Portfolio - Done and Dusted!

Taking what I wrote for my CV and Cover letter, adding annotation and appropriate work from both my time at uni and before, as well as putting in a few nice transitions between pages, and I think I'm finally done.

For reference, here's my CV and cover letter pages, which now actually start the portfolio off, and retain the same theme, so as not to appear to "tagged on".

I keep it light and formal so avoid the standard pitfalls of looking and sounding identical to everyone else. I'm confident I capture all the relevant information and feel I represent myself well. Keeping the same style for these helps tie the whole thing together, and set the whole thing off as a nice, polished and well presented package. I have fallen in love. Again. It's just a shame it's only a mock application! Although I suppose in the real world, it wouldn't stand a chance! Still, it's been a great experience putting it all together, and certainly sets the scene for future adaptions and new designs.

Unfortunately, Blogger doesn't allow me to upload .swf files, so I can't post the finished thing here. But if you're reading this then chances are you've already got it anyway, so I suppose there's no need!

Adding More Images

Another idea I've had, as I wish to be a little different from the countless other applications they receive, rather than simply state "ABOUT ME" or "MY WORK" or "CONTACT" for each page, I'm going to ask the viewer a question, which each page will then answer in the form of it's content.

What I mean is, instead of saying "ABOUT ME", I'm instead going to ask "Who Am I?" in trying to anticipate the question the person reading will no doubt be asking. Instead of "MY WORK" I'm going to ask "What Can I Do?", instead of "CONTACT" I'm going to ask "How Can You contact Me?" and so on, you get the idea. Immediately, I feel this forms a kind of connection with the viewer, standing out, but for the right reasons, and makes it look like I'm thinking out the box a little.

Anyway, putting everything together so far to demonstrate what I have in mind and how my page images look with the colour scheme and page headers, I did a few tester screens...

Starting to REALLY like my portfolio now, and feel it's looking better and stronger each time I fool around with it! And I've not even added any actual work yet!

Portfolio - Final Design... for now...

Spent alot of time recently concentrating on my work and really trying to nail the look and vibe of my portfolio. It has to look right, has to represent me as a designer, and has to stand out and look vibrant, dazzling, relevant.

Adapted my main colour and theme a little, as you can see here...

Which is a little more artistic and cool, has a nice urban feel to it too, which i want to retain.

Had a bit of a huge scan for other artwork and images too, seeing what stood out to me, what colours and styles I liked the look of, looking for both ideas and inspiration.

The following images really hit home...

I especially liked the scheme of the last one, with the neatness of the white BG playing an un-intrusive host to the dynamic colour mix of the main figure. In general, I liked how the vibrant colours worked well within their given contexts, and helped the content, be it text or images, really stand out. In a nutshell, that's what a portfolio should do, so I went back to work on my design and reworked a few of the ideas I now had.

Here's what I came up with as the final kind of layout design and colour scheme...

Each section would still retain the now lot less boring colour scheme of the original layout, with each one taking you to a different page. I might even make it so that InDesign uses these as actual buttons to take you to each section.

The idea will be to have a block on the right of each colour in turn, with the relevant writing and images upon, crossfading smoothly between each one. This will take a lot of work in InDesign no doubt, something I don't yet now how to do, but for now, I'm quite happy with the basic backbone of my portfolio.

Building my Portfolio - Taking and Manipulating my Page Images

Carrying on from my last idea then, I went and took a few photos of what I wanted, and messed around with them in Photoshop to try make them all a little more creative.

I used the vectoring technique I've done a few times, which I thought was a good way of showing them my own kind of style and strengths, which is kinda what the whole point of a portfolio is all about anyway.

Here's what I came up with, the photos i shot and the manipulated vectors that I came up with...

If nothing else, it was nice to sort out my bad hair day...

I feel the images tie up each page of the portfolio in a stylish, creative way, and help bind it together adding to the overall theme. Now I'm gonna play around with the style a little more and get it locked down!

Building My Portfolio - Page Specific Images

As I wish to do something a little different with my Portfolio and try and stand out a bit more, I thought I'd spice up the predictable traits a little.

