Yeah, I’m not sure I dig that either. If you HAD to submit an image, particularly as an entry-level designer, I’d make sure that image showed the designer up to their elbows in a urethane casting, or working in the shop or doing field work interviewing users or collecting data.
I guess my comment was regarding some students that spend too much time designing a website, designing a personal logo, business cards,etc. when I would rather they spend their time improving their work.
Back to the original question. I guess I tend to follow the advice of 1) Tell them what you are going to tell them, 2)tell them and then 3)tell them what you told them.
Showing a nice image of the final product first may also be good in order to prepare the audience as to what they can expect to see at the end. As a potential employer, if I don’t know what the final solution is at the beginning then I cannot quickly evaluate the initial work that is being presented. Sure, we can go back after the final reveal but then I only have a couple of minutes to recall what was shown at the beginning and then cross reference.
If, at the beginning, the presenter shows their final solution for a toothbrush for the elderly and then they proceed to show their research, mock ups, etc. then you can quickly evaluate their work throughout the presentation and you don’t have to wait til the end to see if their final solution follows their design process.
Not showing the final solution at the beginning works when presenting to a client. The big difference is that the client knows everything about the project, scope, expectations, competitors, etc. so it’s a different dynamic.
Unfortunately, this will make interviewers look more at your attractiveness or lack thereof instead of the skills being displayed. I personally think and have been told that it detracts from your portfolio. Better to leave them a surprise when they meet the face behind the skills. 
Yes, I 100% agree regarding spending way too much time designing logos and other graphic elements. I warn them against overly stylizing some kind of logo or the “catchy” product name to the point that it overwhelms the product itself. I encourage them to pay attention to where their eye wants to go and it it’s to the logo instead of the product, they have a problem. One suggestion I make to help resolve this is to ask students to design for an existing brand where the product might be something very different from the company’s existing product line. Example: a kitchen mixer designed for Oakley. This way the student can focus on designing for an existing form and styling language and the viewer doesn’t have to spend time figuring out the logo. It’s a fun way to get the students to think outside of their own individual tastes.
I take your point regarding the difference between a client presentation who you want to build some suspense vs a student presentation where you’re trying to attract and keep their attention. Perhaps the key is to “prove” why the final solution shown on the first page is the best solution. If they don’t show any research, a broad exploration of alternative concepts, etc., then the viewer might not be sold at the end.
Thanks again.
This has been an issue since I started reviewing student portfolios and I think it’s different for everyone. It’s too easy to let that sort of thing influence your decision and it really shouldn’t. If wanting to see what the candidate looks like so you can maybe envision them working with you (trying to evaluate their potential fit), maybe the key would be to show them engaged in the process in some way as that (hopefully) will be the way you see them when they’re hired.
How so?
That’s agreeable. I still think the list of accomplishments and portfolio should speak louder than a personal snapshot. If they really want to know what the person looks like, stalk them on the internet like everyone else does. Most people can’t resist a social media account these days so it’s pretty easy to find some sort of image if one is REALLY dying to know.
WE ALL KNOW that appearance is everything. Be realistic. Most males in charge of hiring if given a choice between two candidates of equal skill yet one is foxy sexy and the other is a bull dyke will choose…which one? On the other hand, if a female is in charge of hiring between the same two candidates, which would they choose?
We are a society driven by the laws of attractiveness. Let’s face it, most designs focus on aesthetic before functionality although the designer claims they are wiser than that. It is difficult to stand out from the crowd, why take a chance that your natural God-given appearance can belittle all of your accomplishments?
Some countries also require age and marital status on their resume. Again, it shouldn’t matter but it affects how people think of you.
You can tell your students that a personal photo is not required. However, if they feel it adds something to their portfolio or resume then then can go ahead and include it if they want. For example if the company designs surfing equipment or bicycles and they practice that specific sport, placing a few photos of them doing the sport might help. But:
- They will be judged on their appearance, clothes they wear, environment they are at, etc. Even if it is at a subconscious level.
- It may affect not being called in for an interview. If it’s a normal photo and this happens, you probably don’t want to work there anyways. If they chose a horrible photo or the context offends somebody in someway, in this case it is the students fault.
- A photo doesn’t accurately describe the person’s personality and character so keep that in mind.
From my perspective, the audience is somewhat different. This is particularly true when the designer is younger with less experience as would be the case for students looking for internships or recent grads looking for their first full-time job. (Which, by the way, is what my original post is about: entry-level students and their first professional portfolios.)
If you’re looking to get hired as an in-house designer by a design manager, you’re presenting your skills, thinking and workflow in the hopes that employer will see you as an asset to their team. They will see the skills and talent and hopefully recognize the potential that young designer has and the contribution they could make to their organization. As a design manager, they’ve probably seen their fair share of portfolios and they know what they’re looking at and what they’re looking for.
