The bike guy's ID Portfolio

Hey there,
Before you look at my work I’d like to give you a little intro. My name is Matt and after working every possible job in a bike shop, I started my own custom bicycle company in 2007. I always wanted to earn an ID degree (my undergrad is in fine art), and finally in the spring of 2013 I began studying at SCAD. I finished up with an MA in August and have been looking for my first ID job, but it’s been tough! I know that my portfolio is a bit thin, but I am hoping it’s enough to get me started. Any suggestions about things that are missing or things that should maybe be removed/ reworked? If your comments are meant to help, they are very appreciated.
The work is at http://www.mattcardinal.com

Thanks for looking

Thanks for sharing!

What manner of job are seeking? Are you looking to stay in the bike world or go more mainstream ID (I think you should go work for SRAM/World Bicycle Relief simply because your headshot on your website looks a lot like FK Day)

FK Day

Matt Cardinal

Welcome.

Wait - you did Signal, and now you want to be an industrial designer? Wow.

‘Dorothea’ is misspelled.

There are far too many SolidWorks watch renderings - I know you are trying to be expository but it doesn’t need to be. Just pick the best versions/colors/shots. Cut them out of the gray background and arrange them on a page…think Graphic Design and even try to discern what graphic choices MK might make, as inspiration.

The Manifest entry is probably the strongest work on here, and showcases a variety of skills including ‘soft’ ones like working with a group of designers. Keep that “designer-maker” thread alive through that project by focusing on the prototyping and details - the ‘live’ aspects. Also I think videos are better at the bottom - your money shot should come first.

Is that a good wow or a bad wow?

Oop! Thanks for catching that!

Got it, I think I can stand to go back over that project and refine some more.

cool, will move them. Thanks for your input!

the craftsmanship on the final watch models are really bad… fake it even if you have to to make look good. drop them into photoshop and clean up all the blemishes :wink:

Get rid of the video on the watch project. It’s redundant. You show the exact same thing in your photos in your video…

Just to be clear, are you talking about the printed prototypes? If so, I never considered photoshopping them… it just seems kind of wrong. My feeling is that they are a part of the story in all their imperfectness. I couldn’t shoot better pictures of any of them because we were up all night making everything work for the final presentation and right after we finished up, we had to put them in a box and send them back to Fossil. Do you think it would be better to remove them from the portfolio?

About the video, I did a 2 project walkthrough as part of a job application. I didn’t get the job, but I figured I could use the video to at least take some of the pain out of having spent 2 days putting the thing together. So far you are the first person that has said I should remove it. Any one want to second? I’m not opposed to ditching it, but they are going to stay for now. I really don’t feel like they are hurting.

I’m about to hit the hay so won’t go in to depth too much here but just to quickly bounce off some comments on the watch project:

  1. I don’t hate the images of the models/3D prints, nor do I mind that they are dirty (which we all know how easy that happens). Perhaps just pick one “hero” shot and have it fill half the page with the other two split on the other side.

  2. The CMF choices/renderings. Perhaps instead of three/four different views of the same colour/material choice you could pick a “hero” and then show the inspiration you used to make those choices. That to me is a lot more interesting and will show where you pull your inspiration from. Check out this project and scroll to the bottom to see how nicely the designer pulls it off nicely: Behance

Sorry, i didnt watch the video with audio. oops. :wink:
I like the voiceover, explains the project/process.

Would still like to see some nice final model/rendering of the final watches.

Sketchroll,
I’m still not sure I want to embellish the photos too much, but I tried cleaning up the backgrounds and tweaking the color settings a bit. What do you think?

Whats the purpose of the photo in that portfolio piece? To show of your design in the flesh? or show your model making ability? What do you think your employer would want to see? Tailor your visuals to that. This applies to all visuals.

But figured I might be able to speak to the watch models one a bit (considering I work at Fossil, and sit 30 feets away from the Kors team.) While its a nice visual to show, in the industry we’d just send out to have these models made. We 3D print for Form and Size study. But everything else gets sent out to have professionals model made. Especially if its meant to sell the design to anyone not on the design team. This is true across most industries I’ve worked in. Design resources just aren’t usually spent making super detailed painted models.

Your raw 3D printed parts are honestly enough. Painting them doesn’t really add much to the process. Because I can see the materials colors in your 3D renderings. Your biggest problem is that the renderings and the models show the exact same thing You have physical models, why do studio shots you can recreate in CAD much cleaner. I know those models were here in the office for awhile, not sure if you all ever got them back. But if you did. Put them on some girls wrist. Shoot them out around town. Your trying to sell this jet setter lifestyle, without your product in any jet setter style imagery. With lifestyle products, always try and show it in context of the brand/product story. It a much more powerful image than on a white background.


Now on the 3D renders, punch em up a little bit. Add some brushing in photoshop. Highlights. Dodge Burn. Really make the designs sing. Your camera is cool idea, bit lacks a bit of punch in the final renderings. Same with the watches.

That is a great filter to apply to the project, I suppose to all of them. In answer, I’ve been told that most of all prospective employees want to see process. A high fidelity rendering doesn’t show much process. As you mentioned at Fossil you have models made to check final designs. I’m going to guess that on occasion those models aren’t right and it’s something that could only be revealed by having those (very expensive) models made for you, no? As I went through this process, every step of this process, I learned more about proportion and what makes a watch appealing and wearable. From sketching to Illustrator, and from Illustrator to SolidWorks and then again from SolidWorks to 3D models. Each of those steps revealed something about watch design that I hadn’t anticipated and I value each step.

