Steve Anderson

Spring 2011
Portfolio Project

Project Type: Individual Project

You are required to create an online portfolio that showcases your work. The portfolio should contain projects you’ve created that will showcase your talents for potential employers or clients. It makes sense that you include links to material created for this class and other multimedia classes, but you might also want to include samples of other work such as writing, reporting, photography, print layout audio and/or video work. It should be creative, eye-catching and easy to navigate. Keep in mind that employers and clients form impressions in the first few seconds of visiting a portfolio site. The home page should showcase your design abilities.

The portfolio must include:

1. a printable version or your resume. Use the right software for the print materials. (Photoshop is not the right software for a resume!)

2. temporary placeholders and descriptions for the 404 client project so that when completed it can be quickly & easily incorporated into the portfolio.

3) a unique theme, look, metaphor or motif for the project. The interface, print materials, and packaging should have a unified, cohesive look and feel. Use consistent color scheme, graphic repetition, font choices, etc.

Use of CSS for layout and formatting is highly recommended. Review your basic design concepts on contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity, typography, color, harmony, and unity.

Presentations
At the end of the semester, you will be given a few minutes to present your portfolio to the rest of the class. Use this an opportunity to practice how you will talk about your work to a prospective employer. In other words, pretend that your audience is made up of people who want to see what you have done in order to evaluate your suitability for employment. Do not be shy about promoting your abilities in this forum. Everyone will be asked to do the same thing. Appearance and vocal delivery should be considered as well.

Evaluation Criteria

• Does the portfolio project show creativity? (concept, work examples)
• Does the portfolio project demonstrate design skill? (design basics, color, typography, layout, interface design)
• Does the portfolio project demonstrate technical skill? (execution, variety of tools used)
• Does the portfolio project communicate effectively? (clarity of text, depth of content)
• Does the portfolio project demonstrate attention to detail? (proofreading, alignment, testing)
• Does the portfolio project meet its goals? (persuade audience to interview the candidate)
• Was the portfolio largely completed by the time of SMAD Day for portolio reviews by professionals?
• Did your in-class presentation effectively present you and your work to an audience of prospective employers?

This should be an online portfolio and could use HTML and/or Flash. Upload the files to the hosting account at 1and1.com and provide me with the URL via email by the due date.

SMAD Day Note
One of the events you are required to attend is a portfoilio review during SMAD Day on Friday, April 8th. On this day, a number of working interactive media professionals will be on hand to look at your portfolios and give feedback you might incorporate before the projects are due for this class. If you haven’t started or have a very limited amount of work done on your portfolios by this date, it will indicate a lack of serious effort on what is certainly the most important project you will work on this semester.