Hey Core77,
I just finished up my portfolio. http://danielorbach.com/Daniel_Orbach.pdf I was wondering if anyone had any useful feedback. Everything is fair game, but definitely if you think a layout could be more effective or see something that could be executed better I’d like to know so I can fix it! 
thanks!
Hey,
I think it looks great! I really like it. You cover quite a spread of projects, from research heavy such as the prosthetic leg to form development with the whiskey bottle.
I also think layout is good. I like full bleed images in the beginning, just to set the tone for the project.
What I might be missing is some examples of your hands on model making. Sketch models, volume studies and appearance models would really be great in your portfolio.
I am not sure what your school is offering in terms of studio classes but it might be nice to show some wood or ceramic work which shows that you are not just all about the digital and the rendering but also like to get your hands dirty.
But over all, really good work!
thanks!! I was hoping that the model making process would show through on the prosthetic, but I think I can do a better job with that. I might make some of the foam mock ups i 3d modeled for the whisky bottle once I get back to school.
Sure, no problem.
I think including some forms studies from the Whiskey bottle is great idea. How the bottle feels when customers grab it is so important for that POP moment and that is something that could never be developed through sketching alone.
But then again, I am very much a hands-on model maker type.
In my opinion, a model, even a rough sketch model, is at least as essental to the process as sketches.
Some others here might disagree though 
I’m definitely on boars with you there as far as the model making goes. I ran a woodshop for a few years, so I really love doing things hands on. The projects that aren’t in my portfolio (chess set, ergotool, etc) have a TON of models behind them, I just didn’t think the end result was as good as those three. It’s always something to think about!
I agree with Bepster that would it be neat to see some more model-making, but other than that, the storytelling/layout/getting-the-point-across is really well done!
It would be awesome to see the Reedcase in use at the end of the presentation, in the same way you did with the Fiskars trowel and The Everest Leg.
that is definitely something I’m working towards, I took some pics earlier to try and fit a render in, but they just looked so awkward and fake. I’m struggling how exactly to depict someone using it, because usually it just sits in the users (my) lap while I pick a reed. So maybe an over the shoulder shot would be appropriate. Thanks for the kick in the butt I needed to get that done haha
I hear you … those Photoshop/rendering combos can be tough, good luck!
Dan, nice folio. You have some good stuff. I agree with Bepster, some more down and dirty form studies would be nice. You have 3 nice dense projects, I wouldn’t be a afraid to show a few pages of other work. Just a couple of light hits to show you have done more than 3 things. Overall I’d say good stuff.
Thanks a bunch Mike! That means a lot coming from you. There’s a lot of lighter houseware projects I’ve done when I was interviewing for Target. Some salt and pepper shakers, and some plates etc. The only reason I’d be wary of that is making the portfolio too long. I don’t wanna be that guy who just has too much work to the point where you kind of want the portfolio to end, you know? I set up a website, so hopefully that’d be the place for that kind of work. I definitely need to get on those form studies for my projects. Documenting process work is something I never do quite as well as I’d hoped…
Some more seasoned designers here might disagree but you know, I never really understood the fear of a portfolio being too long.
If an employer starts yawning during the initial review, it is most likely because the work doesn’t excite him rather that there being too many projects.
We are all very well trained at browsing and flipping through material and picking out the details that are interesting to us. Especially designers that are looking at hundreds of portfolios every week.
Obviously, there are limits but I actually think that there is a bigger danger of all the work not being of a consistently high level than it being to much.
As long as it isn’t overly repetitive or wordy, you should be fine. See it a little bit maybe like putting a mixtape together. Just like Yo already mentioned, lighter hits are there to bring some rhythm to your portfolio.
If it is a quick little form study, based on a clever idea you had, then it is ok to present it as such. You don’t need a ton of user research or development for a spread like that in order to sell the project.
What I have done is to send out a very comprehensive portfolio with lots of projects and then at the interview stage basically letting the interview choose which projects he would like to speak about.
It will surprise you what projects are being picked by the interviews and in many cases, if I had edited beforehand, I would most likely had kicked out just that project that resonated with ether a new direction for the firm I did not know about or something personal the interviewer see in a specific project.
All this being said, in a presentation situation, obviously you do have to time yourself and see that it doesn’t get to long.
@bepster that is definitely some awesome advice. That makes a ton of sense to me and I’ll be using that as a way to build my portfolio from now on, thanks!
Agreed. What can be TOO long is the verbiage. I dislike when a interviewee comes in with 12 pages and expects to talk for ten minutes on each page… that is not going to work for you.
Personally I like when applicants bring a lot of diverse (high quality) work. I want to see how their brain tackles a bunch of different things and I want to have a conversation with them. The questions they ask are just as important as the answers they give. I’ll often ask them to skip ahead, or let me flip and explain individual things. The portfolio should be organic and flexible enough for this to happen. Don’t expect that it will be a “presentation” style session. Engage your audience.
thank you all for the feedback! I was recently offered an internship with Whipsaw for the summer, so I really appreciate all the help and feedback!
Congrats, Dan! That’s awesome!
ear to ear smile
Congrats! Whipsaw does good work and they are good guys down there. You will learn a bunch.
Hey all,
I went ahead and updated this folio again this summer… http://danielorbach.com/Daniel_Orbach.pdf
It’s fairly similar to the old one, since I got positive feedback on it. I pulled out a project and the final project in the portfolio is different. So I’d like to get some feedback on that if it all possible. thanks!
Hey Dan
Congratulations on your internship at Whipsaw and its a really nice Portfolio showcased varied skills from sketching, model making, analysis, user, graphics, communications…
As you have reached this level, my advise would be thinking about Business and numbers !
Why not making a Business Plan which results in the Selling price of the product (and the profit) !
Companies and marketing people like these because they like numbers and units. (eg. Target would be interested with the cost price of the Picnic bag project)
Jaineel, that’s a super interesting concept. Any idea where I could find costing information? Do I just go on alibaba.com or something and kind of figure it out?