Basically I want to add an accompanying image to each section, something that is both relevant to the portfolio, but done specific to it so it shows all the work I've put in, in a style that reflects what I can do, and also adds a little surprise, a little humour, a little unpredictability.

After making my sections then, which included 5 separate ones, the Intro, the About Me, the Previous Work, the Latest Work, and the Contact page, I thought about which images I could use to add life to them all individually.

The "Intro" image idea was easy, I thought of a guy begging for a job, with a sign maybe? "About Me", maybe a spotlight or mugshot perhaps? "Previous Work" could be something simple, like a guy holding a portfolio out or sat at a computer. "Recent Work" could be like a brainstorm or idea popping into my head. And "Contact Me" could be a guy holding a phone ready to be called.

The idea was to take photos of myself doing these things, then do something special with them. Having them all in the same style, and one that matches the theme of my portfolio would tie the whole thing together nicely I think.

Just for sheer design and layout purposes then, I found a few images online that were similar to what I was after, and stuck them into my basic working pages, acting as filler images until I took and manipulated my own photos...

Portfolio - Starting From Scratch

Started playing with stuff on screen, moving shapes around, testing layouts and what not. From the many examples I looked at, I found the most effective ones had deceivingly simple layouts, as often it was the images that added the extra level of complexity, so I'll worry about that later and keep it simple for now. So at this point, I don't want to over complicate things.

Colour was a strong factor too, when used correctly, and I noticed how efficient it looked when designers colour co-ordinated their pages for different things, something I think I might do too. Also, it's not yet time to worry about how much work I'm actually going to include in my portfolio, at this point I just want to get a basic layout down, and take it from there.

Messing around with InDesign, Photoshop and a few sketches, I came up with the following VERY BASIC page layout, which is BY NO MEANS my finished design, just something that illustrates my first ideas, and literally gets SOMETHING down on page to play with and build upon...

Hell, it's a start at least...

Building My Portfolio - A Few Early Sketches

I thought the first step in designing my own portfolio, before content, before theme, colour, style, etc, is just to nail a basic layout. I did a bit of doodling and made a few sketches...

 This one would be a very basic layout, with links down the side, images on the right and a signiture banner across the bottom, perhaps with my email and blog on. Simple and basic, perhaps too much so. Then again, I don't want to create too much work from myself within a program I'm still getting to know.

 The link in this one would be horizontal instead, image still on right, but name down side. I thought the bars on the left could be different colours maybe, each one in turn providing a link to some other page. Although quite how I would make thaqt work in InDesign is beyond me at this point.

Again, alot more basic, and while these sketches all look very simple, the intention is to make each part of them alot more creative. This creativity will feed from whichever theme or style I chose to go with, and not be just the standard coloured shapes you see here. In other words, they'll look a lot better I promise, haha!

I could sketch until my pencil wore down, but I think the best thing to do is just get on InDesign and fool around...

Portfolio Progress - More Research

In order to help gain knowledge for my attempt at making a portfolio, I took a look at some books which helped me get a much better understanding of what a good portfolio will contain.

Building Design Portfolios - By Sara Eisenman

A nice guide to presenting your portfolio, focusing on the fact that it's the first step, the initial look into the minds eye of any designer. Essentially where we all begin our real careers. It clearly establishes that making an effective portfolio is an art itself, and for any designer is an essential skill for survival. It's quite clear in its points of giving you the right tips, knowing full well the importance placed in an effective one, in how it could make, or indeed break your early career.
 
Although I obviously couldn't read the whole thing, the main things that stood out to me were the interviews and segments written by actual professionals who have designed their own portfolios and those on the other side of the table who have looked at loads of them, which was a great way of seeing what works, and what clearly doesn't.

The next book I looked at was Designing a Digital Portfolio - By Cynthia L Baron.

