Top Tips for Portfolios.
Your portfolio is an opportunity to show off your creative skills and experience in an engaging and visual way.
Stand out from the crowd.
As a creative professional you live and die by the quality of your design portfolio. It sums you and your work up and is the first port of call for anyone looking to hire or commission you.
It needs to show the breadth of your output, your skills and experience, how you generate and execute ideas – basically your whole creative process.
Prepare it like a project
When you are creating a portfolio, its important to remember to include your best work and try to show a variety of projects that demonstrate the breadth and variety of your experience, skills and knowledge.
Create a PDF of your portfolio with a cover page and title.
Make sure the portfolio has your name and contact details clearly as it may be reviewed without your presence.
Protect your work with ‘All rights reserved’ and copyright marks.
·Only show a small selection of your work with an application, otherwise you will not have any new work to reveal at your interview.
Know the contents of your portfolio well, so you can talk about it with confidence.
Remind yourself about your role in the projects and have examples to discuss of how you provided solutions and created workable designs.
Do make sure your portfolio is relevant and up to date. Avoid including anything which is not your own or you are embarrassed or unhappy about.
Correct spelling and good grammar are essential. Spell check is not enough so look through all the pages in close detail.
Ensure the contents are engaging and relevant to the practice or client.
Introduce your projects and remember to state the size, budget, location and value of a project if applicable or available. This puts the work into context and will help you discuss it.
Make sure all the information, images and text are of consistently high quality, clear and easy to read. Avoid using any low resolution or poor quality images as this distracts from your work.
Show off your creativity
Do not leave the preparation until the day before. No matter what your situation, give yourself time and a deadline for printing and arranging the content as though it was a full Interior Design project. Even if its a digital version you still need time to prepare, review and check.
Do make sure there is a consistent graphic style which suits your personality, but does not overtake or dominate your work.
Be sure of a clear narrative and continuity so that you can talk about your projects in a fluid and confident manner.
Show a variety of skills in different projects that demonstrates the process of design. If you have a large choice of projects then you can demonstrate these skills in a smaller selection.
Make sure you credit all parties involved in a project. Those you name can be good allies and potential referees in the future.
Create an end page, ‘Thank you ‘page or back cover to end the portfolio with your contact details to help with following up.
Do not be tempted to include your photo or your CV with your portfolio as it is a showcase of your design work. Keep your CV as a separate document.
Always make a main copy of your entire portfolio and keep it in your files so you can be sure the information is correct and to save time researching old projects. Create secondary copies of your portfolio designed to suit specific applications.
Update your portfolio with new projects on a regular basis. If you need to request persimmon for images or work from past employers its a good reason to reconnect, network and show you are moving on in your career.
Check the quality
Make sure you know how many versions of your portfolio you have and which one suits which role. Always double check you are sending the right portfolio before you press send.
Try to ensure your sample portfolio is only 5MB - 10 MB in size as there is often a limit in the size of attachments accepted via email.
Don’t sacrifice quality for the sake of sending a larger portfolio.
Treat your portfolio with respect and do not allow access without permission which may require a password online. It is your work and represents an important communication tool for you and your brand.
Keep a record of where your portfolio is featured, if it is online.
Make sure you credit all parties involved in a project. Those you name can be good allies and potential referees in the future.
Always check that your portfolio is ready and viewable before your meeting.
If you have a hard copy portfolio with samples makes sure they are properly secured and won’t move in transit. Always have a digital PDF version available in addition to a printed one, even if it is a photographic record of the hard copy.
Do not leave it to the last minute to download your portfolio or rely on an internet connection to download it at the interview.
If you have created a portfolio link on social media, your own website or on any other platform, check it is working and up to date. Always check before a meeting or interview, and never assume the connection will work in your interview, as these platforms are updated on an ad hoc basis and they can change their rules and parameters.
Feel free to contact us via email if you have any questions about the information above.