Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
you have one, keep it at a separate address whose title page does not make it so easy
to Google that it will come up before your portfolio in a search. Or make it a part of
your Facebook page that you only share with close friends or relatives.
As for a blog of the second type, think twice. Do people sit at your feet and
hang on your every word? Do you turn down the opportunity to judge at award cere-
monies because you're just too busy giving TED
talks? I'm betting on “not yet.”
If I'm right, you can still blog about your
design philosophy and social observations, but
separate the blog from your main portfolio in
some way. It's very possible that people will read
your writings and find them entertaining and
intriguing. However, others may disagree with
what you say or how you say it. Your work itself
should be the primary medium where you demon-
strate how you think and what you believe about
your profession.
Humor is one of the ways that we make
people like us. In its simplest form,
you smile at somebody; in its more
complex form, you say something that
makes a person laugh and enjoy the
contact between two individuals. I
think in a portfolio, it works exactly
the same way. What you're trying to
do in a portfolio is make a friend on
the other side of the table, and humor
is a wonderful way to do it.
—Stan Richards
In Chapter 1, “Assessment and Adapta-
tion,” I emphasize how important it is to know who will be viewing your portfolio and
what they'll be looking for. That guiding principle applies to writing your portfolio
text. Whether you are writing to CEOs, small design studios, or to a highly focused
niche audience, adapt your vocabulary and style as needed. Generational slang, pop
culture references, and other elements that might make the text hard for your target
audience to understand should be stripped away.
One of the easiest ways to check your tone is to hand your writing to someone
who is similar to your audience. For example, if you're young, enlist a mentor or older
relative. If you can't find the right reader, go in the other direction and read what
your target audience writes. You don't have to imitate it, but you should be sensitive
to the differences in tone and language. In particular, pay attention to how loose
or formal the writing seems, and try to strike a similar level of formality in your
own text.
Obviously, the more like your target audience you are, the easier it can be to
write appropriate text, and the more of your true personality you can expose. But
even if you are quite different from your audience, it can be an enormous plus to be
able to project a little of yourself into your writing. Light humor (see the “Humor”
sidebar), a friendly tone, or a brief anecdote about a project can all help to get the
reader on your side.