Another useful book that had some really good points that I took from it. It fully recognises the changing environment and technological changes that may affect your created portfolio, and addresses each aspect accordingly. Alot of it wasn't as relevant to me as it might be to someone else, ie: talking about aiming your work at different audiences, which doesn't really apply to me as I can only target the one, but it was useful in how it helped me visualize how to organize, design and present my work. The key is to get noticed and stand out from the crowd, and the theme running throughout emphasised this.

Last but not least, I checked out "Design Matters - Portfolios" - By Maura Keller

This was probably the best of the three, and something I may purchase myself after this module concludes. It states the obvious but in an insightful way, stating a good portfolio is a direct path to increased salary, which stands to reason when it comes down to getting a great job or not. It defines the core elements of self promotion through portfolio creation and provides the insights graphic designers need to showcase their work in unique and creative ways. Even more effective are the case studies it contains that show the different techniques designers use to create successful portfolios for different audiences and even the results. 

All in all I have a much better understanding now of what is expected of my portfolio. As We're still new to all this, I've still got lots of questions and loads more to learn, but I think the best thing now is to sketch out some ideas and get busy putting my pixels into practise!

Task 4 - Portfolio

With each task nailed so far, I was left with coming up with my actual portfolio, and started to think about how to make it. I checked a few resources, literal and online, and found a few good sources of information that helped loads. This one website in particular was especially inspirational...

http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/impressive-graphic-designer-portfolios/

Some of the Portfolio designs on there are insane, and as daunting as they are inspiring! Where applications for graphic jobs differ and stand aside from those for normal jobs, is that standing out in a crowd takes a whole new meaning, as different graphical engineers all fight for attention with their freshest and finest work, all their creative ideas channelled into one single portfolio, whose initial appearance can make or break their entire application.

Not all of the designs however were from individual designers, so now it seems less daunting, given that the ones for companies will no doubt have had a team of experts working together to form the look and style, as well as making up the varied bulk of incredible work within.

As I'm nowhere near that level, I can't hope to compete with some of the examples on offer. BUT, that should no way mean I should sell myself short, and still have to put my every effort into my application like I would if I was on the same level already.

Some of the examples that really stood out for me are as follows..

FORM TROOPERS

 What I like about this one is how organised it comes across as being, yet in a unique and stylistic way. You can see how it would run throughout, with a certain sophisticated yet urban elegance that no doubt reflects it's designers style well.

JOE NYAGGAH

Basic in initial appearance, but no doubt filled to the brim with content. I love how it's simplicity belies its novel appeal, and instantly shows you the designer's individual style and most favoured art form. Strong yet not overwhelming colour scheme. Elegant.

PIKABOO

Very cool and colour co-ordinated, with simple and highly effective layout and treatment. Has urban undertones yet an impressively high end digital feel to it, gives an insight into the type of work the company does.

BRAD CANDULLO

Love how original and unique this looks, catches the eye before you even read a word. I also like the designer's way off injecting his own personality into his portfolio, with a little bit of humour. I bet with countless applications arriving day by day, employers can easily grow a little bored looking at the same old stuff, so when one comes along like this that has a little character, it makes a refreshing change, and stands out in a positive light because of it. Which can only be a good thing for a potential job interview!

I'll look at a few more designs before finally putting pen to paper and fleshing out some ideas, but so far this has been a great look at a few stellar pieces, all of which have helped me see where to aim for now.

My Plan of Action!

Following on from my self-reflection then, it's time I made some smart decisions, or more specifically SMART decisions, about where I go from here.


GROW


Firstly, I need to develop my skills. In order to become more versatile and suitable for all the varied jobs out there, I need to learn more knowledge about more programs. Right now I’m nowhere near having the level of expertise that the jobs I’ve been looking at demand, and I’d like to hone my skills as best I can, in as many relevant programs as I can in order to become more flexible, versatile, and capable as a designer, and basically have nothing holding me back.


NETWORK


I need to become a better, more sociable networker, and stop letting confidence issues get in my way. Building up contacts and relationships with the people who move the industry forward is obviously a vital component of success in the field, and this is something I’m good at, but only when pushed. When I know someone, I become really close to them. When I don't, I'm alot more cautious. I need to become more self-motivating and sociable in this area if I’m to have any realistic chance of success.


