In portfolios there are a lot of projects that are from start to finish…showing the research, concepts, final design, etc…However, is there anything wrong with showing many pages of simply sketching? Perhaps showing 2 projects start to finish, taking up 20 pages and lets say…10-15 pages of sketching? These sketch pages could be something that you’ve done on your own time for fun. I say if you have mad sketching skills, then why not have it take up most of your portfolio…What do you think?
you could also keep it as a separate secondary book, just full of sketches.
the final page of my portfolio is just “additional sketches”, which have nothing to do with earlier projects, and some are just “good doodles” to be honest.
Interesting topic.
If the portfolio is about a industrial/product deisgner, let´s say junior or mid level, I would keep the presented work as simple as possible.
It is importand to communicate your skills, I would therefore show the best projects. Since a product designer has to be (and is) the famous “jack of all trades and master of none”, a wide knowledge of processes (research, modelling, rendering, presentation …) of a completed project can be shown, not only the idea communication through sketches.
Demonstrating the wide skills set makes you "applicalble " in different phases of a project, or makes you a flexible team player.
Each part of the project presented, lets say ideation (sketching), cad modelling, rendering, presentation etc., makes the viewer see your talent and experience easy. When those parts are shown equal they will be recognized appropriately.
Otherwise the viewer of the portfolio will make the conclusion, that your sketching skills are more valuable than your other importand skills.
At last, I would prepare (tailor make) a portfolio specially for a company, based on the description of the job offer.
I think most of the advices can be transported to a web version of a portfolio.
Best regards