Portfolio update

After receiving some much needed criticism from tutors and peers I decided I would spend some more time focussing on my portfolio layout and order. Fortunately, not a great deal was suggested to be changed from what it was. First of all, it was recommended that I did something about the white border around my final pieces. The crop marks I had added gave my final pieces a thin white border. It was suggested that if I was going to use a white border, it should be much thicker, perhaps and inch or two. Rather then this however, I decided to remove the white border completely. This gave my pieces a much cleaner, bolder look, making each piece large enough for anyone viewing my portfolio to see my pieces is full detail. 

It was also suggested that I did something about my packaging brief. It has previously taken up two places in my portfolio, using four final designs. This project is arguably the weakest in my portfolio and so, did not justify taking up so much room. To resolve this I removed two of my designs and filtered this project down to one page. After which I also aligned my final outcomes somewhat more concisely.

Finally, I needed to place my newest brief in my portfolio. I feel that this is without a doubt one of my stronger pieces and adds more variety to my portfolio, but it also more accurately resembles the type of work I prefer to do.

In the end I am pleased with my final portfolio. It starts and ends very strongly, and each project in there holds there own with a place in my portfolio. The order in which they are placed gives my portfolio I smooth flow when looking through. Each final piece is placed large and in high quality so that each detail can be seen.

Portfolio for interview

After much deliberation and work hunting, I was able to create my first draft of my portfolio for my interview on Friday. While my portfolio is by no means as creative as some of the portfolios I have researched, I feel the clear presentation of my best pieces of work is more then suitable for this interview.

As my research suggested, I added some small piece of text just to give each piece some slight context. Without it, the viewer has no reason to think that this piece is going to job it was designed for.

There are some parts of my portfolio that are more developed then others. The Family Explorers work for example, I found that the pages looked far to blank with the logo being as simple as it is, and so, I created and added the background to those pages, constructed using the logo itself. I also, for my Little White Lies piece, created a page showing my creative process throughout that project. I also, as requested, provided my CV, which, once I explain the D&AD project, should hopefully look impressive, putting my ideas into practice.

CV-Update

In preparation for my interview on Friday 22nd March for my top-up year in Creative Practice so that I can achieve a full BA Hons in Graphic Design, I felt it was necessary, as I need to provide one, to update my CV.

When working on my D&AD project, I said from the beginning, I wanted my piece to be something that I could show to a potential employer that both shows that I am available for employment and some of the skills I possess. During that project, I looked at creative CV's and found that many of the them, however designed and illustrated they maybe, were still, generally, sheets full of text. So I thought, what is the point in saying on your CV all the skills you possess, anyone can say that, why not instead, SHOW the skills you possess within your CV.

As such, when I found out I needed to provide a CV for my interview, I immediately thought, why not use my D&AD piece for the purpose it was designed for. As a result...

...I created this. Only slightly different from my D&AD piece, a bit of scaling and moving here and there, the addition of some details but the point of my D&AD piece was that it would not need to be altered very much. From here, I shall be working on, what is essentially, my first draft of my portfolio in preparation for my interview.

What makes a good portfolio?

My final module for the year (excluding PPD which is this blog and Work Based Learning which is the documentation of every detail for placements and live briefs) I am tasked with producing my final portfolio. This portfolio is something I will be using for my up coming interview for my Creative Practice Top-up year, my final show and finally interviews for jobs. My portfolio will act as a display for all of my best work, showing what it is I am capable of, as well as my style of work. I will cover the range of skills I possess, and explain how each piece was a success.

To begin this module, I was given a research task, to look at what it is that makes a good portfolio. I needed to look at examples of portfolios, evaluate them and compile a list of sorts giving tips for the construction of my own portfolio.

Upon completing my research, I was surprised to find the creativity undertaken in the presentation of an individual work. A portfolio is not just a matter of printing out your best work nice and big, on high quality paper, the way you go about presenting each piece further displays your style of work and the skills you possess. One tip I found particularly insightful was that your portfolio should have a strong start, to blow away anyone looking at your portfolio and a strong finish so that they are not leaving your portfolio seeing the worst work that was in there.

From here, I will begin working on a new, self directed project in order to flesh out my portfolio, I will constantly be keeping my mind the tips I have researched, as well as constantly thinking about ways in which to present my work.