PDF, Printed Document, or Portfolio Website? What works the best for job applications? - Yanko Design

Hey I'yard Sam and I do design. Some of the about popular YouTube videos I make are virtually portfolios and tips on getting a design task. For that exact reason, I wanted to write virtually portfolios here and so I can share this information with yous.

Sharing your work as a creator can be a daunting task, particularly if you lot're attempting to summarize solving a complex problem that took half dozen months to ascertain, and vi months to develop the solution. In situations like this, it's important to call up that the reader (your recruiter) must understand the project at face value every bit they're speed-browsing through hundreds or even thousands of job applications. I brand a point in my videos to picture show through portfolios as fast equally possible when get-go looking at them, with no time to read the headings or the body text. This reflects exactly what happens in industry, fifty-fifty if information technology does appear unfair to the designer on the other side of the portfolio. This is too the reason why each portfolio should exist tailored to the job you lot're applying for. For example, a cerise rug set designer won't be interested in seeing the baby walker that you designed (true story, I didn't become that prepare design job).

Every employer volition have different application specifications. My current job still asks for a PDF portfolio from students. We enquire for them because we can archive them, and pull them out if nosotros have a specific project that the specific designer can help with. And if they supply a completely unlike blazon of portfolio? Well, information technology unfortunately shows they tin't follow employer instructions. Next!

Beyond specific employer instructions, how should yous testify your piece of work? There honestly isn't one perfect exist-all-cease-all format. There are pros and cons to all of the solutions, so allow's run through some of them at present to assistance you determine which is best for you.

PERSONAL WEBSITE

A personal website is a great way to bear witness creativity and give the impression of a professional and well established designer. The pages and layout are also a showcase of how you think and organize data, and the format of a website means y'all can accept multiple types of projects that your potential employer tin choose to look for, or choose to ignore if they don't suit the particular role available (just like a infant walker or gear up pattern). A personal website is great for these reasons, IF it works. The trouble I personally had with my get-go portfolio website, especially as a student, was that information technology was expensive to keep it running. It came to the indicate where I needed to choose between renewing the website domain, or eating that calendar week. I chose the latter. That meant that whatsoever potential employers that I had given my website details to now couldn't find me if they had a project that would suit my talents. And even if they could notice me through the e-mail address I also gave them, a broken website gives a horrible impression anyway.

PDF DOCUMENTS

A PDF document is a traditional method by today's standards. They lack the fancy animations that websites tin can have, and they demand to be emailed around and stored locally. However, this can also be seen as a positive betoken, as each portfolio can be tailored to include only the most relevant project for maximum bear on with employers. Having a PDF that pinpoints the verbal type of projects that the employer needs help with shows that yous are capable not just of the design work itself, but also understand the company's needs and shows how you can help. If a website is a cracking place for employers to come up and choose what they're interested in, a PDF is a bang-up way for you lot to prove that you understand what they demand.
However, dealing with file sizes and compression can exist the difference between a 500mb monstrosity, and a file that'southward pixelated beyond recognition. This is the final hurdle of a PDF document, and one that many designers trip on. A sensible file size is 5mb-10mb, and in that location are ways to compress your document while keeping the image quality loftier. I have a YouTube tutorial on that very problem!

Concrete PRINTED BOOK

A physical copy leaves the near bear upon on a potential employer. In a world where everything is increasingly digital, it seems that providing a beautifully fabricated volume always provides that "wow" moment. In that location is simply something almost turning each page to reveal the side by side piece of information that is so satisfying, and the physicality of it often ways that I would flick through a book slower than I would a PDF.

However, there are of course drawbacks with a physical portfolio. They are expensive. Very expensive. And it's almost incommunicable to tailor each portfolio to include the exact projects specific to the job at paw. I've seen workarounds with binders and replaceable pages and projects, but that gets even more expensive.
In addition, while books are suited to archiving and being stored, they don't possess the magical "search" feature that PDF's and websites have. In half-dozen months time if I have a project that a designer could help with, and I can merely vaguely remember that their work was in a volume (and definitely tin't remember their name), and so information technology takes a lot of try to go searching. The endeavor I might spend searching could hands be re-assigned to finding a new designer with similar skills, even if the "wow" factor of the book was and then nice six months ago.

Community PORTFOLIOS

Community websites like Behance are more stable than personal website, simply they as well bring attending to the competition and their blueprint work. While it's very easy to plug in your images and copy into the pre-existing templates with fancy animations, it's likewise true for every other designer on that website. The very nature of these types of sites mean that they make it oh-so piece of cake to click through to find more designers and more work.

It could piece of work in your favor by showing your projects are better than the contest, or it could show other designers and their piece of work too. Y'all can rest prophylactic in the knowledge that your links are going to piece of work for as long as your project is on the website, only is it worth also potentially exhibiting the competition too?

THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS

It may be a catch-all cliche, but I exercise think it'due south all-time to have a mix of portfolio types up to date at all times. It's really important to be able to provide a current portfolio at any given moment equally you never know when the next opportunity can come up along. The all-time program of action is often to use two or more types of portfolio for the same submission. PDF portfolios plus concrete or website is also common. Recall, if specified, always listen to the employer'due south instructions when it comes to formatting. Beyond that, a portfolio is a reflection of your mindset and your creativeness. The more creative you tin exist with a portfolio, the better. But don't forget what a portfolio is used for once it's left the drafts folder on your estimator and out in the real earth: information technology should be to the bespeak, tailored, archive-able, and searchable. Oh, and don't forget the "wow" cistron.

---

Almost THE Writer

Sam Gwilt is an industrial designer with an eclectic mix of skills. He graduated Brunel University London and worked for Paul Cocksedge Studio, specializing in bespoke lighting installations and exhibitions internationally. He now works with clients globally at consultancy Precipice Pattern, and also runs an Instagram Page and YouTube channel – Sam_Does_Design – where he shares industry tips with the community.

mcmullinwerseemse.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.yankodesign.com/2019/07/08/pdf-printed-document-or-portfolio-website-what-works-the-best-for-job-applications/

Share this post