Senior Seminar Blog by Lauren Aufderheide

The Design Process

2008-04-23T14:15:00.001-07:00

Chapter 11 of Designing a Digital Portfolio by Cynthia L. Baron discusses the design of a digital portfolio interface. It provides information on the process of creating an interface. In many cases, a good simple process can create a brilliant interface. Without a process, an interface may turn into an unattractive piece and can cause a lot of frustration.

To have a succesfull process, you must have good skills, have talent for organization of data, and you must also be a good visualizer. A background in technology is always helpful as well.

According to Baron, the interface design process includes four stages:
-Group
-Map
-Schematic
-Look and feel

The group stage is where the designer begins organizing the work that will be included in the portfolio. The map stage is where the designer develops a hierarchy or plan for the design of the site. For example, we have done this in class using mind maps and flow charts. The schematic stage involves the creation of a mock site layout. In class we created comps, sketches, and thumbnails of various designs for out sites. After considering the layout of the site, you can begin developing the look and feel of the site.

Simplicity is key when creating a successful website. Baraon suggest to KISS (Keep It Simple, Seriously). By this she means to look for an idea that will be easy to create, keep animated actions small and discrete, limit your color palette, don't use textures or images as backgrounds, don't fight with your art work, don't fill up your pages, limit your page size, and arrange your ideas in groups. Also, it is important to implement a clear and concise navigation so that people can explore your site with ease.

These key elements of the design process have been very useful during the process of designing my digital portfolio. I used a very organized work flow to accomplish my goals for the site and I am finally reaching completion. I am very excited to publish my own website for the world to see. My digital portfolio will be extremely important in entering the design field after graduation.

The Non Traditional Way

2008-04-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Non traditional profolios are a fun and exciting way to present your work. It allows for designers to be extra creative and helps them to stand out from other designers. The most distinguishable feature of a non traditonal portfolio is often an unusual exterior. However, non traditional portfolios are not always appropriate. They must suite the designers as well as meet the design need. The exterior of the portfolio should match the work inside it and it should also never upstage or overpower your work. Eisenman suggests that you should not be different just for the sake of being different.

In my previous post, I mentioned that I would like to have a book printed to incorporate in my portfolio box. However, since my goal is to work as a designer at a magazine, I have been reconsidered the book idea. Instead, I would like to create my own magazine to present my work in. I would create the cover of my portfolio to imitate the cover of an actual magazine and the interior pages would display my work in a typical magazine layout fashion. I think this would really grab the attention of future employers at magazine publications. It would also portray my abilities in the magazine field. The presentation of my portfolio would be unique without overpowering the work itself and it would definitely suite the designer a.ka. me.

My idea closely resembles the portfolio of Christian Steurer, shown on page 142-143 of Eisenman's book, Building Design Portfolios. Steurer designed his portfolio to resemble a newspaper. He wrote his own articles and displayed images of his work. Although I feel that a newspaper is somewhat irrelevant in this case since Steurer is not going into newspaper design, the portfolio is still clever in they way his work is communicated.

Print Portfolio

2008-04-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been developing ideas of the presentation of my print format portfolio. I have came to the conclusion that I would like to present my work in a presentation box. My work will be printed and mounted on thick paper and stored inside the box. All of my work will be printed to full scale. This is because most of my work consists of magazine layouts and poster size projects. I considered scaling these works down to a smaller size but I was later informed that for the field that I would like to enter it is better to show my work to future employers in full size. I will also create a book that will be professionally binded. It will include images of my work and their descriptions. This book will also be stored in my portfolio box. I was also thinking about printing multiple books to leave behind after an interview or to mail along with my resume. I have already began designing the pages for the book and am anxious to get it printed and binded. I have also purchased the portfolio box and the materials needed for mounting.

My ideas were inspired by Sara Eisenmen's book, Building Design Portfolios. She discusses professional design portfolios and includes images and descriptions of portfolios from actual designers. She does the same with student portfolios as well. At first, viewing these images in the book became a bit intimidating. But, I realize that with experience, I will eventually have a professional portfolio and I look forward to that. As for now, I am creating a portfolio that is suitable to my level of experience and the type of work that I have created thus far. The student portfolios depicted in the book are more closely representative of the aim for my portfolio. For example, I was particularly interested in the portfolios shown on pages 40 and 131. Looking further into the book, Eisenmen gives examples of nontraditional portfolios.

Digital Portfolio

2008-04-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have currently been constructing my digital portfolio and so far so good. Reading Building Design Portfolios by Sara Eisenman, has been very helpful as I progess to the various stages of my portfolio project. Specifically, the chapter titled "Creating Interactive Portfolios and Websites" describes the importance of a digital portfolio. Many clients and employers expect successful professional designers to have a website. It shows that a designer is established and serious about his or her work. After a while, designers may even choose to redesign their site to maintain their reputation and also to stay current.

