Making a website as a portfolio?

[Lee Attinger]

What are ya’lls thoughts on creating a website to showcase my work as opposed to just emailing a copy of my physical portfolio to different firms ? I’m graduating in May and with the current job market being as it is I’m trying to find ways to make my portfolio stand out as much as possible. It just seems to me that emailing copies of a traditional paper portfolio as a pdf to different firms shows a lack of creativity. Any thoughts on this?

[nca]

I have thought about creating 9x7ish “post cards” front and bad as mailers with my contact information and work samples. At CSU we’re required to build and maintain our own websites. Admittedly, I haven’t updated mine in years and I’m not totally convinced it serves the purpose of marketing your work very well. A hard copy portfolio sits on a desk and you can stick stuff to it and pass it around. Hell, even to throw it away you have to think about it and probably look at it. A website on the other hand, in my opinion, is even easier to forget about; click.

[nca]

Schmid-When you enter an MLA program you will understand why my website hasn’t been updated in 2 years. It isn’t necessarily a choice I made. Most, if not all, of the students in the program here haven’t begun compiling portfolio material yet. All the jobs I’ve had while in school in the past four years I’ve gotten by spending a day making cut sheets. I’d say 75% of the hard copy portfolios made by CSU students are published through Lulu. There is just no way you can maintain a unique and up to date portfolio of four years of study. I’m re-doing projects now from three years ago along with the current capstone project and urban design work from last semester. I guess the other option is to have your portfolio read like a scrapbook.

[Chad Crutcher]

A website is always a plus, and I maintain one, but I have another wrinkle…PowerPoint. My wife is a high-powered internet media marketer and she showed me a PowerPoint presentation a colleague of hers used as a digital resume, emailing it all over the place in search of media sales positions. I used his as a template and modified it to fit what I wanted to say with customized graphics, etc. I’ll not provide mine as an example so you will be forced to be creative, but it certainly has impact and gets attention because its not just another resume.

[Charlie Robinson]

its a really good discussion Lee!

I am in no position to give you advice mearly tell you what i have done..

Ive had ..and im having the same dilema myself . I tried sending a hard copy of half a dozen A4 images to a couple of main firms b4 the downturn …with the optimistic view to getting a job! however this isnt a sustainible solution ..both enviromentaly and effort/cost wise.

I then reduced my portfolio to pdf ….then jpeg to save space …and enclosed them in a compressed folder

I have also considered making a video in windows photo gallery ..it has greatly reduced the size of the file sent …but doesnt allow the view to zoom in.:( …so i havent submitted it.

I have also looked into dreamweaver …but to be honest it doesnt seem as straight 4ward is id hoped although im currently tryin to get to grips with it !!…i like chads idea of powerpoint and have gained alot from this general discussion!

so what im sending now is a compressed folder of about 10 images, trying to show as much variety as possible, I am also sending the MYFOLIO Land8Lounge Link , its a gr8 way to showcase your work ..(and it has raised the profile of Land8 especially in the U.K and Eire as alot of firms never knew about this site!!)..although i am very anxious about the issue of copyright 🙁

best of luck m8!

[nca]

I think most everyone compiles portfolio material through school, I have, but it’s different to say compile and format your portfolio work as you go. I have a dozen or so big folders full of gigs of work from the past two or three years. I wouldn’t even think to show anything earlier than 3 or 4 semesters ago though and even with that and two or three internship projects I’m looking at 80+ page full portfolio. Some say thats too much, but I think it depends on the circumstance, quality of work, layout, and format (hard copy mailed vs digital, etc).

If you’re saying everyone should compile and collect their work in “one” place as they go, I fully agree.

[Ryan Sand]

Chad- would you happen to know if your wife was able to create a web page out of powerpoint. Working on a multimedia presentation I found the great use of buttons and actions on powerpoint. I was able to treat my presentation just as one could treat a web page with “home” buttons and “progressive” buttons as well. thanks for sharing yours cuz you just reminded me of my work with PP.

