Starting a portfolio can seem to be a monumental task. Designers have to make choices about what type of portfolio they want and be careful as they develop it. Remember, you’re showcasing your skills in a manner  that best represents you. There are many different types from which to choose.  I believe a professional should have more than one variety, and possibly one of each.

What type of portfolio do I need?

• Archive – a physical collection of every project in your arsenal
• Presentation – a collection of the projects you feel best represent your work abilities
• Electronic – your best projects viewable via the internet or CD/DVD
• Sample – a scaled down version of your best projects that you are willing to “leave behind”

How do I develop my archive portfolio?

Your archival portfolio is for you and you alone (see my previous post about this subject) so that you have a pool of samples from which to choose when you need to show your skills. You develop your portfolio by

• Collecting copies of your projects.
• Reproducing any projects of which you do not have a hard copy.
• Organizing your projects in an archival portfolio
• Determining which projects best represent your skills for the position/project you are seeking.

What do I include in my archive portfolio?

Include the following in your archival portfolio:

• Artifacts created for volunteer organizations
• Artifacts created specifically for your portfolio
• Artifacts created through your job
• Artifacts you created for fun
• EVERYTHING and ANYTHING

I’ve got my Archive portfolio, now what? Create your presentation portfolio.

Once you have your archive portfolio, the next step is to create your presentation portfolio. To achieve that goal,

• Select the artifacts that best represent your goals
• Determine a presentation method
• Determine a presentation theme
• Organize your works in a logical and consistent manner

What do I include in my presentation portfolio?

To create your presentation portfolio, gather the following:

• Cover Page – must have name; may have your mission statement, short introduction, or bio
• Resume
• Table of Contents – optional
• Navigation – some method to guide areviewer through your artifacts
• Project samples – your best
• Reflection – optional

They’ve asked for samples, do I loan them my presentation portfolio…?

Absolutely not. You’ve more than likely spent a great deal of time assembling your portfolio and in some cases, you may not have additional copies of the artifacts that are contained in it. This is when you’ll want a sample/leave behind/electronic portfolio.

• Make copies of portions of the artifacts in your presentation portfolio
• Organize your artifacts in a less expensive presentation folder
• Consider including a CD with “soft copies” of included and/or larger works
• Maintain consistency when possible

What do I include in my sample/leave behind/electronic portfolio?

• Cover Page/Letter – must have name, contact information and what’s inside; may have a short introduction, or bio
• Resume
• Artifacts – portions of your best printed on nice paper and/or burned to a disk
• Reflection – optional