Insanity

I haven't stopped working in over three weeks, which is great but jeez I'm tired. All the forces of natural graphic design selection have pointed to me and said, "Alleluia! She is the one you need!" I've done work for regular clients, new clients, and rush clients. Just when I don't think it can get any crazier I open my email and BAM a new project DUE RIGHT NOW. I have a huge laundry list of project to finish this morning and more deadlines for the afternoon and some for tomorrow. The dogs are the only thing keeping me sane man!

(AND! My first anniversary is coming up, can anyone toss out a unique gift idea? I believe the theme is paper?)

Swearing loudly is greatly frowned upon

For the month of June I've taken over a marketing job at one of the companies I do graphic design work for. I've worked in an office before but never a quiet office. The last time I sat at a cubicle was at the unusually hip office of IKEA North America more than five years ago. An office where jeans were considered "dressing up" and dancing was not unusual. After that I had a desk in the back of a massive IKEA store, at which I didn't sit much. Because we always had so many reasons to be running around fixing signs every where from the parking lot to the sofa department to the warehouse, a day at my desk was a rare treat. When I left IKEA I had my own store where there was a computer but no chair. Being in a yarn store is nothing like being at a desk, unless you'd like me to go into a lengthy comparison between needy middle-aged women and annoying bosses that are perpetually emailing you with the latest crisis.

I am again working at a desk job, but from home. I've been building my graphic design studio over the course of the last year and aside from the occassional drawing session on the deck I remain at my desk most of the day. A desk job.

Or so I thought.

As it turns out sitting at a desk at a computer hardware company is somewhat uptight, and my unnecessary gesticulating when something is not going as I had planned begins to look a little odd.

Needless to say I took a deep breath when I got home.

A nerd at heart

Even though we have the world's largest television and full surround sound, I think I might want to go to the theater to watch the new X-Files movie. It doesn't come out until July 25 but I am already excited! As an added bonus the movie poster is really nice.

Design portfolio tips

It's about the time of year when a fresh flock of new design talent will be hitting the streets, banging on doors, begging for jobs and hoping someone takes pity on them enough to give them a couple thousand dollars a month. The first and most important thing every young graphic designer needs is a strong portfolio. Here are some tips and hints on how to make a good portfolio great:

1. Quantity: How much should I have in my portfolio? To show a good sampling of your work your portfolio should have 10-15 pieces. But quantity does not equal quality. Less is more. If you have a few really strong pieces it's better to highlight them than show too much and have nothing stand out.

2. Substance: What should I have in my portfolio? You should tailor your portfolio depending on what kind of job you are looking for. If you want to be a web designer than you would need at least two well-developed website layouts. If you'd like to get into advertising then stock your case with different ad layouts, maybe a campaign for one company that includes print, web and outdoor ads. But for a general rule try to fit these parameters:
- Poster
- Logos
- Stationery suite
- Brochure
- Advertisements
- Catalog or annual report
- Invitation
- Magazine article layout
- Calendar
- Coordinated promotional piece

3. Presentation: What works best? Start strong and end strong. The order in which your projects are presented to your audience is very important. Lead with your best piece, end with your second-best and make sure there is another strong piece somewhere in the middle to hold interest.

4. Case: What kind of portfolio is best? There are two main types of cases to display your work, ring-bound plastic sleeves or my preference, a hard clam-shell case. I use a leather Spink & Gabor case that holds 15x20 inch boards. All boards should be the exact same size and black. Maintain similar margins around all projects and throughout your case. Whatever method you choose make sure you mount your projects cleanly and neatly. You don't get bonus points for this in the real world, only minus points. If the plastic sleeves are dirty, go buy some Windex and clean them. It must remain pristine. Maintaining a clean portfolio sub-consciously tells your audience that you will maintain and respect their property and projects.

5. Resume: Can it be unique? Yes! It should be original and creative but also clear and legible. Design an envelope to go with it. You can also design a self-promotional piece that has samples of your work on it. Take extra copies of both to an interview and make sure to leave at least one behind on your way out.

Your portfolio is an extension of you. It shows how you work and how you think. If you keep it looking sharp and up to date you will never have a problem finding someone to show it too, and hopefully they will give you lots of money for all your hard work.

Online portfolio

Being a strong print designer requires me to be fairly, OK, completely useless at web design. My time is consumed by pouring over paper samples and printing methods rather than learning Dreamweaver and typing code. Because of this my portfolio has always been a large Spink & Gabor case that I tote from client to client. I am good at keeping my print case up to date because who doesn't love any excuse to haul out the spray mount? I wrote a tutorial about mounting portfolio boards here. Aside from that I've never had an easily viewed portfolio. I put some items up on Coroflot last summer but I've never been happy with their site. It's hard to use, the navigation is weak and it doesn't display the pieces as nicely as I would like.

Thanks to Estetica Design Forum I think I've found what I've been looking for, a website to display my work beautifully. FinalCrit.com lets you upload your images and then Presto-Change-O! they're in a fantastic Flash based website! Click here to see my new online portfolio!

Whether you're a young designer just out of college without enough experience to get things just the way you want them or a seasoned specialist like me FinalCrit can help you display your goods just the way you want. For free!