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UPDATE: Design Portfolio Critique
- Thread starter digitalphotog77
- Start date
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I'm fairly young and inexperienced, but don't like putting being creative as a qualification on resumes. It's like telling someone you're strong or funny. Don't tell them, they should be able to tell by your work. To me, that almost shows you're tying to hard.
I like what I saw, so I don't think you need that you're creative written down, it should show.
Just my thoughts.
I like what I saw, so I don't think you need that you're creative written down, it should show.
Just my thoughts.
Another small nitpick:
Graphic Design | Professional
It doesn't make sense to put that. Are you saying this is the professional section of your portfolio? That's sort of what the formatting indicates. Or are you saying you are a professional? Either way, I think it sort of falls under the above poster's comment.
In general the over-all impression was good. On some of your title-category-over-background-picture are not very legible because of the white text on light picture elements.
Graphic Design | Professional
It doesn't make sense to put that. Are you saying this is the professional section of your portfolio? That's sort of what the formatting indicates. Or are you saying you are a professional? Either way, I think it sort of falls under the above poster's comment.
In general the over-all impression was good. On some of your title-category-over-background-picture are not very legible because of the white text on light picture elements.
I like how you photograph your work and put it in your portfolio. But I think it's too much to look at. I dont know where to look in the page. I feel like the work you photographed is screaming at me therefore making the description not standing out or if it's even there and the title is hard to read.
Your portfolio to me looks like a small room painted with 5000 different colours especially the first page. I dont know where to look at. Maybe it'll be different when it's printed out.
Your portfolio to me looks like a small room painted with 5000 different colours especially the first page. I dont know where to look at. Maybe it'll be different when it's printed out.
The honest truth - thin skin beware...
In your presentation, the good (strengths) should outshine the bad (weaknesses).
The Good
Obviously you have talent, skills, and experience. You willingness to obtain a public critique allows you to make whatever adjustments are necessary in order to achieve your goals.
The Bad
First page and second to last page are too busy. Last page is poorly designed. Reversed type on many of the pages in between is illegible. PDF file is too large.
Everyone expects that a portfolio will include the best of all work the artist has done. The problem with too many pages is that we run the risk of including mediocre examples. An artist that cannot distinguish exceptional from mundane is potentiality a serious liability. Do the following pieces measure up to the style/quality of those remaining?
Qualifications indicate aerial photography, yet from all the photos included, not one depicts a good example of this (not counting the tiny photo on page 7). "Stationary" means immovable; "stationery" is paper used for correspondence. "PC" is not an OS. Creative experience, software skills and job responsibilities have too many redundancies; pick one heading instead of three.
In your presentation, the good (strengths) should outshine the bad (weaknesses).
The Good
Obviously you have talent, skills, and experience. You willingness to obtain a public critique allows you to make whatever adjustments are necessary in order to achieve your goals.
The Bad
First page and second to last page are too busy. Last page is poorly designed. Reversed type on many of the pages in between is illegible. PDF file is too large.
Everyone expects that a portfolio will include the best of all work the artist has done. The problem with too many pages is that we run the risk of including mediocre examples. An artist that cannot distinguish exceptional from mundane is potentiality a serious liability. Do the following pieces measure up to the style/quality of those remaining?
- Shane Insider Newsletter
- Govi CD cover
- Crimson brochure
- German Autowerks logo/business card
- Starfish Kids
Qualifications indicate aerial photography, yet from all the photos included, not one depicts a good example of this (not counting the tiny photo on page 7). "Stationary" means immovable; "stationery" is paper used for correspondence. "PC" is not an OS. Creative experience, software skills and job responsibilities have too many redundancies; pick one heading instead of three.
You have some very awesome work, and you have great photography skills. I agree with the others some of it looks busy, but overall I think it looks great! 
my experience, 21 years.
looks good. a few things that you might want to consider.
summary of qualifications has a typo...the bullet "Accustomed performing in deadline..." should be "Accustomed TO performing..."
also, i would make sure that when the PDF is viewed the whole page is visible. i had to reduce the page a bit before i realized you had info and the nav at the bottom of the page.
another thing, some of the header typography blends into the whites on some samples.
overall very nice. the cover has "Professional" "Freelance" etc. this makes me feel like you dont think your freelance work qualifies as professional.
thats it. good going and good luck.
looks good. a few things that you might want to consider.
summary of qualifications has a typo...the bullet "Accustomed performing in deadline..." should be "Accustomed TO performing..."
also, i would make sure that when the PDF is viewed the whole page is visible. i had to reduce the page a bit before i realized you had info and the nav at the bottom of the page.
another thing, some of the header typography blends into the whites on some samples.
overall very nice. the cover has "Professional" "Freelance" etc. this makes me feel like you dont think your freelance work qualifies as professional.
thats it. good going and good luck.
You have a nice corporate portfolio with a nifty PDF with links. I've never seen that before.
Like mentioned above, the white headers are hard to read because they blend into the background. Try repositioning the photos, esp. on the business cards. Also, the text obscures some of the artwork. Again, you need to reposition them.
