ABNY11 Week3 - Profile

© Jade Tang | Term Two, Semester Two | Week 3

A Brand New You: The importance of Profile/Portfolio Bachelor of Design | Year Two Elective

http://abny2011.tumblr.com/

A Brand New You:

Profile & Portfolio

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” - Seneca quotes (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)




--Luck = Opportunity + Preparationhttp://www.idea-sandbox.com/blog/2009/06/seneca-luck-opportunity-preparation/




Expert Advice: How can students and young designers make themselves more valuable to potential employers?

--http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/02/17/group-interview-advice-for-students-and-new-designers/





“Start building a Web presence as early as possible, even before seeking a junior position. Buy a personal domain and set up a simple portfolio, with an “About” page that gives a snapshot of your personality and talents.”

- Darren Hoyt

--http://www.darrenhoyt.com/





“Be concise. Employers and human resource people are like anyone else: they are busy and have short attention spans. Don’t make them dig to find out who you are.”

- Darren Hoyt






“Also, don’t exaggerate the facts when presenting yourself. Our lives are way too public these days to bother. More important than bragging or dazzling anyone with half-truths is finding a team whose needs and interests align with your own. If you get hired under false pretences, you will have wasted everyone’s time.”

- Darren Hoyt






“As I mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of the interdisciplinary approach. At most companies, you are unlikely to work exclusively in a single field.

- Wolfgang Bartelme

--http://www.bartelme.at/





“Just being a nice person and easy to work with is pretty huge.

Other random advice: become really good at one thing. You’ll be a lot more valuable as the guy or girl who knows that one thing really well than as a jack of all trades. Being well-rounded is awesome, but having a spike of talent in one particular area will serve you well.”

- Chris Coyier

--http://chriscoyier.net/




A personal portfolio website is all about promoting you.You are a brand, and your name is a brand name. No one is going to know about your brand unless you get it out there; and for creative professionals, it’s essential that you have a “good portfolio website”.




So, what makes for a good personal portfolio website?[ BRAINSTORM ]




So, what makes for a good personal portfolio website?[ Top10 tips ]




Top10 tips: #1 LogoWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

Your logo (Brand ID) is usually the first thing a user sees. In the Western world,

we read from left to right, top to bottom, so it makes sense to put your logo in the top

left of your website so that users can immediately identify who owns the website.




Top10 tips: #2 TaglineWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

Once the user sees who owns the website, they’ll want to know what it is you do. This is where

you explain what you do with a tagline. Your tagline (Brand Statement) should be short and

snappy, summarizing what you do.




Top10 tips: #3 PortfolioWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

This is a personal portfolio website after all, so your portfolio will determine whether the

website is interesting or not. People will want to see your previous work to decide whether

you’re good or not and for general interest, to see what you’ve been up to in the past.




Top10 tips: #4 ServicesWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

Make it clear, and break it down: Web design, development, video, copywriting, branding, etc.

You may want to be even more specific: corporate branding, church website design, Flash banner

ads and so on. You can’t expect potential clients to guess what you do based on your portfolio,

and you don’t want to leave them wondering whether you offer a particular service or not.




Top10 tips: #5 AboutWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

It’s all about you. Let people see the man or woman behind the mask (i.e. website). Share your

background, where you came from, how many years you’ve been in the business, etc. The more

details you give, the better your users can form a bond and build trust with you.




Top10 tips: #6 ContactWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

This is one of the most important elements of a portfolio website but is often hidden or even

neglected. A potential client has browsed your website, is impressed with your portfolio and can

see who you are. Now they want to hire you. Your contact information should be obvious

and easy to access.




Top10 tips: #7 BlogWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

A blog is always a good idea. Blog about your area of expertise; show you know what you’re

talking about. It will help promote you and prevent your website from lying static.




Top10 tips: #8 Call-ActionWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

Ask yourself what you want to get out of your personal portfolio website. Do you want to be hired?

Attract more blog readers? Maybe you just want people to know who you are.

Each page should have a call to action, a “Next step.”




Top10 tips: #9 Be SocialWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

Now that people have an interest in you and your work, encourage them to follow you on other

websites. Make it clear that they can follow you on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, etc.

Make the most of social networks and have a group of friends to call on if needed.




Top10 tips: #10 ToneWhat makes for a good personal portfolio website?

From language to communication tone, how you conduct yourself is important. Remember, it’s a

personal portfolio website, so be personal. You don’t need to sound like a corporate brand with no

emotion. Be friendly and personal, but also clear and precise; don’t ramble.

NB: Once you write all the text for your website, read it again and see if you can cut it in half.




Common mistakes designers make in their portfolios

[ BRAINSTORM ]




Pitfall: #1 ObfuscationCommon mistakes designers make in their portfolios

Clarity and focus should

permeate your portfolio.

With language don’t use twenty

words when seven will do.

Push your best content to the

front. When possible place

your important content above

the fold. Avoid meandering in

your language or paths in your

website. Keep your portfolio

to the minimum of levels deep,

while still accomplishing your

goals.

http://www.evaneckard.com/




Pitfall: #2 Info CrammingCommon mistakes designers make in their portfolios

There is an issue of wanting to

say too much in too little space

when creating your portfolio.

There is a balance that needs

to be achieved with how many

pages deep you have users

clicking for more information

and how much information

you try to fit on a page. This is

an issue to be aware of when

constructing your portfolio.

--Grid and Column Designshttp://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/grid-and-column-designs/

http://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/grid-and-column-designs/




Pitfall: #3: Overdoing ItCommon mistakes designers make in their portfolios

You’re less likely to go wrong if you keep things simple and organized.

You can apply this mindset to all areas of your portfolio. Less is more.

The more you try to do in your portfolio the more chances there are for

things to go wrong.