It’s similar with finding clients except that in many cases those clients may not be designers themselves. As such, they may not understand what they’re looking for in the same way a design manager looking to hire an in-house designer would. Plus, they are more typically looking for a designer to work with them on a specific product and they’re trying to assess skills, experience and capabilities. The value proposition, resulting relationship and expectations are different.
I’d also add that whereas a student or recent grad might include their CV/resume within their portfolio, making it clear what experience they have/don’t have, but this seems to be less the case on a website. I regularly caution my students that if they plan to do freelance or contract work, they should be very honest and straightforward with regards to their level or expertise. Misleading a client (even via omission) can lead to a misalignment of expectations and a bad experience for both parties.
Of course, later in a designer’s career, these two intended purposes could be served by a single website. But the level of experience and expectations are different.
That’s a great exception and I have encouraged students who express an interest in a specific market to include shots like that.
But I agree, it’s pretty much fraught with peril. When in doubt, leave it out. 
My perspective is somewhat different. In both cases, I need someone to develop ideas and communicate those ideas.
I will say if I am hiring a professional, I am looking for a specific skill set. I am very precise with my brief as I know if you are not, it leads to problems.
If I am hiring an employee, I am look for breadth over depth.
I think the only thing we all know is that you are destined for future litigation.
Good luck.
That’s why I’m soliciting different perspectives from my fellow professionals and I really appreciate your comments. Thanks.
I’ve been having a few off-line discussions with some colleagues via email and I thought I would share a few of their thoughts:
From a Director of Design of a major appliance manufacturer:
“On head shots, my gut feel is not to have it in the portfolio. Bias way come into play here, but for a manager looking to strengthen their studio through diversity, it may help. Hard to say which works best.
On whether to show the final solution first or last, either works. A strong story that does not get weighed down with too much info works best. Showing the final solution in context, in scale is also very important.”
From the principal of a consulting firm specializing in medical products:
“I personally think the glam head shot is rather pretentious. They are not applying for a receptionist position or a PR spokesperson. And you can find that in their LinkedIn anyway. Actions shots are fine.
I also agree that their portfolio should tell a story and if you give away the ending in the trailer it’s a spoiler – devaluing the drama arc of the story. Again, dramatic images representing the problem statement go a long way to build the tension and appreciation for the solution.”
This one is from my friend and colleague Marco Perry, principal and founder of Pensa:
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These are interesting questions.
Europeans tend to have a headshot, Americans don’t because of unconscious bias. I am more traditionally American, but to be honest, all employers check their interesting applicant’s social media, FB, Linkedin, Twitter etc. Their face is on there. If there are a bunch of shots of debauchery on their social media, I would hide those under privacy settings.
The overarching theme is include anything that tells a story about who you are as a person - if there is a shot of you climbing a hiking path as an adventure or to help an indigenous population at the top of Peru, then yeah, include that. If it doesn’t tell a story, no matter what it is, don’t include it.
Employers, HR screeners, and recruiters have seen thousands of portfolios - they all pretty much look the same. Applicants need to edit content to the most pertinent information and the most interesting and unique. They should also assume that other students in their class are sending the same class projects, so that makes portfolios even more similar. So, as a result, we pretty much flip and skim the whole portfolio in under a minute. If it doesn’t grab us enough to read more, we move on. That’s it - your out. It’s harsh but honestly, openings are maybe 1-2% placed, meaning for every job I post, we look at 50-100 applicants. It’s a firehose and we don’t have much time to drink it all in. One of my seniors applied at an entry level years ago with a little cartoon-like book of different explorations of lighting experiences. Not designs, just cartoons. I immediately could see how he thinks. Our upcoming summer intern showed what projects he did on his own time outside of class work, which showed how much passion he had, and frankly, his personal work was much better than his class work.
So when it comes to the hero shot at the beginning or the end, I would say it depends. But in general, I would at least entice the view with a peak at the result or something about the topic. I skim the first pages of projects, and go deep on the ones that stand out. I would draw the person in.
I once took a journalism class where I learned that newspaper stories are not written like novels or mysteries where the meat of the story comes in the middle and a surprise at the end. Newspaper stories draw you in with a good subject line (The teaser), the first paragraph summarizes what the whole article is about, the next 3 paragraphs go into more detail and try to draw you in to read the whole thing. If you got the gist, you can move onto the next article. If it’s particularly interesting, you read the whole thing. Many portfolios are like a New Yorker article - toooooo long and you still don’t know if it was worth reading.
While I am at it, remind your students that the interview is their meeting to run. Come prepared - portfolio, resume, computer or thumb drive ready to show. Tell us an interesting story about who you are as a person, how good your skills are, how you work well in teams, where you can contribute, what you are passionate about. Don’t come in thinking we are here to draw it out of you. I have walked away from candidates who come in empty handed - then I ask, do you want to walk through your work, need to hook up to the screen, do you have a resume? They almost always say - oh, I emailed you a weblink, didn’t you get it? What else do you want? >
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