Things to consider when making a portfolio

The art of selling yourself…

Transcript

1. www.et-sons.com contact@et-sons.com @et_sons / @e_zvirgzdins
2. Associates, Partners et Sons is a graphic design studio based in Riga, Latvia. It was formed in January 2010 by Edgars Zvirgzdiņš after graduating from Graphic Design course at University of Brighton. Featured: Creative Review / One by One book / Dizaina Studija / Deko / Diena / Ir / Project Baltija / Latvijas Architektura etc. Studio is currently working with architecture, culture and music based clients, sharing an office with 1plus1 architect studio and collaborating with friends across Europe. Awards: Latvian Association of Architects Award 2010 Shortlisted at Adwards 2010
3. THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING A PORTFOLIO
4. WHAT IS PORTFOLIO? portfolio |pôrt¬fōlē¬ō| ¬ a large, thin, flat case for loose sheets of paper such as drawings or maps. ¬ a set of pieces of creative work collected by someone to display their skills, esp. to a potential employer.
5. WHAT WILL IT DO FOR ME? It is your key component to get: ¬ a job or commision ¬ a place in University ¬ your work into galleries ¬ publicity After your personality, it is the second most valuable tool that you posess to help you find a job — A.Shaughnessy
6. THE ART OF SELLING YOURSELF ¬ Know your audience at the other side of table ¬ Know what you want: what work do you want to do, do you have the work to show that you can do it — you are more likely to be commissioned for the kind of work you have in portfolio. ¬ Be selective: a good portfolio can contain up to 15 pieces of work, but show them off depending from audience / atmosphere / time considerations of the meeting or interview
7. THE ART OF SELLING YOURSELF ¬ Create a flow: portfolio presentation should be like a story with impressive start and ending. There will be times when you drop off a portfolio and don’t talk through the person who views it — make it work without you! ¬ Keep it clean & simple: your work in portfolio should speak for itself. You will be judged for work as well as for your presentation! Make a grid, lay everything out neatly, presto! ¬ Devil is in the detail: pay attention to the small things. ¬ Push yourself to create good work: obvious one
8. WHAT KIND OF PORTFOLIO? ¬ Printed ¬ PDF [JPEG] ¬ Website ¬ Network
9. PRINTED PORTFOLIO ¬ Format: Loose sheet based / Bound – a book or magazine ¬ Size: A3 is portable and large enough, A2 is too big ¬ Quality: Inkjet prints on a heavy paper (avoid gloss) ¬ Carrier: Consider making a photography portfolio box or buying a special bag (avoid ring-binders)
10. PDF PORTFOLIO ¬ Format: PDF (of course) ¬ Resolution: 800x600 / 1024x768 px landscape ¬ Quality & Size: try to keep as slim as possible 5-10 MB for e-mailing, less important when showing in person, be aware of JPEG artifacts which come with smaller file sizes
11. WEBSITE & NETWORK PORTFOLIO ¬ Platform: Depends on your web-skills, try berta.me! ¬ Flash: Avoid! ¬ Publicity: Today everyone uses internet – make something good and tomorrow you might find yourself featured in some of the worlds biggest blogs, magazines, etc. ¬ Network: Limits customization, offers great start for those who don’t know how to make websites, possiblity for network- ing and greater exposure.
12. RECAP: 7 STEPS TO GREAT PORTFOLIO ¬ Know your audience ¬ Know what you want ¬ Be selective ¬ Create a flow ¬ Keep it simple ¬ Devil is in the Detail ¬ Push yourself to create good work
13. THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE… … And feel free to ask any questions!
14. www.et-sons.com contact@et-sons.com @et_sons / @e_zvirgzdins