In previous articles, we’ve shared many ways to relax after a stressful semester or work week, but what if you wanted to utilize that time to develop yourself? You are in luck! This month we will be sharing content emphasizing ways to use summer to develop yourself. If you are a professional, summertime may not be the same, so we hope you can still utilize these while tips juggling everything else!
Today’s topic will be on portfolios! More specifically, what to realize and plan before starting your portfolio! Whether it’s for school or work, portfolios are a must-have for any creative! It’s a great way to show employers and colleagues your design thinking through content and layout. Just like resumes, fine-tuning your portfolio is important, especially when it’s being reviewed for a position or grad school! Here are 6 things to know before starting your portfolio!
Research Your Target Institution
This is no surprise! Researching your target institution and preparing in advance will give you a competitive edge! Although portfolios are an extension of the designer, it will be beneficial for you to know what will be receptive to the institution at hand. Besides, it doesn’t hurt spending a day or two going through an institution’s portfolio! This could give you more ideas!
Establishing Style
We want to reiterate that portfolios are extensions of designers, just like clothes are to everyone. Everyone has a unique personality that one can emphasize or minimize to tune your portfolio to the institution. This might be the most difficult and where you might end up spending most of your time! I still struggle trying to find what works best for me to showcase my design thinking and character. Many find minimalism the ideal way to showcase projects, but sometimes what if you want to show a flare of color? It’s hard to determine what you’ll be satisfied with, so don’t be afraid to test out different styles!
Number of Projects
It’s important to know the number of projects in your portfolio for a list of reasons, but it’s like looking at a menu with a million choices – overwhelming. Careful selection of your highlighted works will go a long way when it comes to developing your portfolio. Not only that, but you may have several design projects through your design journey, so serving your viewer sparingly, but high quality can possibly get you a conversation!
File Size
With the careful selection of your projects, it’s important to keep an eye on the total size of your document. This is especially critical when applying for positions or grad school since large file size will take a bit of time to load, possibly deterring viewers away. The typical file sizes are between 3 MB – 20 MB; anything above 15 MB is quite large. If you find this an issue, we recommend creating your portfolio with all your works, then slowly cull which projects work best for the situation.
No Right Answer
Ultimately, there’s no correct answer to portfolios because it represents your character, interests, and design-thinking all at once. However, understanding some key elements of your portfolio before getting started will streamline your process and push for further critical decisions in your portfolio. On the other hand, you have the ability to test out endless variations of style, and finding what works best for you will take time.
Spread Size + Layout
Your spread size will play a lot of role in deciding where images or text belong, especially considering if they are viewing a hard copy versus digital. Is there a specific rhythm your spreads create so the audience will know exactly where to look to find something?
We hope you enjoy the first series of this month’s content! Do you have other things you keep in mind before starting your portfolio? If you are feeling really stuck, don’t forget we offer design and portfolio consultations, as well as Ben’s portfolio template! Sharing is caring! We hope to provide you with valuable insights and share them with someone who might find this useful. Make sure to follow our Youtube and Instagram for more content!
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Thank you! Our team takes huge consideration in what we share and how we share it with our audience!