking about your work. The other essential element to your portfolio will be how verbally communicative you are. There is nothing worse than a designer who has little to say about the work they are showing you.
Be passionate, energetic, and creative about what you say; express your ideas, your design process and how you achieved the end result. Although you are showing them your portfolio, they are always looking at you and how you present it.
On portfolio mistakes... Make sure it's well organized. You must put effort into your portfolio so that it stands out above the rest. Most importantly, be confident and talk about your work - don't just show it, explain it. Web designers should have a printed portfolio too. You may not have access to the Internet when attending your interview. Having Web sites printed out and neatly mounted allows you to talk and show the designs. Don't rely on the Internet.
On being impressed... Quality is always better than quantity - don't ram your book with lots of work. Narrow it down to your best eight to ten pieces. Always talk about each design and express how you got to your end result. Being able to articulate your designs and strategy will be a key factor in any interview.
Remember having good work is not enough - you will be accessed on your ability to communicate, express your ideas, and your personality, so practise what you want to say and the answers you want to give.
On getting a first job... Be prepared, get your portfolio ready and looking great, and get your CV done. You're a creative looking for a job, so design a CV that gets you noticed. Once your CV is done, look for agencies you want to work for. It's crucial you do your research to the places you send your CV as this stops you wasting your time and money.
Send it to the right person - you're looking for the art/creative director. Follow up your CV with a call - you might get some advice about the CV. Creatives are normally happy to advise students. Everyone has been in that situation at some stage.
On worst and best portfolios... The best portfolio I have seen is that of a South African graphic designer. Excellent work, talked confidently about it and demonstrated a passion and desire to achieve great things.
The worst portfolio was from a Web designer. He arrived late, out of breath and sweating, no folio, nothing to show online just a disc that he was reluctant to leave with me. No effort, no job!
Resh Sidhu Art director, Skive Creative, www.skivecreative.co.uk
Matthew Bath
