Making a Creative Portfolio

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Hi, I’m Dylan, a senior Design Media Arts major and current Director of Design for UCA! I found my passion for design at its intersection with emotion-driven, storytelling focused products (films, music, books), and am pursuing a career in graphic design and art direction.

During my time at UCLA, I've often struggled with how to best present and discuss my portfolio in professional settings. As my senior year comes to an end, I’d like to share with you five simple and effective tips to get your portfolio noticed by prospective employers! These are not strict rules, but rather a compilation of what I’ve found works for me – as well as the feedback I’ve been gotten on my portfolio throughout the years. Feel free to pick and choose the ones that best fit your personal goals and needs!

If you ever want additional feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via my website dylanberzabal.com or email 2dberzabal@gmail.com. Good luck, and I would love to see everyone’s portfolios! :)

1. INCLUDE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS

Presenting your final designs is great, but showing every step you took along the way to get there is even better! While employers definitely want to see at what capacity you are able to deliver a final product, it’s just as important to include your sketches, drafts, and notes to display your thought process and what informed your creative decisions. It’s best to keep these alongside each project and not on a separate page, so viewers can refer to your outlines and comprehend it quickly and clearly. 

2. SIMPLIFY YOUR PORTFOLIO

The simpler it is to navigate and access your portfolio, the easier it will be for employers to see all the incredible work you do and gain a stronger sense of who you are as a designer. While it is tempting to make your portfolio as unique and fun as possible, it’s best to give your designs space to breathe and the ability to speak for themselves! Organize your work into categories and put the ones most relevant to your career goals front and center.

I would also recommend to keep your navigation bar small and straightforward to ensure that viewers can quickly get to what most interests them.

3. FORM AN OPINION

It’s vital that you are able to deeply analyze and discuss your work in a formal way. By thoughtfully answering questions about your portfolio, you’ll prove yourself to be a critical thinker who can meaningfully contribute to discussion, and as someone who is always looking to grow and improve!

Here are some questions I’ve reflected on that have helped me navigate my portfolio during interviews, to show that I confidently know myself and my work:

  • Which work best represents you as a designer and why

  • Which work is the weakest and how could it be improved?

  • Which work was the most challenging and how did you overcome it?

  • Where do your creative inspirations come from, and how have they impacted your creative visions?

  • Why did you select this typeface, color, hierarchy, format, etc. 

4. THINGS TO ALWAYS INCLUDE

There are a few key things that should always be listed alongside each piece in your portfolio. These include:

  • Your job title/role or if it was a personal project

  • Timeframe or timeline of the project

  • Software used

  • Brief description of the project’s goals and how you aimed to reach them

  • Creative process from tip one!

Also, don’t forget to provide means of contact, an "about yourself" section, and access to your resume.

5. SHOW OFF YOUR GREATEST HITS

Your portfolio shouldn’t be a mass archive of everything you’ve ever done, but rather highlights the work you are most proud of and/or is most closely related to the field you want to pursue. By selecting your best/most applicable designs, it knits your portfolio into a more cohesive body of work. This gives a much stronger sense of who you are and what you want to pursue. If you are unsure about which pieces should make your portfolio, never hesitate to reach out to professors, co-workers, or other designers for feedback.

A portfolio is a constant work in progress, and I definitely understand how difficult it can be to construct one when you’ve already spent so much time creating the work itself! However, producing a thoughtful, cohesive, and meaningfully crafted portfolio is also one of the most rewarding things a creative can do. Not only will it help with future employment, but it can also reinforce feelings of fulfillment and pride in your craft. Hope these tips helped, and again don’t hesitate to reach out to me for any questions!

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