Fellow Professionals: head shots and money shots?

Why?

The portfolio gets them the interview. It shows their mechanics and abilities. No reason to sell that again.

The interview is to determine if the person fits the team. Your students need to sell themselves at this point, selling their skills is redundant and is not going to tell me anything about the person.

“Back in my day” we used to create 2 portfolios.

  1. Teaser portfolio that you could mail or quickly show somebody. 3-5 projects that showcased your skills like sketching, CAD, rendering, model making, etc. This is usually what employers look for initially. If their skills are there then they’ll get an in person interview or a chance to show their complete projects.
  2. In depth portfolio that shows your thinking and problem solving process. This is a more complete portfolio that can be presented in person at their own pace.

I guess a website or coroflot or behance portfolio can be the teaser; their best images be it research, sketching, CAD,etc. The goal of these are to email to a potential employer to start a conversation and hopefully get an interview.

Regarding formats. I’ve seen great single and double pages (even implied double pages). Let them explore and find the best format for them. This is also part of their portfolio; how well they can visually present information.

Same here. We also had buggy whips.

The point being with today’s technology there is no need. Show me what you got, you get one chance because it is a waste of my time to see it again.

This make it harder for the student; too little, I may not see something that grabs me, or, too much and you will bore me to death. Either way, you aren’t getting the interview.

On a side note, when was the last time anyone used physical boards in a presentation? Well over a decade for me.

Again, I think it comes down to the purpose of a portfolio to get that interview. If the website achieves that same objective, that’s great. My only point is that if the website isn’t designed to deliver the desired narrative, then they risk not getting the interview because the visitor missed something. I guess it depends on how much you want to interviewer to do. I’ve seen student websites that took a lot of work to navigate (“Did I already see that project?” “Did I see all of their work?”). I prefer a linear narrative, similar to the way a short film might be organized.

If after seeing the presentation, the interviewer want to revisit a project or see additional information, sketches, etc., that should be available. But without a clean story to tell, it seems too haphazard. These guys get just one opportunity to make that first impression.

Just curious: So when you bring in a candidate for an interview, do they present their portfolio? Is their work reviewed or discussed? Or is it more of an opportunity to assess their “fit” with your organization?

Yeah, that’s what I was more familiar with when I was younger. Today I realize that employers can sometimes whip through dozens if not hundreds of portfolios in a short amount of time, so that “teaser” can’t be too long. However, the “in-person” interview portfolio can’t be too much longer either. I encourage my students to think about what they can present cleanly and clearly in about 20 minutes and to consider having an auxiliary portfolio (like an appendix) available with more detailed research, sketches, images, etc. if there’s an interest to go deeper.

That’s what I feel it’s up to us as educators to help them mitigate that risk as much as possible. At least with the PDF portfolio, you can whip through it as fast or as slow as you like. They’re welcome to link from the PDF to a website, but then they open the door to possible misinterpretation. Part of good design research is understanding the user and this case, the user is you.

For students, it’s a mixed bag depending on what technology they can afford. In the student portfolio reviews at IDSA conferences, most of them still use a hard copy, which can introduce issues with regards to printing quality, size, binding, etc. If they do present from a tablet or PC, I suggest they do so from a local file. I have seen students present from their online website and can’t get a decent wifi signal. I think gone are they days of employers having a file cabinet filled with printed hard copies of portfolios. It’s all digital, which is so much easier.

Personally, I have my company portfolio on an iPad and it’s just series of high-res JPGs which allow me to flip quickly through the images and zoom into details that interest them.

" then they risk not getting the interview because the visitor missed something."

If they don’t get the interview its because their skills are not there. If they miss to include the best and exceptional work then they also don’t deserve an interview.

I recently met with a recent grad who asked to stop by because he was in town just as an informational interview. He proceeded to open his laptop, he turned it around and asked me to navigate his website (after I had already seen it). Navigation on the track pad was awkward so then he pulled out a mouse which was also awkward. Often times students rely on technology, software or “a website” to help them land a job. At the end of the day is their skills.

Of course it’s always about the work and I’m not suggesting that a good portfolio can be a substitute for lacking skills. But as an educator, it isn’t enough to simply say to the students, “Just present your best and most exceptional work.” The students also need some guidance with regards to the mechanics required to communicate that work effectively. I realize that it might come down to simple logistics like whether it’s easier to use a website on a laptop vs flipping through a printed portfolio or which is the best font to use. But I’m trying to make sure my students are making the best impression and a lot of this discussion falls under the same category as spelling mistakes in the resume and no following directions for portfolio submissions.

Yes, there are some students that have such amazing skills that even a train wreck of a portfolio couldn’t detract from it. But more often I see good students shoot themselves in the foot because they haven’t been properly instructed how to present their work. This is what I’m trying to do and it’s really helpful to get such a wide array of perspectives from fellow professionals. I have my own opinions, but I’m not the one hiring them.

So thank you for sharing your perspectives.

What other objective does the website have?

Just my .02, but that is the only objective.

Whether they do it with html or an online pdf file, the objective is always the same.

I’d say your job is do educate the students on how to clearly and concisely communicate their skills. Like I wrote before, too little information runs a risk and too much information runs a risk. Help them to determine their Goldilocks moment.

I think some students create their websites because it’s a medium they are very familiar with, but they often aren’t looking at it through the eyes of the employer. That’s something I try to help them with (as well as get them to that “Goldilocks” balance that’s right for them and their work).

Honestly, I think some students build a website because it makes them feel more professional (“Look, I have website, I’m a professional designer.”) and some hope that having it will lead to freelance or contract work. Some expect it to become the beginnings of a consultancy. But, alas, a website does not a design consultant make. And those two competing objectives (get hired vs find clients) are two very different things.

I’ve only been doing the educator thing for a short while (this is my fifth year) and it is not easy to find that balance.

I’ve seen job postings that required submitting a head shot in order to be considered, I think that’s a bit over the top.

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. :wink:

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:

  1. They will be judged on their appearance, clothes they wear, environment they are at, etc. Even if it is at a subconscious level.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.