Your sugestions please

nukleuz7

Registered
Hi all.

I am a graphic designer/illustrater and i am about to apply for a couple of jobs but have come hault as i am not sure how i am going to present my portfolio.
I know that i am going to put it onto cd which i already have printed to send along with my cv but i would like to do something a bit more special than just chuck my portfolio on there for the company to click & prievew.

I would be greatly appreciative if any of you have any ideas or help you could give me, honestly anything.

many thanks for your time.
jon.
 
First of all, a word of encouragement. Go for it! Graphic design can be a very rewarding and satisfying career for a creative person.

Next, for the interactive CD. Have you thought about perhaps making a slideshow of your work in iDVD, so that it can be played back on a DVD player or PC? Or perhaps, you can create a slideshow in iPhoto, complete with custom transitions and zoom effects, etc, and then export that to a Quicktime file. There are some Applescript droplets you can use to make the MOV file into one that automatically plays at full screen. Another option is to make it a fully interactive portfolio in Flash, if you're feeling a bit more creative. Or, you can create a gallery in HTML, with an easy to browse through slideshow.

A really good example of what a portfolio could look like is http://www.michaelgrecco.com/ - though I'd suspect we're not up to his standard, we can still learn form him. ;-)

Also, never underestimate the importance of the printed folio. Most managers simply don't have the time or the inclination to load up a CD into their computer to look at the folio for every applicant for a position, and make their initial judgement of the applications based on the actual physical material they hold in their hands. Compile your portfolio in a magazine style, with pictures of your artwork presented in a casual, easy to flick through style, complete with neat, professional captions explaining what each work was for, and have it professionally printed. It will be worth it in the long run.
 
I'd produce a well-designed, nicely cropped (read: not A4! Do something *interesting* with page sizes), professionally bound printed folio which can house a CD.

Perhaps you could make your printed folio exactly the size of a CD-jewel case (not the insert, but the case itself). It would make it look very professional, and, if it had a CD holding section (either in glued plastic as in the cardboard CD cases you can buy these days or in a slot cut from the card itself), it would keep the electronic version together with the printed version, and encourage the employer to explore your product (you'd need to use some sort of interactivity on the disc that would differentiate it from the folio too).

A word of warning - avoid those little misshapen CDs a lot of people are producing portfolios on now (mini-CDs) – they're strange, sure, but many design employers use Macs (OK, just about all), and most Macs use slot-loading drives (which can't accept unusual shapes and sizes).
 
Hey guys,

thanks for replying and giving me some great ideas, i really want something simple on the cd so as not to put the viewer through to much navigation stress so a slideshow is ideal and to be honest never even thought about using iDVD or iPhoto. im going to have a proper play with them and see what i come up with.
both you guys are right, i really shouldnt dismiss a printed portfolio either and since my cv is still at the printers i think i will have more than enough time to producet something special before it comes back.

cheers guys i really appriciate you taking the time to help.

jon :D
 
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