Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
With self-examination fresh in your mind, this chapter will point you in the
direction of tools that will help you sharpen your marketplace savvy. We'll move from
figuring out what topics you need to research, through good places to do your
researching, to some practical tips on how to conduct fruitful market research. By the
end of the chapter, you'll be well on your way to knowing who your target is and
what they'll want to see in your portfolio.
Part of the allure of digital portfolios is how fluid they are. Plan wisely, and you
can quickly roll out a series of portfolios, each tailored to a single market, culture, or
geographical area. However, you need to know a lot
about each audience to speak effectively to it. Knowledge
is key to chasing the right work, media, and approach.
Wouldn't it be nice if the people you'd like to
work with would just tell you what they want? Actually,
they do. They publicize new campaigns and give inter-
views about their strategic partners. They give talks at
clubs and offer their opinions at student critiques. They
put up websites with client lists and project samples
that tell you the type of work they do and what types
of firms they're pleased to do it for. Sometimes they
even provide case studies that tell you all about their
working process. This abundance of information tells an
astute observer volumes about their philosophy, aes-
thetics, and company culture. You find this wealth of
information through research.
Armed with solid research, you don't have to
design your portfolio and hope you've made the right
choices. An illustrator who has researched his targets'
styles and clientele can showcase examples of appropriate work online. A designer can
send an individually created PDF that shows her knowledge of a firm's client base or
working process.
The word
research
makes some visual people twitch. Don't let it. You're just
poking around for information, something you probably do for personal projects or
just plain curiosity without giving it a second thought. The only difference here is
that you'll be aware of what you're doing and have a long-range goal in mind.
I tried to understand who my
audience was, who my ideal
clients would be. I wanted to
know what they'd be looking for
and how I could package the work
to interest them. I found that I
needed examples of work from a
number of different components—
like brochure, web, and signage—
that surround the same brand
expression. So, a client could
look at the site and say, “OK. We
could hire this firm to do every-
thing for our brand and all of the
commensurate applications.”
—Nancy Hoefig
Your research will be most effective if you move from the general to the specif-
ic. The further along you are in your career, the finer you might winnow the field. If
