6 - Designing the Portfolio

For the past few weeks I have been ritualistically posting each Thursday morning to my blog. The content of each post has been centered on my portfolio and myself as a designer. Looking back upon earlier posts, I’ve realized that I never discussed what exactly a portfolio is, what it entails, or where it even came from.

What is a portfolio? According to Sara Eisenman’s Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting Your Work, “a design portfolio is a grouping of loose sheets collected in a portable case.” This definition has been altered in today’s digital world as present day portfolios “assume the range a range of new forms; websites, motion portfolios, files on disc, portable document format (PDF), and limited edition books or monographs.”

The earliest of design portfolios were type specimen books, or books that showed previously printed type samples if particular type faces and how those samples could be arranged on a page. According to Eisenman, one of the earliest type specimen books is Trissino’s display of Arrighi Italic in 1526. Fast-forward to the mid 20th century and the idea of type design and graphic design has evolved so much so that colleges and universities begin to offer graphic design courses. No longer was design a trade learned through apprenticeship, as it became an art form studied by students and taught by teachers. Today portfolios have continued to evolve with the inclusion online digital displays through websites, work positions on matted boards, multiple formats of artwork including digital and print forms, and elaborate cases to collect all the artists work within.

While the form of portfolio has changed the essential methods to making a successful portfolio have not. When approaching a portfolio the first thing to keep in mind is the audience for which you will present your portfolio. Design your portfolio to satisfy your potential employer. Research your employer and see what work they have used in the past and also listen research the design they are looking to use in the future. Researching your audience shows that you have a definite interest in the position and that you are willing and able to do the work necessary to getting that job.

The next important method to keep in mind is the tone of your portfolio. Ultimately your portfolio is your work and must represent you. Gear your portfolio towards the job that you want but keep in mind another essential method in building portfolios, and that is the range of your portfolio. Maintaining a wide range of work in your portfolio is essential for younger, less experienced designers. Although you may want to work in web design you may be asked to do print design. Ultimately a job is a job when it comes to being a young designer. Any job is a way to get your foot in the door as a young designer and can be the stepping-stone to a better job down the road.

Another important decision when it comes to your portfolio is the presentation of the portfolio. While it seems to be a growing trend to have an online portfolio it doesn’t hurt to have a printed one as well. Printed portfolios, just like online portfolios, can be range from the extremely intricate and elaborate to the simple. A simple form on presenting your portfolio is with the use of poster board. Matting your work on black poster board allows your work to truly stand out against the blank background. Many designers will tell you that this matting process is essential to any interview or presentation. More elaborate designs can include large books with intricate binding, for example Brian Roettinger’s portfolio book Lost and Found.

While I may be rambling onward about portfolios and the pros and cons of using a hard shell or soft shell presentation case the one thing I have been reminded through out all these books I have read and all the classes I have taken, is that it is the work itself which sells an artists. Your work is how the design world will ultimately view you as a designer. The first true process to any portfolio design is to ensure that the work you have is the best that you can do and that you are truly satisfied with it. Once you have truly examined your work and have spent time scrutinizing your own designs it will be easy for you to present them to others.