Pitfall: #4 ‘Unique’ NavCommon mistakes designers make in their portfolios

Designers have an urge to

stand out as unique. The

last place to follow this urge is

in your site’s navigation. It’s a

matter of numbers. If a large

number of people coming to

see your portfolio will have

difficulty navigating through it,

your portfolio will fail to meet its

goals.

--This article presents some excellent examples of navigation choices to avoid.http://astheria.com/design/my-last-portfolio-sucked-yours-might-too/

http://astheria.com/design/my-last-portfolio-sucked-yours-might-too




Pitfall: #5 Visual Clutter Common mistakes designers make in their portfolio

Consider the purpose of any

decorative element you bring

to your portfolio. If they fit your

goals and compliment your

work that’s great. Otherwise

remove them. White space

helps to give a professional feel

to your portfolio. The more

visual elements you try to

push into an area the more

difficult it will be to maintain a

feeling of professionalism.--Visible Narratives: Understanding Visual Organizationhttp://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/visible_narratives_understanding_visual_organization

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/visible_narratives_understanding_visual_organization




A Brand New You:

Profile & Portfolio

[ Tools ]




Tools:Set up Domain Name URL (Universal username)

(.com) http://www.godaddy.com/(.co.nz) http://www.freeparking.co.nz/(e-mail) http://www.registerdirect.co.nz/




Tools:Set up Profile (Blogs, Online Visual Diary, Virtual Scrapbook, etc)

Blogs• Wordpress• Blogger/Blogspot

Micro-blogs• Tumblr• Posterous

http://wordpress.com/

https://www.blogger.com/

http://www.tumblr.com/

http://posterous.com/




Tools:Set up Portfolio (Multiple online platforms)

• Behance http://www.behance.net/• CarbonMade http://carbonmade.com/• CargoCollective http://cargocollective.com/• Coroflot http://www.coroflot.com/• Deviant Art http://www.deviantart.com/• Dribble http://dribbble.com/




A Brand New You:

Profile & Portfolio

[ Examples ]




Examples:Single-serving Tumblr blogs:http://mashable.com/2010/02/09/single-serving-tumblr-blogs/

http://clientsfromhell.net/

http://selleckwaterfallsandwich.tumblr.com/




Examples:Personal Portfolio Tumblr blogs:http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-free-tumblr-themes-create-portfolio/

http://feltron.tumblr.com/

http://jarredbishop.tumblr.com/




Examples:Professional Media Tumblr blogs:http://mashable.com/2010/10/03/news-media-tumblrs/

http://newsweek.tumblr.com/

http://ymedia.tumblr.com/




Examples:Tumblr customisations:http://designinformer.com/impressive-tumblr-customizations/

http://www.thecase.co.nz/

http://domonomnom.tumblr.com/page/4

© Jade Tang | Term Two, Semester Two | Week 3: 12th October 2010

A Brand New You: The importance of Profile & Portfolio Bachelor of Design | Year Two Elective

http://groups.google.co.nz/group/abrandnewyou2010

A Brand New You:

Content & Character

[ Exercises ]




Exercises:1. Set up Personal (Tumblr) Blog 2. Integrate Brand ID/Avatar3. Integrate Brand Statement4. Write Introduction Post5. Upload Portfolio* Pieces6. Customise Theme

*Or relevant material for blog




Tumblr: Intro

[ VIDEO ] Tumblr: http://vimeo.com/2841524




Tumblr: IntroThe Vimeo Blog:http://vimeo.tumblr.com/

http://vimeo.tumblr.com/




Tumblr: BackgroundTumblelogs are the self-proclaimed “easiest way to express yourself.” Tumblr makes it effortless to share text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you happen to be.

--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblr




Why Tumblr?Tumblr v/s WordPress

WordPress is more powerful but more bulky; Tumblr is more simple but more limited.

--http://nargaque.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/tumblr-vs-wordpress-simplicity-vs-power/




Why Tumblr?Tumblr v/s Posterous

One of the more interesting startup battles in recent times has been Tumblr vs.

Posterous, two light blogging services that make it easy for anyone to publish

‘found’ things very quickly and at the click of a button.

--http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/tumblr_leaves_posterous_in_the_dust.php




Why Tumblr?Why Tumblr Is Kicking Posterous’s Ass

The answer is as easy as it is counter-intuitive: Tumblr is a New York company and Posterous is a Silicon Valley company.

Or, to put it another way: Posterous is an engineered product, while Tumblr is a designed product. More simple but more limited.

--http://www.businessinsider.com/why-tumblr-is-kicking-posterous-ass-2010-1#ixzz120JLNxzi




Exercises:1. Set up Personal (Tumblr) Blog 2. Integrate Brand ID/Avatar3. Integrate Brand Statement4. Write Introduction Post5. Upload Portfolio* Pieces6. Customise Theme

*Or relevant material for blog




References:• http://www.digital-web.com/articles/the_perfect_portfolio/

• http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/02/26/10-steps-to-the-perfect-portfolio-website/

• http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/04/creating-a-successful-online-portfolio/

• http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-free-tumblr-themes-create-portfolio/

• http://www.heavy-backpack.com/archives/articles/top-10-best-tumblr-designs-themes

• http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/self-publishing/the-top-twelve-tumblr-themes/

• http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/the-best-premium-tumblr-themes/

• http://www.tumblr.com/directory/designers

• http://www.escapeintolife.com/showcase/25-recommended-art-and-design-tumblrs/

• http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2010/03/top_20_tumblr_blogs_you_should_be_following.html

• http://mashable.com/2010/10/03/news-media-tumblrs/




A Brand New You:

Profile & Portfolio

[ Questions ]

ABNY11 Week3 - Profile

Business

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