Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
and with less approbation than you think you deserve. Although you don't have to
publish any of these less-than-glowing comments, you'll still need to be prepared to
receive them.
One format or venue is unlikely to serve all your needs. Most creatives plan on
some combination of the previously mentioned media and online options. But what
should you put where, and how do you end up with a coherent personal story? There
are several ways to approach the multiple portfolio problem: duplicating, dispersing,
dividing, doubling, and developing.
Duplicating
When you duplicate, you have a single body of work in many formats. You
develop your portfolio themes, choose the best pieces to illustrate them, and create
one portfolio version—the easiest to create or the one you need immediately—first.
After this portfolio has been tested, presented, and, if necessary, refined, you dupli-
cate it in other media. The plus of this approach is that it's very fast. Updates happen
in tandem, and you never have to remember who saw which version of your work.
There are two minuses. First, you may be showing some work in a medium that
compromises its effectiveness. More important, you have no second act. Anyone who
was interested in your first portfolio will want to see more and different material
elsewhere. It is particularly important that you have something extra that you can
show in person.
Dividing
The divided portfolio demands more thought and preparation than simple
duplication. The first stage of dividing can be relatively straightforward. Material that
doesn't look right onscreen and can't be zoomed into or manipulated remains in a tra-
ditional portfolio, which you use only in personal
presentations. Anything that is effective onscreen
stays there. The few pieces that sparkle both digitally
and traditionally remain in both versions but may be
highlighted differently onscreen and off.
But once you've determined on- versus off-
screen material, you may need to divide further, or
differently. What if you don't need a traditional port-
folio, but you have some work that doesn't feel like
it belongs on your personal website? Do you have
alternative concepts, or process work? These belong
someplace where they can tell a story about how you
think. Here's material that could be divided out and
Designers have dropped off their
portfolios and the last two pages
are a bunch of photos. The ques-
tion is, do you think that some-
body's going to hire you on the
basis of your hobby? If you're
serious about your other skills,
then do an extra portfolio and
show what kind of photography
you specialize in. Don't just put it
into a portfolio of design work.
—Layla Keramat
