(Newswire.net — May 21,2013) New York City, NY — Having a graphic design portfolio that stands out from the pack is important, even more so in today’s tough job market. Rather than battling other applicants with an inferior portfolio, creating a visually pleasing and informative one can help an aspiring designer land their dream job. To that end, a new feature article by creative director and co-founder of ByShmoo.com’s Shmouel Halimi reveals the five best portfolio practices.
Shmoo starts by recommending that fully completed projects appear in the portfolio, telling us, “Show off work that is thought out and complete. If it comes down to two designers vying for the same position where one is an obvious natural talent with a body of work that shows an inability to finish and the other has a strong portfolio with well rounded projects, I’m going with the finisher every time.”
Controlling the message is also of mammoth importance. Shmoo envisions a portfolio that, perhaps not surprisingly, leads off with a person’s strongest body of work: “Start off with the project that best shows your skill level and potential and follow up with three or four solid examples.”Thoroughly reviewing the portfolio’s content is also a must. A designer can look over his finished product until his eyes give out, but perhaps more effective is showing the portfolio to a friend for input. Friends and family can look for blatant errors like spelling and grammar, while more qualified reviewers can suggest content changes.
As is the case with standard resumes, it’s important to be up front. As Shmoo told us, “Nothing drives a creative director battier than looking through a portfolio of top shelf work and having no idea what the applicant did on each project. Be clear about your role.” No matter how large or small, a person’s role should be explained fully. Finally, as the old saying goes, K.I.S.S “Keep it simple stupid.” Having an uncomplicated portfolio can make the difference between landing a lucrative position and being left out in the cold eating ramen noodles. As Halimi summed it up, “Keep the presentation simple, the artwork big, and your contact information easy to find and you’ll be light decades ahead of your competition.”
At the end of Shmoo’s piece which you can find HERE, readers are asked three questions about their own experiences:What do you think is the most important best practice for your portfolio? How many projects do you have in your portfolio? How often do you update your portfolio?
Shmoo is a critically acclaimed creative artist and art director from Paris. New York-taught and now based out of Jerusalem, he uses photography, typography and vectors as a way of collecting material to realize powerful ads, posters and visual art. His Graphic Design Portfilio can be viewed here.
CONTACT:David Bryce Advertigo Media E-Mail: advertigomedia (at) icloud (dot) com