Design Portfolios

Unique perspective of a seasoned designer and veteran A/E industry recruiter regarding what design industry recruiters actually look for in a Design Portfolio Design Portfolios: A Recruiter’s View provides a student-friendly guide, written from the perspective of a designer and design industry recruiter, on what recruiters look for as they review a design portfolio. It shows students how to create a professional-quality portfolio that will get them to that all-important next step in the recruiting process—the interview. Using a unique plan of action, “The Four S’s”, the book presents an organizational mindset focused on the added value of telling your Story, revealing your Style, proclaiming your Substance, and Sharing your uniqueness effectively. In today’s competitive market, a winning portfolio is much more than a simple accounting of digital skills and volumes of high-resolution graphics. This book shows students what recruiters really value and how to ensure their portfolios make the right impression. Design Portfolios: A Recruiter’s View explains: How to develop a memorable organizational approach around story, style, substance, and sharing and create a winning portfolio Answers to the key questions students ask to fill in gaps in their academic instruction Real examples of resumes, cover letters, and portfolios that reveal what is needed for success Years of “big picture” insight gained from actual portfolio reviews during the author’s time as a designer and recruiter Aimed at the inexperienced design student rather than the practicing professional, Design Portfolios: A Recruiter’s View is an easy-to-understand and constructive guide that is incredibly helpful to young designers with project histories that consist only of academic and internship work.

Foreword vii Allan Shearer Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Why Do I Need a Portfolio? 5 Story 8 Style 9 Substance 10 Sharing 11 Chapter 2: Tell Your Story 13 Story: Your Cover Letter 18 Story: Your Résumé 27 Story: Your Portfolio 35 Chapter 3: Define Your Style 85 Style: Your Cover Letter 87 Style: Your Résumé 92 Style: Your Portfolio 102 Chapter 4: Give It Substance 155 Substance: Your Cover Letter 156 Substance: Your Résumé 158 Substance: Your Portfolio 166 Chapter 5: Share Your Work 199 Sharing: Your Cover Letter 200 Sharing: Your Résumé and Portfolio 206 Chapter 6: Bring It All Together 217 Afterword 221 Tim Augustine About the Author 225 Index 227