BURST THE BUBBLE!


I need to spend much more time paying good attention to the world around me and more specifically in my area of expertise. Follow websites, developments, artists who interest and inspire me, and start putting my finger more and more on the pulse. Living in a bubble will only get me so far.


INSPIRE MYSELF


I need to stop being afraid of the world around me and my place within it, like I don't have a right to be a part of anything, and realise that i actually DO, and CAN make it a significant part at that. I should start thinking bigger, outside of the box, branching out and make a name for myself. By doing this I think my work will start to be recognised more and more, which can only lead to more exciting opportunities down the road. Hopefully, my work will one day speak for itself though. But it won't happen without MY efforts.


GET UP TO SPEED


I should really put more time and effort into getting to know the the iindustry itself, from both a practical and professional level. Take more time to look at my peers work, artists whop are already established, trends that have caught on, advances in technology, instead of waiting for all that stuff to come to me and magically appear. I think I need to look at my chosen field in a realistic, professional way, as it’s now sinking in that one day I might actually have a place in it, and it’s up to me to make it as great a one as I can. Realistic expectations and career aims from becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the industry will only help me make smarter, and better decisions about where I want to be, and where I wish to aim for.


This entire exercise has indeed opened my eyes to so many things, things I've casually ignored for way too long, and has helped me gain a better grip on the graphic world around me. It's no longer as confusing and bewildering as it once was, and now just seems an entirely realistic area with which to spend my working days! what was once quite scary, is now a lot more appealing.

Self Reflection

Time to think realistically now, and look myself in the mirror and see what areas I have to improve on in order to become a success down the road.

MY STRENGTHS


Good Ideas

- I feel I can come up with decent, manageable and creative ideas with good speed and relative ease. Usually, by the time a briefing ends, I already know what I'm going to do in my head. That's not to say I only have one and go with it, on the contrary, but at least I have SOMETHING to go on, where I realise alot of other people struggle. I think in the real world, this would prove a vital asset, particularly with short turnarounds in projects, where time is of the essence.


Great Group Member/Team Leader


- I think I've got a pretty good personality and sense of humour, both vital when dealing with the public and clients. As part of a team I always put in more than my fair share of work and as a leader I'm really good at running a group and making sure the right tasks can be allocated to the most effective people. I think this would translate well into working as part of a team with a company for example.


Really Dedicated


- Whatever the task, I will not stop until it has been completed to a high standard. I've put in all nighters before on projects, and I don't mean when it's the night before and I haven't done it yet. I mean I love what I do and can literally lose myself in my work sometimes, getting quite obsessed at times. Obviously, if this was an actual real world project, that would mean it would get done with the utmost speed and efficiency.


Perfectionist


- I tend to set a high level for myself, and am not satisfied until it is reached. It might take a little longer to get there, but the results always justify the extra time and effort made.


Passionate


- I love the field I'm heading for, and the more I see the more I wish to create myself. I think success in any industry is governed by the love you have for it going in, and unless you really enjoy doing something, you won't get as far as you might like.


MY WEAKNESSES

Lacking Skills


- Just looking at many of the job positions out there, it's clear I don't have anywhere near enough skill or experience to even think about getting the jobs. This is something I'd like to build, and something that will no doubt come with the rest of my degree. Ideally, I'd like to be well versed in every aspect, program, or technical field that might play into my intended career path.


Bit of a lone wolf sometimes


- Sometimes, I tend to stick to myself more than I really should. Like do alot of work by myself instead of with others. It's good in that I can work well alone, but bad in the sense that it's taking too much comfort in working in a bubble.


Lack Motivation


- Sometimes, be it through self doubt or general laziness, I lack the motivation to do what I know I should, at the level it should be done. All too many things prove somewhat of a distraction, and as a result I don't fully commit to the task in hand as soon or as deep as I should. I have a bad tendency of leaving vital things to the last minute, becoming over confident in my ability to get things done in a shorter time frame.


