Design Portfolio's - Quick Hot Tips! 

As a young designer your portfolio is the most essential piece that represents you, your style, and your skill set.  It is your responsibility to always keep it current and have some version of it ready to show to anyone who may have an interest in seeing it.  The following are some rules of thumb to go by when creating this important document.

If you're taking photos of a model you’ve built, or a garment you’ve made, the context that your piece is in and the quality of your photographs are just as important as the idea and execution itself!  Take time to photograph your work with a good camera.  Make sure the lighting is right,  make certain that you are capturing the best angles of your work, and make sure that the context your piece is in relates to the work itself.   

The images will stand out in the Interviewers mind more than words written on paper, the most amount of text you should have on a page is the title of the piece, a very brief description, and acknowledgement of any other people that may have been involved in the project.  There is no need for a long description because it is your job to verbally communicate with your potential Employer what he/she is looking at.

If you are studying Interior Design but you also paint.  Show your paintings in your portfolio! Employers love seeing how far you can stretch creatively and that is what sets you apart from the competition.  

As you are compiling documents for your portfolio think about future interviews with potential employers and how you’d wish to guide the conversation about your work.  

Start with a powerful piece and end with a powerful piece.  Starting with a great piece of work will not only get employers excited and involved but it will also get you excited and will give you a boost of energy and confidence throughout the remainder of the interview.  Also, ending with a powerful piece will leave a lasting impression in the interviewers mind; if they don’t recall anything else from the interview they’ll remember the last piece of work you show them, so make sure it’s a good one!

Always have your portfolio ready to show anyone, keep a smaller version of it handy just in case you have an unexpected encounter with someone who could offer you a job.

Think of keeping a digital copy of your portfolio on your video iPod, iPod touch, Blackberry, or any other compact digital media you may carry around with you on a daily basis. 

Written by Dominique Wilmore  |  Get on the Id.interns Mailing List!