[Ryan Sand]

I have not touched my website in awhile either (I am a CSU student). There seems to be a large push of tradition in the building as students are gradually breaking away and finding their own means of portrayal. I have a teacher with a stellar portfolio treated as, like Nick mentioned, a scrap book. Now this seems to be not necessarily for job hunting but to secure a commision or project. Even now Im trying to play executioner and decide which stuff should stay, go, or be redone… keeping an up to date portfolio is difficult and sometimes. Like schmids friend I really haven’t had a break from school since summer of 2007 so playing catch up with my portfolio is definately consuming.

[Kevin J. Gaughan]

I am a big fan of the website portfolio. I know that during my day I spend a decent amount of time looking through websites, and feel very comfortable with them. I love to look through other LA and Architecture firms websites for inspiration. In the same way…I would probably take more time to look through a website portfolio, than a pdf or powerpoint portfolio. I know that several members of the site already have website portfolios…and they are great. It is also nice to hear that some people are using their Land8 Folios to show possible employers. Is there anyone else out there who has being doing this, and has anyone received any feedback on that presentation format?

[Kevin J. Gaughan]

Here is an example of a nice one that I came across from a member of the lounge.
http://www.amysgreenportfolio.com/home/

Would love to see some other examples!

[nca]

I thought I’d share my recent efforts… http://www.nickaceto.com

My intention for the website is to compliment/supplement my hard copy portfolio. I’ve just started putting the site together this week and I realize it’s rough, but I want to keep the layout simple and easy to navigate.

I’d love to get some feedback, although my web development skills are very limited.

-n

[Chad Crutcher]

Ryan,
As for turning a powerpoint into a web site, no, I have no answer. I like the notion and will ask about it. If you figure it out, please advise. What I’ve done is refer the viewer of the powerpoint resume to my website where they can see more stuff in detail…and the website is easy to navigate.

[Lisa Town]

A website is a great way to get people to look at your material, especially if you have computer animations you’d like to showcase. However, be aware that not all firms like this and some will require a printed version. It’s best to be able to have both available if you can. Try to create a flexible format that lends itself well to being on the web and in print form. Create a memorable identity for yourself. And this doesn’t need to be complicated. For example, say you pick a certain shade of blue as your color. Maybe it’s on your website, in your printed portfolio and then you send a post-interview thank you card with the same blue. Or in this day and age where things are pretty tough, you might send a some little teaser booklet with you web page in there, and then follow up with a little post card. It’s always nice to have an identifiable format, color or logo…something that when they see it in the mail or on their desk they know who it’s from and keep you in their mind.

The reason I say not everyone goes for the online thing is that I’ve personally come across it a few times. I’d had created a highly interactive and dynamic flash portfolio, that was also on the web but I distributed it on a mini cd with some accompanying paper items, partly because I was trying to showcase my graphic design, flash and animation work as well as my landscape work and while some people loved it for its creativity and uniqueness, some people still required a print version.

So while I personally am a big fan of a paperless world, some principals prefer something they can sit at their desk and flip through. And chances are you’ll want something as a hardcopy to take into an interview anyway, so it’s not lost work. And yes, Lulu is a good one!

Good luck!

[nca]

Schmid-

Thanks for the thorough critique and analysis. I didn’t intend to present this page as-is to be the finished product. The only page I feel pretty good about is the home page as far as layout. I wanted to include all thumbnails for effect, but I understand your comments and will definitely to this into consideration. I may remove the entry page. I will likely replace some of the links and either move or add text to (as you stated) the green geeks stamp. I like the stamp and think it works well with the site graphically, but don’t want to detract from the content. The other pages are still in dummy stage, as I’m trying to figure out how to story board the entire site. I am trying to keep it simple. Ideally, when a thumbnail is clicked a unique project sheet opens either in an ew tab or widow or in a flash based pop-up. The other reason for the repeat project thumbs is that I have so many graphics I’d like to show I figured I could break them into separate project sheets when clicked and the viewer wouldnt really care that its the same project he or she just looked at so long as it looks at a different aspect.

I’ll have more updates by mid-week. I’d love to get your comments again at that point.

Thanks,

-n

[nca]

Schmid-

Your comment about my folio on land8 link made me wonder—what do you think could be considered “incriminating?” Or inappropriate? If there is something that rubs you the wrong way, let me know, seriously.. 😉

Thanks,

-n

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