You have too many of the same kind of work, but if that's what you are going for, then nevermind. It seems to be all corporate and technical. But that might be your niche.
I like the use of photos to show your print material. It gives them more importance and context. Good work.
Your work lacks a lot of negative space and so does the PDF. It feels too busy to me, but that's a bit subjective.
Are you mainly a freelancer or are you looking for a permanent gig?
Like mentioned above, the white headers are hard to read because they blend into the background. Try repositioning the photos, esp. on the business cards. Also, the text obscures some of the artwork. Again, you need to reposition them.
You have too many of the same kind of work, but if that's what you are going for, then nevermind. It seems to be all corporate and technical. But that might be your niche.
I like the use of photos to show your print material. It gives them more importance and context. Good work.
Your work lacks a lot of negative space and so does the PDF. It feels too busy to me, but that's a bit subjective.
Are you mainly a freelancer or are you looking for a permanent gig?
Just one thought: I'd lock the text on that final page to a baseline grid, or use an absolute leading value common to all the text, regardless of actual point size, to keep the line spacing even across the page.
You've plenty of space on this page, and a big leading value oozes class and says that you're not afraid of whitespace.
Cheers!
Jim
my experience, 21 years.
looks good. a few things that you might want to consider.
summary of qualifications has a typo...the bullet "Accustomed performing in deadline..." should be "Accustomed TO performing..."
also, i would make sure that when the PDF is viewed the whole page is visible. i had to reduce the page a bit before i realized you had info and the nav at the bottom of the page.
another thing, some of the header typography blends into the whites on some samples.
overall very nice. the cover has "Professional" "Freelance" etc. this makes me feel like you dont think your freelance work qualifies as professional.
thats it. good going and good luck.
It's also ON deadline, not in.
Are you saying I can't take pictures? Did you click on the photography portfolio page?
And about the photos I know they are low rez photos its to keep the PDF file size down.
everything is extremely full, shows no sense of white space and composition. drop shadows, image reflections on front page scream amateur. loose them. 3 block color palettes are redundant and unnecessary. 'software utilized' is irrelevant - if you made the work in the portfolio its obvious you know how to use the software. the screened back sliver of the next page on the right of each page is gimmicky and does not add, only makes complexity. the photos are unflattering to your work. badly composed, very, very busy, tiny DOF so you are not showing anything of value, and they do not give me a sense of the designs. too close cropped, to many layers. etc.. giant photo page thumbnail thing is not working at all.
Use of typography
Others have touched on it, but my comment would be to focus on and review your use of type. Type-setting is obviously high on the list of skills that should be polished and flawless if one is selling their skill-set as a designer.
So... Type. Somewhat in order of urgency and need for review/re-do:
*on the photo portfolio page! Photography and portfolio are not even legible.
*on the cover/first page the type in the red square looks like an afterthought without consideration of justification, size, or typeface collection
*the resume page in general
*the resume page, the "watermark" that says Graphic Design Resume! Look at the descender on the "p" in graphic! What's going on with the G, D, and R?!?
Looks like you've got a good start in some regards. But... type! Do your ability to work with type *justice*, not harm.
Others have touched on it, but my comment would be to focus on and review your use of type. Type-setting is obviously high on the list of skills that should be polished and flawless if one is selling their skill-set as a designer.
So... Type. Somewhat in order of urgency and need for review/re-do:
*on the photo portfolio page! Photography and portfolio are not even legible.
*on the cover/first page the type in the red square looks like an afterthought without consideration of justification, size, or typeface collection
*the resume page in general
*the resume page, the "watermark" that says Graphic Design Resume! Look at the descender on the "p" in graphic! What's going on with the G, D, and R?!?
Looks like you've got a good start in some regards. But... type! Do your ability to work with type *justice*, not harm.
My take on this is if it was handed to me i would not read it.
I'll explain why and you can take it as you please.
The fonts and all text is illegible, it takes to much work to read it and i just would not try. When i am reading i want to skim text i don't want to have to highlight it to be able to read it.
The page layout i also don't like, never mind all the fancy stuff people have said like drop shadows. To me its white space, you don't have any i feel like i have to work hard to see the information i want and it does not flow.
I personally love to take my time on each element of a page and really admire it, with your design i feel cross eyed i can't pick out the pin for all the straw around it.
Finally as people have said, i do not care what applications you used to make your work are you selling the application or yourself. I mite want you to do designs on gimp or a custom in house program or even by cutting bits of paper and glueing them onto card.
I'll explain why and you can take it as you please.
The fonts and all text is illegible, it takes to much work to read it and i just would not try. When i am reading i want to skim text i don't want to have to highlight it to be able to read it.
The page layout i also don't like, never mind all the fancy stuff people have said like drop shadows. To me its white space, you don't have any i feel like i have to work hard to see the information i want and it does not flow.
I personally love to take my time on each element of a page and really admire it, with your design i feel cross eyed i can't pick out the pin for all the straw around it.
Finally as people have said, i do not care what applications you used to make your work are you selling the application or yourself. I mite want you to do designs on gimp or a custom in house program or even by cutting bits of paper and glueing them onto card.