Do you feel that the pictures are distracting? This also raises the question of whether a portfolio being spoken to by me or just being viewed without my narrative. I’ve wondered about having two portfolios with varying degrees of written support depending on the situation.

Having someone respond that is working in your position is an incredible benefit of this forum. I am so thankful that you took the time to respond!

Thanks everyone

Showing process and a roughly made final model are two different things. When most people say process, they want to see your thought and decision process on the project. How you discovered the problem or opportunity, what the problem opportunity was, how you approached it, how your ideas solve or build up on the opportunity, how you evolved your idea over time, how you refined it, what got you to the final design and idea. How the design was influenced by what you researched… things of that sort. We want to know how you think… not just the fancy final model.

I feel you are getting too caught up in showing the reality of the project. You want to show the hard work that you went through, show every part of the process. That’s fine, but you also need to WOW the viewer. What’s the end result? Show off some kick ass renderings of the final design. Like Sain mentioned, have some sexy ladies sporting your watches in a real environment. You need like 1-3 final, ad-like shots of your product to really complete the project.

Even if you never did them during the project… do it now. You have the designs, you know soliworks, im sure you also know how to digitally render in photoshop. Combine those skills and make one up.

For me personally, this isn’t the kind of process im interested about when it comes to me reviewing a portfolio. Because this is something that although is valuable to you the designer, its not really valuable to me, the client. It’s what you learned, not what I hoped to learn. No value to me.

Now this, is way more interesting. This is the things that are valuable to me, the client. This is the kind of thinking, decision making i want to see visually in your project. For example, I would want to see photos of the hill side towns in Spain and Gree. I would like to see the girl persona you are designing for. You say she loved bringing back artificats from her trip… where’s the artificats? I would have loved to see the kind of artificats she brought home. Then from the image boards, I would imagine you would have made some notes, and circled some of the patterns you saw, and had sketches that were influenced by your discoveries.

As you mentioned at Fossil you have models made to check final designs. I’m going to guess that on occasion those models aren’t right and it’s something that could only be revealed by having those (very expensive) models made for you, no?

Exactly, thats the purpose of those 3D Prints and models in our process. To check proportions, how does it sit on the wrist, does it need more wirst curve? Is the crown to big. Hands look too small? Bezel too large. Bracelet too flat. Easy for things too look nice in renderings, but in real life its sometimes a different story.

As I went through this process, > every step of this process, > I learned more about proportion and what makes a watch appealing and wearable. From sketching to Illustrator, and from Illustrator to SolidWorks and then again from SolidWorks to 3D models. Each of those steps revealed something about watch design that I hadn’t anticipated and I value each step.

Figure out how to show this. This what they mean when people say they want to see process. Process doest mean “Oh hey look at me cutting foam models” Its “I cut foam models and learned that my proportions were off, so I changed my design to be slimmer in this area.”

Do you feel that the pictures are distracting? This also raises the question of whether a portfolio being spoken to by me or just being viewed without my narrative. I’ve wondered about having two portfolios with varying degrees of written support depending on the situation.

Currently they are distracting. But its because of how they are presented. Your photographing just the watch by itself. Of course I’m going to look at it closely. Thats what the emphasis of that visual is. If the watch was on a girls wrist in a coffee shop. Id look past the model quality and take in that your trying to show a model in context. The photo is no longer about the physical model, but now about the product.

Having someone respond that is working in your position is an incredible benefit of this forum. I am so thankful that you took the time to respond!

No problem, glad I can help.

That is really good to hear. I can see what you are saying. Maybe I’ve been looking at this through the wrong lens. I appreciate the perspective.

Hey Matt,

Love your bike work. As an aspiring metal worker I’m super impressed with your craft!

To get back to sprockets original question what type of job/industry are you hoping to get into now? I think that might help guide some more focused feedback on what’s missing and what you could do to help your chances of getting the job you want.

What level of work are you looking for as well? Are you open to internship work or only looking for fulltime?

I’m digging the Signal stuff, too. The first one you show is exactly the next bike I want to get. Beautiful.

I agree that the rest of it needs some polish. Just keep pushing. I wouldn’t hold back your bike design work, though. Show sketches of those frames, graphics, logos, etc. it all helps build the story.

Thanks for the compliment. I am currently looking for an entry level Designer position or an internship if the location is favorable. As far as industry, I am of the mindset that I will tend to gravitate toward something after working for a few years. I have looked into consultancies as the most likely/ best place to start with the diverse workload. But if the right corporate position became available, I would welcome the opportunity.

I know I have a lot to learn, but I also know that I am good at this design thing. I built my company from the ground up and made myself into a pretty accomplished craftsman. After focusing so intently on bike design for so many years, the solutions I arrived at became intuitive. My goal is to get to that point with ID, understanding that it will take time and focus. My recent decision to earn a grad degree only strengthened my faith that this is the right road for me.

I’ve had people ask me many times what job/ industry I want to work in and I’ve never been sure how to best answer. I’ve felt that maybe not having a strong opinion might show a lack of seriousness or focus, but I am more enamored with finding a good solution and learning good design practices regardless of what the product is.

This job search has been more difficult than I thought it would be. I’m 3 months in and 32 jobs applied for with 2 interviews. I decided to post the work here because the cycle of submitting a portfolio followed by silence has been tough. I feel so fortunate to get to have this conversation about my work on a forum with the eyes and words of so many talented designers. So, thanks.

Curious what you think of all this.