Big(D)esign 2011: Portfolios for the Creative Professional

Professional Portfoliosfor the Creative ProsLouellen S. Coker Content Solutions J Schuh Toons-N-Designs

Your Speakers Web: www.yourcontentsolutions.com Web: www.toonsndesign.com Blog: www.yourcontentnotes.com Blog: www.texasanimator.com LinkedIn: louellencoker LinkedIn: J Schuh Facebook: Content Solutions Facebook: Jay Schuh Twitter: @ContentNotes, @LouellenC Twitter: @texasanimator@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

What you want • Intrigue • Call to Action • Showcase • Get a Gig@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

What employers want • How good are you? • How fast are you? • How much do you cost? • How well do you work with others? • Can you alleviate our current need?@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

How to become good • PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE • RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH • NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Who you know gets  you in the door, what you know keeps you there.@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Portfolio Options@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Forms of portfolios Hard copy (Traditional) • Archive • Presentation • Sample • Elevator (Business Cards) Virtual (Web 2.0) • .pdf • Website/Blog • Social media • Coffee shop (skins on devices)@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Choose your platform@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Best practices • Keep it simple • Keep it organized • Keep it succinct • Keep it optimized • Keep it targeted • Keep it consistent@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Tools • Software for capturing/creating pieces – Open source – Office products – Adobe Suite products • Wireframing/Organization tools – Mindmeister for mind-mapping (www.mindmeister.com) – Jumpstart for wireframing (www.jumpstart.com) – Toodledo for project management (www.toodledo.com) – Basecamp for project management (www.basecamphq.com)@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Tools, cont. • Online services • Social Media – www.elance.com – LinkedIn.com – www.qfolio.com – Facebook.com – www.wordpress.org – Slideshare.net – YouTube.com – Flikr.com – Wordpress.org/Blogger@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Finding the Muscle • Elbow grease • Training – Blogs and Forums – www.lynda.com – Use help – Blogs – LSC Help Desk – Workshops – Trial and Error Hire some help@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Case Study: .pdf@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Case Study: HTML & .pdf@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Case Study: CMS (Joomla!)@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Case Study: Social Media@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Choose your projects@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

First steps, FIRST • Know your audience • Know your goal • Know your work • Know your capabilities (and how you’re different!)@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

What projects do I consider? • Those that the hiring person wants to see • Those for which you won an award • Those created in your day job • Those created for volunteer organizations • Those created specifically for your portfolio • Those created for fun • EVERYTHING and ANYTHING@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

What projects do I include? • Pieces that speak for themselves • Pieces that translate across platforms • Pieces that show skills • Pieces that show interpersonal skills • Piece that is the product of a difficult situation@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Leverage proprietary information • GET PERMISSION • Limit to outward facing information • Redact if necessary • Collect as you go@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Leverage proprietary information@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Leverage your work • Select pieces that are relevant to varied audiences • Reflect about process • Blog in deeper detail about process • Show level of professionalism@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Present your projects@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Put your best foot forward • Optimize your files – Print = CMYK 300 dpi (.tif, .psd, .eps) – Web = RGB 72 dpi (.jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif) • Error FREE • Professional • Relevant • Appropriate@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Essential elements • Cover Page – must have name; may have your mission statement, short introduction, or bio • Table of Contents • Navigation – some method to guide a reviewer through your artifacts • Artifacts – your best (mostly) • Reflection – optional@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Reflection • Metacognition – thinking about your thinking • Not always necessary • Important – For contextual clues – To show growth – For those in educational settings – When being assessed@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Pull it all together@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Present your work • Determine a presentation theme • Organize your works in a logical manner • Compile your artifacts in a consistent manner@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Protect intellectual property • Watermark • Limit scope • Low resolution • Remove “copy & paste” ability • Put your footprint in the metadata • Copyright@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Protect yourself • NEVER leave your portfolio behind • Make copies of portions of the artifacts in your presentation portfolio • Organize your artifacts in a less expensive presentation folder • Consider including a thumb drive with soft copies of included and/or larger works • Maintain consistency when possible@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Lather, Rinse, Repeat!@ContentNotes   @texasanimator

Questions? Wri4ng Design Web Solu4ons www.yourcontentsolutions.com | 972-987-0567

Wri4ng Design Web Solu4ons www.yourcontentsolutions.com | 972-987-0567

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Big(D)esign 2011: Portfolios for the Creative Professional

by Louellen Coker on Jul 14, 2011

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Big(D)esign 2011: Portfolios for the Creative Professional — Presentation Transcript