Eisenman also suggests that designers should keep in mind the method in which people will be viewing our portfolios. For example, some have Flash and some do not, others only have simple HTML. It may be possible that our websites will take too long to load depending on the method of which is being viewed. For this reason, I have decided against Flash (which was my orignial plan) and will be constructing my site using Photoshop and Dreamweaver. I may eventually add minimal flash animations in the future. Designers should aslo make sure that the sites proportions are accessible and navigation easy to follow.

Digital portfolios may not be the most effective way of presenting work for print designers. It makes viewing typograhic elements somewhat harder to view than viewing it as a print formatt. I have considered this and have chosen to include links that lead to individual large scale PDF versions of my work that can be printed and viewed on paper. There will also be a section in which my resume and entire portfolio can be downloaded and printed. Of course I will also have a book to show future employers and clients when I meet with them in person.

I have skimmed through some of the remaining chapters of the book and there seems to be some very interesting information reguarding printed portfolios. Im starting to develop some ideas of how I would like to present my print work... can't wait to get started!

Prepare To Enter

2008-04-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

While reading Building Design Portfolios by Sara Eisenmen, I came across a very helpful section of designing resumes. I had never realized that as a graphic designer, it would be appropriate to design a letterhead and format for a resume design. There are some great examples on pages 47-51. I can play around with different fonts, colors, sizes, shapes, and alignments to make my resume really stand out from the rest. For a designer, it is better not to follow a standardized resume format. Instead it should look as if a designer created it, as one has. The same tips and techniques apply for cover letters as well.

In class, we have already began the creation of our letterhead designs but after reading Eisenman's advice, I believe a redesign will be in the makings very soon.

Eisenman suggest that after a resume and cover letter has been submitted to a potential employer, it is best to send a thank you message to whomever you interviewed with to show appreciation for the time they spent with you. It is also best to follow up with a phone call if you have not had a response after the interview. The phone call serves as a friendly reminder that you are very interested and dedicated to the available job position.

I have had experience with the interview process in the past. I was honored to accept an internship position with a prestigious publication company, Condé Nast. I made sure to send the women whom I interviewed with a short thank you email. I kept the message short and sweet. It was a small token of my appreciation for her taking time out of her busy schedule to meet with me. After not hearing back from her for a week or so, I made sure to send another follow up email and phone call. I believe that this small effort truly showed my desire to work for their company. It showed that I was driven and determined and ready for the task as hand. Shortly after, I received a phone call with the good news that I was hired for the position.

I also paid close attention to Eisenman's writings on promotions. While Interning, I realized that many free lance designers, illustrators, and photographers sent the magazine postcards. These postcards displayed thumbnails of their work along with their contact information. These self promotion pieces seemed to be very helpful because many freelancers were hired to work short term for the magazine based on the postcards that were sent. I plan to do the same once I am out in the field. I have recently been sketching some ideas for my own postcard designs.

Presentation Is Key

2008-03-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Chapter 6 of Designing a Digital Portfolio by Cynthia L. Baron discusses digitizing work for a web based portfolio. Digital portfolios are an important and effective way to communicate your work. However, it is still important to have the original at hand as well.

Most of the chapter explains the methods used to digitize work. For example, some printed or packaged work must be photographed and scanned to create a digital image for the web. Baron provides advice on choosing the best type of camera that will result in a quality photograph. Baron also explains how to set the stage and lighting for a great shot. Digitizing work is the first step to creating a quality digital portfolio.

I have now began reading Building Design Portfolios by Sara Eisenman. The first two chapters in the book discuss the presentation of portfolios. There are many formats that a portfolio can be created and presented in. I will be presenting my portfolio in a web based format and a printed format.

I found the chapter on presentation boxes, cases, and portfolios to be very helpful. I am just beginning to think about how I will be presenting my printed portfolio. I really like the look of the box cases. They are very clean and professional looking, not to mention that they are very durable. Box cases are also very protective. The cases will prevent the printed materials to become wrinkled, folded, or bended. Once I have all of my work printed I will surely be purchasing a box case to showcase my work during job interview and/or meeting with future clients.

The Creative Process

2008-03-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

The creative process beings with the decision to become a designer. Everything i have learned thus far has taught me to take everything in. Design is everywhere and I can take inspiration from anything.

In chapter 9 of How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, Shaughnessy says that we must acquire a voice. A design voice is developed through 3 main elements: a vision, inner confidence and trust of your creative instincts, and an awareness of fashion, trends, and history.

When working with a client, there must be a design brief before the creative process can begin. Briefs can be a written or verbal discussion between the designer and client. Briefs provide clarity for the designer by helping them to better understand the subject. After the designer meets with the client to discuss the work, he or she should begin the research process. It is very important to gain as much knowledge as possible about the subject. Research is also a great way to find inspiration. Once these steps are completed the designer will be more able to create great work for the client. Shaughnessy says that the following is criteria for what constitutes great work: the client is happy, the job is profitable, and the project is newsworthy.

