The Portfolio is a designer's name card. Whether you are applying for school, a job, or to entice a potential client, your portfolio needs to be killer. I have spent the last decade refining my own portfolio as well as guiding others on theirs for school and job applications. To help you kickstart your process, here is a short guide:

What is a portfolio?

A Portfolio is a curated document you use to showcase your work and lure new opportunities, professionally or academically. It could be a collection of projects, drawings, sketches, renderings, built photos, or anything that show WHO YOU ARE AS A DESIGNER. This collection of materials demonstrates your graphic sense, thought process, presentation and communication skills, and your capabilities of carrying out the work required. Ultimately, it is what your future employer, client, or university admission officer judge you on. For a designer, this is THE ONE document you will be refining and refining they day you start school.

What should your portfolio show?

This document should show a clear image of who you are as a designer—your skills, range, knowledge, experience, and dreams. In many ways, it is a personal statement towards design. We should be able to read from your portfolio what kind of person you are, what kind of work you like, what you are good at (and bad at), and what your general aspirations are. It’s an exercise of story-telling and self-branding through careful curation. Since you are telling a story, it’s important to clearly identify your audience:

The Portfolio - Presenting yourself

  • Applying to College

    Most of you are newbies entering the field. Your "experience" in the architectural field comes from your daily interaction and observation of buildings. Your portfolio will have more emphasis on presenting your interest and passion for the subject. How are your drawing skills? What kind of creator are you? What does design mean to you?

  • Applying to Grad School

    You have gone through a few years of design school, or at least you know enough about the field to have decided that this is your desired career path. Depending on which program you are applying for, you portfolio will need to show what you have learned in the past years, and more importantly, the direction of research you are hoping to take in Grad School. How clear is this research topic? Has this topic been a long time interest?

  • Applying to a Job

    You are entering the job world, persuading your employer that you have the necessary skills and you are the right fit. You will need to demonstrate to the hiring manager great visual representations, abilities in 3D, and your range in understanding the various needs of different project types. What is your edge above other candidates?

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Applying to College / Grad School

6 Steps to follow when starting / working on your portfolio:

  1. Picking the right program:
    What are the schools you are targeting?
    Are you aware of the differences between the programs?
    How much do you know about the profession you are targeting?

  2. Research your portfolio requirements:
    Is a portfolio mandatory for your major?
    What is the deadline for submission?
    How many pieces do you need?

  3. Analyze your existing work:
    What are you good at? bad at?
    Is there a theme in your work?
    How diverse is your work?
    How do you compare to your competition?

  4. What is your story:
    Have you written your personal statement?
    How do you tie your work with your statements?

  5. Curate and tell your story

  6. Double Check, Triple check for spelling/ grammar/ alignments

Applying to a Job

Things to consider with your portfolio:

  1. What kind of firm(s) are you targeting?
    Boutique firms, corporate firms, specialty firms?
    What kind of projects do they get?
    What is their office structure/ hierarchy?
    What roles are they advertising?

  2. Analyze your existing work and experience?
    Do you know what your employers are looking for?
    Do you have what they are looking for?

  3. What is your Story?
    Which project are you focusing on showing?
    What specific skills do you show or not show?
    Do you need to add projects to your portfolio?

  4. Strategies when applying:
    Know when to send your materials?
    Know what to include in your resume?
    How do you write your cover letter?
    What do you say during your interview?
    how do you negotiate your terms?

Let’s Tackle This Together

If you need help on any of the steps above, let’s work on it together to show the world what you can do. I have been working with students and recent grads to craft and refine their portfolios for the past 4 years. We go through what to include, what not to include, and tips for designing and maintaining a portfolio that shows off who you are as designers. Below are three key areas I focus on:

  1. Telling a good story

    - clarity of the story
    - clarity of diagrams

  2. Quality of your Drawings

    - Linework
    - Balance of color

  3. Clarity of presentation

    - Hierarchy and Layout
    - Consistency of your annotation
    - Clarity of your text

What is your story?

Schedule a call. It will be worth your time.