Self Doubt


- My Achilles heal. I'm all too quick sometimes to knock myself down when I really should start believing in myself and my ability. It's not always about being the best, it's just about doing what you enjoy and doing it as well as you can. But it also stops me taking my ideas out of the box and onto a bigger scale, as I think the world just doesn't want to hear it. Getting deep now, and unlike a shrink you don't get paid to listen to me moan, haha, so I'll wrap it up and start thinking about my plan of action, what needs to be done!

Task 3 - CV Cover Letter

In order to beef up my application and make it as good as it could possibly be, I checked out some resources for how to best write CV's and Cover letters.

It's actually amazing how many sites there are online that help with this kind of thing, no real surprise given how in demand such knowledge is, but in general they all said the same kind of things and gave the same kind of examples for layouts etc. I think for design jobs though, it's a little different. Obviously, they don't have to look neat and tidy, and when attached to your portfolio, should suit the style set therein.

Us designers tend to break the rules a little, and so I think the rules for generic CV writing don't necessarily apply to design jobs. That being said, some rules are set out for a reason, and I think it's still better to have a degree of professionalism in anything that is submitted.

From what we've been told however, we're more likely going to get an interview based on the graphical strength of out portfolios, and not so much our working experience or initial cover letter, and while this may form the backbone of our applications, it still needs to be presented in such a professional and manageable way that our attitude and work ethic shine from it.

My intent is to merge both my CV and Cover Letter in with my portfolio, matching the design and hopefully making the flow from one to the other as seamless as possible. Using the knowledge I've gained from tutorials, tutor feedback, and online resources, I shall try and write my cover letter and CV with all relevant information and key attributes, yet still keep in mind the target employer who it will be intended for, in my case, a less serious, almost formal but still classy and thoroughly professional work environment.

I'll do a few drafts before adding it to anything set in stone...

Visit to The Workshop

As part of the module we were given the chance to visit local design company The Workshop, one of the Top 50 UK design and learning consultancies, based in our very own steel city!

The idea was for us to come and speak the team there about what they do, like how they approach client work and the way they promote themselves in the real world. It was a great chance for us to see how the work we produce now on our course might one day translate to client-led, real-world design. It was a great insight into the business, on a practical level, and helped answer the many questions everyone had about where we all might fit in one day. I think everyone left with a much better idea of how to get noticed and begin our careers in the industry!

Research - Checking Out Some Killer Literature

Where best to check out uidence and opinion from the people who have been there, done that, and in most cases, lived to tell the tale? In books, where else?

Pam gave us a link to a great piece of literature by one Adrian Shaughnessy, titled "How to Be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul". I took a look at the publication, and actually ended up buying it!


So far I'm only about a third of the way through, but so far I've found it provides a fascinating, and at times brutally harsh look at the graphic design world, and finding your place within it.

I've found that although Adrian loves to name drop and show off a little about all the people he's worked with over the years, (and to be fair, why the hell not, I WOULD!!! Haha!) his insight into the pro's, con's, mistakes and pitfalls prove invaluable. I've learnt things about the business in the short time I've been reading that I never, ever knew, and while it does prove a little daunting at first, his wisdom and experience is something that rings home as stone cold truth. It doesn't so much teach you the tricks and gimmicks, but more like the philosophy of the business of being a commercial artist. It's been a great read so far, and I'm hooked and can't wait to read the rest!

Some other books I've checked out are

Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business - By Joy Deangdeelert Cho, which appeals to a wide range of designers, from illustrators and photographers to graphic makers and animators, focusing on how to build a successful business by doing what you love. Granted, it's much easier said than done, but the book has great tips and hints on everything from creating a standout portfolio to dealing with legal issues and what not of starting a business. Definitely my next purchase, I couldn't put it down at the library, and must have spent a good 3 hours reading through it!

Also on my "TO BUY" list is Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets For Designers - By Shel Perkins,  a consise documentation on th ebusiness side of graphic design, something that we, as aspiring artists are all to quick to ignore the in's and outs of. In order to be a success however, it's important to pay close attention to how the business works, and from what I read, this book seems very precise and detailed in it's reflection of the business side of things. If the student loan stretches a tad further, I shall be purchasing this one too in the next week or so.