The Difficult Client

2008-02-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

In chapter 7 of How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, Adrian Shaughnessy describes the types of clients that we are likely to have once we begin working as graphic designers. As in any field, there are easy clients and there are difficult clients. While easy clients are more desirable, it is the difficult clients that benefit the designer in the long run. They force designers to work harder to create great work.

Despite the type of client we might have, Shaugnessy explains that it is important to keep in mind that we must form a relationship or equal partnership in order to produce a successful product for the client. We should treat our clients like we would treat our friends. If we do not work at the friendship or if we act selfishly, the friendship will be destroyed.

We must challenge the client in the same way they challenge us. It is okay to tell the client they are wrong as long as it is done respectfully. Challenging the client will help him or her to see our vision and eventually a compromise will be made.

Chapter 8 discusses self promotion to acquire a reputation in the design world. When first starting out, we will not have the funds for marketing and we will be lacking years of experience that other designers will have. Somehow, we must self promote ourselves to gain success and lasting recognition. To do this, Shaughnessy suggests that we create an exceptional design portfolio so that others can see our talents. We should also enter design competitions. Winning a competition will surely get a designer noticed. It will also show others that we are serious and passionate about the field of design. Joining organizations and attending conferences and lectures enables designers to learn more about design and it is also a great way to meet other people in the field. Keeping connections with other designers will help to get a foot in the door. It is important to maintain a relationship with former colleges as well. Employers often contact schools when they are looking to recruit students or graduates for work.

Finding Work in the Design World

2008-02-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

Chapter 6 of How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul , by Adrian Shaughnessy, explains how the graphic design industry, like any industry, suffers from occasional downturns that will cause work for designers to become scarce. However, despite these turndown, there will always be a demand for graphic design.

Shaughnessy states, "The quest for new and better work is never ending." It is common that designers rarely have enough work to keep them comfortable. Some designers will not have enough clients to keep them going.

While this chapter starts out to be a bit discouraging, it continues on to give tips that better equips designers to find new work. For example, Shaugnessy explains that when clients choose a designer it is usually based on their personal taste. Because of this, designers must recognize personal taste when selling their designs. In other words, you must always give the client what they want if you want to stay in business.

Unlike big design firms, we may not have the funds to use the latest sales and marketing strategies to reel in clients. We will have to rely on brochures and websites. Shaughnessy suggest that we also enter design competitions to win awards and increase recognition. But most of all, word of mouth is the most important form of reaching out to potential cliental. Shaughnessy states, "We get most of our work from people who hear good things about us, and from networking with friends and associates."

Shaughnessy also mentions that in most cases, we will find clients but they will not be the kind of clients that we hope to get or wish to work with. He states, "But chances are your targets are everyone else's targets, and it is much wiser to look for clients off the beaten track."

As a designer, my work is my most valuable promotional tool. If my work is good, it will get me recognized and clients will find me. The first step to self promoting myself is creating a strong portfolio that will display my talents and show clients that I have an understanding of the subject of design. Also, a successful website will help to draw in clients and help to get my name out there. A good website will attract visitors by its brilliant design, while still carefully describing who you are and what you do. This is what I hope to accomplish with my portfolio and website.

Cynthia L. Baron's, author of Designing a Digital Portfolio , discusses audiences in chapter 3 of her book. Chapter 3 goes hand in hand with chapter 6 of How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul because it reiterates the idea that our portfolios must speak effectively to prospective clients and employers. The design field is highly competitive and there is not always going to be enough work to go around. In order to find work, Baron suggests that we do some research to learn more about who are target audiences are as well as who our perspective clients will be. One we know what are target is looking for, we can package our work in way that will interest them. When considering our target audiences, we must keep in mind whether our targets are realistic, how many companies actually fits that target, and where those companies are located geographically. Then we should begin to ask ourselves what kind of material should be included in our portfolios that will get us work.

Baron also mention that while looking for employment we should network and reach out to any personal contacts that we may have because they can help us get a foot in the door. For example, contacts can help to pass around a portfolio and can even put in a good word for you. Schools and Universities are also helpful resources when searching for a job. Many schools offer career counseling and some are well connected with firms in the area.

The job search will most likely be a never ending process, but a successful portfolio that targets our perspective audience will help us to get recognized and will lead to more work in the future.

