Tag Archive for: projects

Worth your salt // Part 3 – Designing your portfolio

Following on from our previous posts about Applying for a design position and Getting started on your resume, we’d like to inspire you to be creative and informative with your portfolio.

Seeing is not believing

Your portfolio is the single most important introduction to who you are and what you are capable of.

It’s not just a showcase of pretty pictures – every piece is the result of a process. Explaining your experience during that process is most important element to a prospective employer.

We don’t necessarily want to hear about the client and what they do – unless of course, they were a contributing factor to the result. If they were difficult to work with, set in their ways, insistent with a particular colour or image – explain how you worked with that challenge.

Explain how you created each piece.

  • What design software did you use?
  • Why did you choose a specific font or colour?
  • What was the client brief?
  • How long did you have to develop the design?
  • What was the budget?
  • Was it printed – if so how?

If it’s a branding project – we’d love to see your workings. Tell us the story of how you developed the logo, selected colours, the research you carried out. Include design concepts that worked and perhaps some that did not – along with an explanation of why they were not accepted or why your creative direction changed.

Don’t be afraid to explain who else was involved in a production. Was it professionally written by a copywriter? Were you directed by another creative? Did you brief another designer on part of the production? How did you work with a printer to achieve the particular result?

It’s all part of the story which unfortunately we don’t know unless you tell us.

So our words of wisdom are to consider what to include in your portfolio not for how the finished product looks – but for the story behind it. How it showcases your creativity and ability as a designer.

Give your portfolio the edge // handy links

Our next post in this series is on Industry experience – applying for a position when you don’t quite meet the experience level…

salt-shaker-signoffBecause everything is better with a sprinkle of salt!
SALT.Shaker

 

Images // Book Binding // Talent // Font Pairing like a Pro // Creative book covers

 

Why use Salt?

Here at SALT, we live design and we love applying our creative expertise to increase the profile and most importantly, the success of our clients’ business!

Operating across a variety of disciplines, we’ve seen and done it all! And we strongly believe every project will benefit from our experience.

If you’ve been following our blog – or are a first-time visitor (welcome!) – here’s an overview of who we are and what we do:

Why Salt? Let's get creative together!

  • branding development and application
  • corporate literature and annual reports
  • magazines, newsletters, promotional catalogues
  • promotional material (brochures, posters)
  • direct mail
  • press advertising
  • event materials and displays
  • signage
  • multimedia presentations
  • web development.

To see even more great work from our portfolio – head over to our website. And please contact us, via email or phone (we do love a chat!) so we can work together and be creative!

salt-shaker-signoffBecause everything is better with a sprinkle of salt!
SALT.Shaker