Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
text. However, the principles and processes behind the creation of the Web
portfolio can be applied to many business applications.
Print Portfolios, Digital Portfolios, Electronic Portfolios,
and Web Portfolios Compared
The objectives of the print portfolio, digital portfolio, electronic portfolio, and
the Web portfolio are to present experience level, skill set, accomplishments,
project aptitude, and media expertise with the goal of initiating positive action
from the user, viewer, and client. All portfolios help validate someone's
professional appearance. Key ingredients to successful portfolios in any
medium are organization, clarity, and consistency. Editorial style and text layout
should conform to a standardized structure. The portfolio must communicate
effectively; therefore we cannot stray from the principles of good editorial and
visual design. Content quality, organization, and design are critical to the overall
success of the portfolio, regardless of medium. Most importantly, the portfolio
provides a personalized channel of presentation for the owner to communicate
strengths that may persuade the viewer to act positively towards the author. The
result can be a career promotion, a sale of professional work, an invitation to
exhibit, or the acquisition of a job. Let us closer examine the different types of
presentation portfolios used to gain credibility and acquire work for hire.
The print portfolio gets delivered on paper. The goal of the print portfolio as
with all portfolios is to sell. Artists have long revered the use of portfolios for
showing off and marketing their works. Ideally, the presentation of the portfolio
yields an opportunity to sell work or get work for hire. Print portfolios yielded
by graphic designers, brag topics offered by sales people, and dossiers
presented by executives are all built to sell. These items are forms of personal
marketing. The advantage of the print portfolio is that it is easily controlled; no
technical errors or performance issues here. Also, print allows the highest level
of data quality. Output can be large and full color, not conforming to a browser
window or a viewers computer speed.
The digital portfolio gets delivered digitally. Synonymous with electronic
portfolio and now more and more delivered as a Web portfolio, digital
portfolios deliver work interactively through the digital medium of a computer
or DVD player. The digital portfolio can be delivered via any digital medium
including CD-ROM, DVD, or the Internet. The problem with CD-ROM and
DVD based portfolios is that they need distribution channels to be seen and they
