“How to build an World-Class Portfolio”

1. What are the main points of the article? Summarize the article very briefly in your own words.

-In the article “How to Build a World-Class Design Portfolio,” Blumenfeld writes that in order to truly have a chance of being hired your portfolio must consist of your process not just the final result. He further goes on to list six key points that will guarantee great portfolio results. The six key points include one, “quality over quantity” meaning less is more if more is mediocre. Two “structure your work,” document your process and what you want to achieve. Three “show your process,” employers want to know that you will be able to communicate effectively. Four “get visuals,” details are important some have to see it to believe it. Five “show interactions” this allows employers to see that you can think past the present into the future. Lastly, six “side projects” display your ambition and goals.

2. Is there anything that you read in this article that surprised you?

-I was tremendously surprised to see that companies actually find interest in projects done by employee applicants outside of work. This news would come as a shocker to many, including myself who have always thought employers only want to see work geared towards a specific position. However, this is not the case  I learned that outside projects give employers the opportunity to see beyond the restraints of standard office work. This also allows for them to recognize ambition and drive which are great attributes to have when working with others and for others.

3. Which statements in the article most strongly resonate with you and why?

-The statements that most strongly resonate with me are “It’s much better for you to go deeper on a few projects than to go shallow on many projects,” and “seeing how you frame the problem (text), how you think about the problem (sketch) and how you solve the problem (pixels) really tells us everything we need to know.” These two statements have a great impact on improving the overall strength of a design portfolio. The information provides tips regarding how to really hone in on a persons strengths for guaranteed employment in their desired work field.

4. Which statements in the article do you disagree with and why?

-There isn’t anything in the article I disagree with I find all the tips useful and plan to implement them all throughout my journey as an artist/designer.

5. Are there ways that you are already implementing the suggestions in this article?

-Being that the article discusses the benefit of writing a lot, I am looking forward to my integrative seminar class. I want to learn all  I possibly can so that I can properly represent, both myself and my work through writing and speech for the best possible results.

6. What are some things that you can start doing to follow this advice and apply these suggestions in your Learning Portfolio?

-I can begin to implement these tips by strategically and meticulously documenting various assignments on my learning portfolio. By doing this my constant practice will improve my overall portfolio building skills which will benefit me in the long run.

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