Freelance Is Also An Option

2008-02-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

My dream job as a graphic designer is to one day work at a prestigious publication company designing layouts and spreads for a well known magazine. My internship at Conde Nast allowed me to get a taste of what that would be like and it was one of the best experiences I've had during my college career. Because I have always wanted to be a designer at a magazine, I never thought about pursuing anything else until I read chapter 3 of How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy. This chapter discusses the option of freelance work. The idea of working as a freelance designer sounded good to me at first but once I realized that nearly one third of designers are self employed I knew that the competition would be tough. There are many risks and uncertainties involved in self-employment, especially in the design world. While there are many downfalls to self-employment there are also many benefits. For example, I would be able to work from home and make my own hours. Freelance is also creatively rewarding and can be financially beneficial if successful. Freelance work is always something to think about if my dream job doesn't come along right away. It can also make for a great side job.

Chapter 2 of Designing a Digital Portfolio by Cynthia L. Baron discusses the self-evaluation Process. Baron states that it is important to discover your strengths and weaknesses as a graphic designer when designing a digital portfolio. When creating a portfolio, one should always keep in mind what their talents and obstacles are. This is because your portfolio is going to be addressing an audience and it may be possible that you do not have the talents that some companies are looking for. It may be necessary to adapt to the needs of the client or market. Baron includes a self-assesment checklist in chapter 2 that addresses strengths and weaknesses, goals, values, and personality. The checklist is very insightful and it really made me think about the type of work I have done and what kind of job is most suitable for my skill level and personality.

I feel that my portfolio should be representative of my design personality so that employers can get a good sense of who I am before they consider hiring me. The work that I showcase in my portfolio should depict my qualifications and act as a target for the type of job that I wish to have.

Graphic Design In The Real World

2008-01-30T18:10:00.000-08:00

While reading chapter 1 of How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soal by Adrain Shaughessy, I paid close attention to the advice that Shaughnessy gives about becoming a successful graphic designer. I will make sure to use this advice once I begin meeting with clients of my own. In this chapter, the author speaks about "research" or a "cultural awareness" that will help enhance a design. She mentions how she felt she would not be able to create a meaningful design for a client in Hong Kong because she knew almost nothing about the culture, customs, or language. A good artist will gain as much knowledge as possible before starting a design. It is important for a graphic designer to to the same in order to be successful. A cultural awareness will show an openness and understanding to the client. Shaughnessy believes that a good graphic designer should always be open so that the client will be inspired. She also mentions that communications skills are always necessary because as designers, we must be able to listen to the client to create a product that is suitable to their taste.

While reading this chapter, I found that the author was inspired by elements that he found around him. For example, the author discusses how he paid close attention to the lettering on album covers, magazines, cereal boxes, and comic books. I found this interesting because as I have become more involved in my own career in graphic design, I found myself becoming more in tune to what I see around me as well. Particularly I make note of layout designs and typography in advertisements, magazines, and other print material. I even find myself critiquing other people's work and thinking of ways as in which it could be better. After reading, I realize that I am finally starting to think like a true graphic designer.

In chapter 2, Shaughnessy discusses how a graphic designer should find a job. This chapter was especially helpful to me because I am going to be graduating after this semester and finding my first job seems so overwhelming. This chapter has helped me realize that in the field of graphic design, it is unlikely that I will start out with my dream job. However, Shaughnessy says that this is okay because there are no wrong jobs. In all jobs, there are lessons to be learned and there are always opportunities to move up. I know that experience will help me grow and even though some of my jobs will not be ideal, they will make me a better designer.

Chapter 1 of Desinging a Digital Portfolio by Cynthia L. Baron provides a great deal of insight as to what elements should be incorporated in a digital portfolio. For example, a portfolio should have a strong concept and sense of style. Too much variety in a portfolio can make a designer seem too diverse so it is important to find your own "creative voice" as Baron says. It is very important to me that my portfolio makes a strong statement about myself as a designer. My digital portfolio must also be crafted and designed in a way that will impress future employers or clients. I must also create a portfolio that is appropriate to my field of graphic design. For example, I am hoping to enter the print design world so I know that a Flash presentation would not be my best option.

On page 9, Baron included a few a few words that I found interesting. The reading suggests that students should begin creating a portfolio as soon as possible. The more the student learns and evolves, the more projects that can be added to the portfolio. The section also discusses the importance of internships. As of right now I feel that I have been on the right track throughout the past few semesters. Last year I created a temporary small scale portfolio that I presented to publication companies while applying for internships. The portfolio was in print-format which allowed me to showcase a few samples of my work quickly and easily. I just recently completed an internship with a magazine at Conde Nast. The internship has allowed me to gain experience in the field and I was able to meet talented and influential people who will open many doors once I begin my job search. However, now that my internship has ended, I am ready to focus of creating a professional portfolio that I can proudly present to future employers and clients.

For inspiration, I have been searching the internet for digital portfolios of successful and experienced graphic designers. I particularly liked the following sites because of the styles and formats they used. Viewing these portfolios has helped me develop some of my own ideas for the design of my digital portfolio that I will be creating soon...

www.fergalkeane.com
www.natesdesign.com
www.jp33.com