OUGD602: Personal and Professional Practice - Portfolio Review

In preparation for the studio visits and placements which we will be undertaking during the third year we were asked to bring a portfolio along to a portfolio review in which we could get feedback and make any final revisions before we took our portfolio out into industry.

When it comes to my own work I am quite self-critical, over the course of the last three year I've not produced many pieces of work I am proud which I believe is imperative if I am to put them in my final portfolio.

I began by listing some of the projects I am proud of and what I needed to bring them up to the professional level which is appropriate for my portfolio.

1. Hoax Exhibition Book - More Mock-ups? Environmental, Way-finding etc.?
2. Home Comforts - Mock-up of brand guidelines
3. Knee's up? 
4. Cockney Rhyming Slang Prints - Better Photographs?
5. Isolé - Mock-ups 

My practice is very brand orientated, as my interests in Graphic Design mainly lie in branding and identity. I felt it was important that this was reflected through the layout of my portfolio, therefore for the start of each new project I decided to have a page with just the logo on it.

I wanted to keep a continuity throughout the portfolio and different projects as much as possible, each project will consist of a logo page, a full bleed image of the project, smaller image and a brief explanation of the project followed by more full bleed images varying on the size of the project.

Feedback from Andy:

• Double check all spelling and grammar
• Move brief explanation towards the front of the project, should be on the first or second page
• Full bleed images (particularly Hoax) are quite 'heavy' consider adding margins?
• Consider making second smaller image in Hoax project same size as others for continuity 
• Be able to explain design decisions confidently
• Brand identity for Home Comforts is really interesting, consider branding more collateral
• Brand more collateral for Knee's up - bunting? t-shirt?

I was also able to show Andy a couple projects I was considering in putting in my portfolio and he gave me some advice on how to develop them in order make them ready for my portfolio.

Cockney Rhyming Slang Prints

• Black is quite harsh against the designs - Consider a more neutral colour?
• Put more consideration into the composition of outcomes in photographs, look at Things Organized Neatly for inspiration 

Interactive Mailshot

• Better quality photographs
• Consider the purpose of the outcome
• Add context to photo?

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• Edit photos to get rid of the blue tinge to the background

Revised Portfolio

As I am yet to visit any studios in person I have not received any formal back from professionals about my portfolio and therefore found Andy's advice extremely useful.

Following the review I made the revisions to my portfolio, to develop it into something that I personally am quite proud of and would be confident in sending out and showing to professionals in the industry.

As I now had a professional portfolio I made a new mailing list of studios in both Leeds and Liverpool which I could send my portfolio with the aim of possibly gain a visit and subsequently a placement.

Mailing List:

Smiling Wolf
Farm Factory
SB Studio
P53
Candy Studio
Electric Design
Brand Thing
Beyond
Attacking Design
Rabbit Hole
Brainstorm
Soft Octopus

Unfortunately, I only received three responses from the emails I sent out. Both Brand Thing and Beyond were unable to offer a placement at this present time.

The feedback I received from Soft Octopus concerning my portfolio was extremely useful in terms of developing it further which I greatly appreciated.

I now had a personal branding and portfolio which would visually represent me in the industry when networking, at studio visits or on placement.

One of my aims for the third year was to improve my online presence as a professional, which I believe is just as important for networking as printed collateral. Therefore I decided to update my Behance (which is extremely out of date) with my new personal branding and added the projects which I had included in my printed portfolio. 

I also set up a Kin2Kin account which I had heard about from Rachael Boden from Splinter, a design studio in Liverpool. 

Specifically based in Merseyside it is a online community for creatives where I can post my work, look at other designers and find out about the latest creative opportunities and events.

Not only is the Kin2Kin account useful in terms of another outlet for my work but it also enables me to find out about events which I would like to attend and engage with which I might of even known where happening.

I also set up a professional Instagram account which I plan to use specifically as a sort of sub-portfolio as part of one of my briefs for Extended Practice which I will respond to a quick turnaround brief (one a day) and upload the final outcome to Instagram with the aim of increasing my online presence and portfolio.