{ Preparing for your portfolio class IMD311 Sophomore Digital Portfolio Question and Answer session

It is never to early in your program to start thinking about your portfolio and the type and quality of work that should be included Introduction Sophomore Digital Portfolio, IMD 311 associate’s and diploma students: second academic year bachelor’s students: third academic year

A “brand" is the sum total of all the images and thoughts that people associate with a specific company and a particular mark. Your brand The logo is a visual shortcut of who you are; refer to the five principles of logo design Memorable logos include the Nike Swoosh, the Golden Arches, and the NBC Peacock Think about your brand, consider your personal style, your interests, and goals “Have your future client in mind, and think about how you can tailor your outward visual statement to that customer.”

Freelance  Individuals in need of websites  Small business owners Organizations  Big corporations  Art directors  Small organizations Your portfolio’s Target Audience Consider factors like the location and company culture

Examples of Goals  to gain employment in web-based programming  to start an independent design studio  to attain clients seeking websites (small business) Examples of objectives  Within six months, submit resume and portfolio to 10 organizations  Within one year, establish web design business and market website to attain at least 50 unique hits per month Your portfolio’s Objectives and Goals

 Five pages in website: home, contact, about, portfolio, credits  HTML, CSS, JQuery, PHP  Diploma, Associate, Bachelor’s Student Requirements: 4-6 vector-raster designs, 2-3 websites (database site optional), 1-2 Multimedia/Audio/Video/CBT, 1 custom animation/banner advertisement (8-12 portfolio pieces total) Your portfolio’s Requirements

 Vector and Raster (illustrations, posters, advertisements)  Websites (database site, website using forms)  Multimedia (banners, greeting cards, animations) Past work

Each piece in your portfolio might also include:  Wireframes  Mock Ups  Information Architecture maps  Project Plans Documentation helps people understand your process- prospective clients, hirers: how to you get from point A to point B? Past Work

Client-Focused  In the portfolio class, focus is on your personal portfolio- all other classes, you will produce work through fictional or real clients, volunteering, etc. Past Work

Original Work  Unacceptable to use outside sources without permission or proper citation  Check library resources first and other public domain sources Past Work

 Start practicing the job search   Build experience (personal, volunteer, or client focused projects) to add to your resume   Use targeted job search agent Resume “Targeted job hunting has always delivered better results than responding to listed positions.”

Keep current with trends and skills  WDIM Portfolio group in Connections  Your instructors (LinkedIn)  search Engine search for inspiration (portfolios, logos)   Use Delicious to book marks your favorites   Visit resources like HOWdesign.com SmashingMagazine.com   Conferences Resources

  WordPress blog, Google Sites, Wiki, Etc.   Examine your approach to solving problems   Improve communication with clients   Document resources, research, links, snapshots   Document your approach to the design from start-to- finish   Record your thoughts, feelings and ideas as you design  Assess your work- good and bad Journaling “there is strength in history, and never more so than when you are embarking on such an exciting journey as this one of self- promotion of your works.”

  Master Adobe Creative Suite   Develop programming skills   Research interactive functionality   Understand usability standards   Quality work over quanity   Demonstrate a breadth of skills (print, web, savvy) Conclusion

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