"Paradoxically, the way ahead is to not look forward, but to look around."
Canvas (even though I work with you daily) oh how I've missed you. Get ready Park City, here I come! This year I am so excited to be presenting at InstructureCon. My session will introduce graphic design to non-designers and may be a departure from some of the tech-specific sessions offered at this conference. From Blah to Aha! Canvas Headers with Impact, will focus on how to create effective design that resonates with viewers, using tools many people may already have. I will be returning to my roots and focus on the basic elements and principles of design and offer additional resources to conference attendees. I am excited to give an exclusive glimpse at some bonus content to accompany my session! Once you've completed your design, whether it be a Canvas course header, page banner, or supplementary graphic, go through the checklist below to review your work and make sure you’ve reached your full design potential! I hope to see you at my session in Park City! Jenn port·fo·li·o site Portfolio sites are not a new trend, nor do they seem to be going away anytime soon. Showing work online is the most convenient way to share a more dynamic side of your resume and more and more employers are asking for personal websites during the application process. So why am I writing about my journey? Hopefully to help someone get started, pull the trigger, and show their work!
I began showing my work online over six years ago when I completed my undergraduate degree in Art Education from Wayne State University. Our program required a portfolio with work displaying how we've met various competencies. When I asked for examples, I was shocked to see 4" binders stuffed with paper- those poor trees!. We were expected to know these binders inside and out and present whatever was asked of us at our final review. This seemed extremely archaic, stressful, and inefficient- I knew I was going to do something different. I chose to build a simple website and give control of the navigation and exploration to the [re]viewer. I was the only person in my class to choose this route (surprisingly), but I am so happy I did. The problem? It only served one purpose- my final program and degree review. The information required wasn't very helpful for potential employers because some of the projects were irrelevant and not applicable to real-world scenarios. Fast-forward to one move to Chicago, two jobs, and one graduate program later... its online portfolio time again! I didn't keep up my original site because I had changed professional directions not once but twice, developed a different aesthetic, and didn't see the need for the maintenance or misrepresentation of myself. My current program in Learning Design & Technology at Purdue University requires a final portfolio review in which you must prove you have mastered skills in professionally-desired and program-specific competencies (sound familiar?). I was met with varied thoughts, everything from: Again? Really? Have things not changed? to I can do this. My site is going to rock! to Whoa, where do I begin?! After getting over the initial disappointment of having to complete, prepare, and publicly show school work that suits such a specific purpose [again], I began analyzing my approach. How can I show my true interest in areas that lie outside of class assignments? Will this portfolio hurt my desired presence in those areas? Will a potential employer even look at this? I began research for my new online portfolio as soon as I was admitted to the program- What can I say? I'm a planner! Needless to say, grad school got in the way and the next thing you know, your website is due in 48 hours! I put aside all of my pinned ideas, research articles, and inspiration and got to work. If you're detail-oriented like me, choosing the right font or color scheme can be daunting and don't even get me started on a personal brand! In the end I have a site that works, is clean, simple, and represents who I am. So what advice would I give my happy go lucky pre- full-time grad school and professional self? 1. Set an internal deadline. Break large tasks into small goals like: This month, I'll choose a platform, next, a color scheme, tone, imagery, etc. 2. Don't get lost in inspiration. We are inundated with input. Professional blogs and tools like Pinterest can be so helpful in finding what you like, teach you what you want to learn, and more but there comes a point where enough is enough and choice can be overwhelming and halt progress. Find inspiration not only in the things you see online, but in what you experience in the everyday; things you do, see, or feel on you way into work, for example. My color scheme came from the ever-changing appearance and interplay of Lake Michigan and the sky. 3. Keep it simple. Content is king, remember! Start small and learn to expand, artfully. It is much easier to add than to take away. 4. Start with prefab then modify. This may be taboo, but if you have a hard time making a choice, pick a template! Working with a set of parameters helps set boundaries to work within. Once you've completed your online portfolio, go back and add custom vector graphics, alter the code, tinker with your theme. Meet the deadline with a product that you are proud of that meets the requirements, then tweak it if you have time. I know these thoughts aren't unique, but perhaps it will help someone just starting out and give them a different perspective than the mass of articles and examples they are sorting through before they make a decision. With that, I invite you to take a look at my portfolio (Phase I), leave comments, and encourage you to show your work! |
AuthorChicago-based creative currently specializing in instructional design. Archives
April 2017
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