Maybe I'm getting a little carried away buiying all these resources, but I just wish to know all I can about the industry I hope to be making my living in the near future, and I figure I'd rather have too much informatin than too little!

A Closer Look at STINK DIGITAL

In order to get to know the company a little better, I headed off to their website to check them out.

While at first I wasn't familiar with them by name, on checking out their work I realised I WAS familiar with their projects. The sign of a great design company, someone whose work speaks for themselves.

They're an interactive production house, full of back-end developers, front-end developers, Flash developers, designers, directors, animators, digital producers and film producers. Deep breath. They make everything from live-action film and animation to campaign-led microsites, web apps and mobile phone apps, but where they really specialise is in advertising, film production, animation, motion graphics, web design, and last but by no means least, web development.

Pretty much everything they make gets covered in awards, two that I've actually seen before, the Phillips "Carousel" and Nike "Write Your Future" promotions. Just watching the back list of projects and short films on their website is just a clinic in how great a company can be when it's work ethic, talent pool and general standard of shit hot work is bang on.

Some of their most amazing pieces of work as below...

Phillips "Carousel" - http://labs.tribalddb.nl/Cinema219/

Nike "Write Your Future" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBZtHAVvslQ

Asos - "Urban Tour" - http://www.asos.com/urban-tour/

Task 2 - Looking For Jobs

Here goes then! Something we all have to do at some point, and something many graduates delay as long as they can... time to look for a job!

I checked out a few websites that I was already familiar with, and some that were recommended to use by the tutors, Creative Pool, Design week, Motionographer and Media Guardian, and there was actually more than I expected. It seems there's a lot of demand for motion designers, for a varied range of motion animated projects, all over the globe. I actually got quite excited about the prospect of actually applying for one of them legitimately one day! Many required experience and skills that we don't yet possess, but realistically, it's just a matter of time before we have them, so why aim too low?

For the point of this module though, the idea was to be realistic to a degree, something that was attainable, not something that was way too far ahead.

I found a fair few, all with their own pros and cons, good points and bad points, but in the end I thought I'd keep it relatively simple and aim for something I think I could really enjoy, really do well in, and really stand a chance of getting shortly after finishing my degree.

The job I chose is here...
http://motionographer.com/jobs/jobs/motion-design-3/

...which is for the role of a Motion Graphics Intern for Stink Digital, based in New York. The details of the job speak to me in volumes, working closely with producers and developers to produce high end digital design solutions and interactive concepts. It would be my task to bring to life concepts and ideas, internet based and cutting edge, ideas that should appeal to an international audience on an incredibly creative scale.

One look at their many websites and they certainly do know their stuff, with some truly fantastic designs on hand developed by their team. Just the chance to be a part of that is exciting beyond belief, and I think I could learn so much from them. I need to stop thinking this is actually real and remember it's just a brief, haha!

The job does require skills in After Effects, which we're learning more and more each day, as well as Cinema 4D, Maya or 3D Studio Max, all of which I've heard about but not yet had the pleasure of dissecting. I'm sure however that by the time such an application is realistic for me, I will have all the necessary skills with which to apply with confidence!

what really spoke to me about the company though, was at the end of the job post...

"You’re passionate about current industry trends and developments;

Recognize the fun, freedom, responsibility, inherent challenge and long-term benefits of getting involved with a fledgling but very promising company on the ground level.

Music lovers, film geeks, video gamers, culture nerds and whiskey drinkers welcome!"

They sound like my kind of people!I can geek it up and drink whisky with the best of them! Usually at the same time! Ahem, sorry, forgot I was supposed to be acting professional here... but yeah, not only is the work they show fantastic, but just imagining helping to design that while having such a great time working with such like minded kindred spirits is just ideal, a dream come true in a sense. And in New York too?! The chance to travel the world and live, sleep, eat and work among different cultures speaks volumes to me, and is certainly something I'd like to see myself doing when I'm let out into the wild to fend for myself!