Presentation given to MAG!C on August 16, 2011.

1. Professional Portfolios
for the Creative Pros
Louellen S. Coker Content Solutions

2. Finding Your Speaker
Web: www.yourcontentsolutions.com
Blog: www.yourcontentnotes.com
LinkedIn: louellencoker
Facebook: ContentSolutions
Twitter: @ContentNotes, @LouellenC
YouTube: ContentSolutions
Slideshare: ContentSolutions
@ContentNotes

3. @ContentNotes

5. What you want
• Intrigue
• Call to Action
• Showcase
• Get a Gig
@ContentNotes

6. What employers want
• How good are you?
• How fast are you?
• How much do you cost?
• How well do you work with others?
• Can you alleviate our current need?
@ContentNotes

7. How to become good
• PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
• RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH
• NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
@ContentNotes

8. Who you know gets
you in the door, what you
know keeps you there.
@ContentNotes

9. Portfolio Options
@ContentNotes @texasanimator

10. Forms of portfolios
Hard copy (Traditional)
• Archive
• Presentation
• Sample
• Elevator (Business Cards)
Virtual (Web 2.0)
• .pdf
• Website/Blog
• Social media
• Coffee shop (skins on devices)
@ContentNotes

11. Choose your platform
@ContentNotes

12. Best practices
• Keep it simple
• Keep it organized
• Keep it succinct
• Keep it optimized
• Keep it targeted
• Keep it consistent
@ContentNotes

13. Tools
• Software for capturing/creating pieces
– Open source
– Office products
– Adobe Suite products
• Wireframing/Organization tools
– Mindmeister for mind-mapping (www.mindmeister.com)
– Jumpstart for wireframing (www.jumpstart.com)
– Toodledo for project management (www.toodledo.com)
– Basecamp for project management (www.basecamphq.com)
@ContentNotes

14. Tools, cont.
• Online services • Social Media
– www.elance.com – LinkedIn.com
– www.qfolio.com – Facebook.com
– www.wordpress.org – Slideshare.net
– YouTube.com
– Flikr.com
– Wordpress.org/Blogger
@ContentNotes

15. Finding the Muscle
• Elbow grease • Training
– Blogs and Forums – www.lynda.com
– Use help – Blogs
– LSC Help Desk – Workshops
– Trial and Error
Hire some help
@ContentNotes

16. Case Study: .pdf
@ContentNotes

17. Case Study: HTML & .pdf
@ContentNotes

18. Case Study: CMS (Joomla!)
@ContentNotes

19. Case Study: Social Media
@ContentNotes

20. Choose your projects
@ContentNotes

21. First steps, FIRST
• Know your audience
• Know your goal
• Know your work
• Know your capabilities
(and how you’re different!)
@ContentNotes

22. What projects do I consider?
• Those that the hiring person wants to see
• Those for which you won an award
• Those created in your day job
• Those created for volunteer organizations
• Those created specifically for your portfolio
• Those created for fun
• EVERYTHING and ANYTHING
@ContentNotes

23. What projects do I include?
• Pieces that speak for themselves
• Pieces that translate across platforms
• Pieces that show skills
• Pieces that show interpersonal skills
• Piece that is the product of a difficult
situation
@ContentNotes

24. Leverage proprietary information
• GET PERMISSION
• Limit to outward facing information
• Redact if necessary
• Collect as you go
@ContentNotes

25. Leverage proprietary information
@ContentNotes

26. Leverage your work
• Select pieces that are relevant to
varied audiences
• Reflect about process
• Blog in deeper detail about process
• Show level of professionalism
@ContentNotes

27. Present your projects
@ContentNotes

28. Put your best foot forward
• Optimize your files
– Print = CMYK 300 dpi (.tif, .psd, .eps)
– Web = RGB 72 dpi (.jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif)
• Error FREE
• Professional
• Relevant
• Appropriate
@ContentNotes

29. Essential elements
• Cover Page – must have name; may have
your mission statement, short introduction,
or bio
• Table of Contents
• Navigation – some method to guide a
reviewer through your artifacts
• Artifacts – your best (mostly)
• Reflection – optional
@ContentNotes

30. Reflection
• Metacognition – thinking about your thinking
• Not always necessary
• Important
– For contextual clues
– To show growth
– For those in educational settings
– When being assessed
@ContentNotes

31. Pull it all together
@ContentNotes

32. Present your work
• Determine a presentation theme
• Organize your works in a logical
manner
• Compile your artifacts in a consistent
manner
@ContentNotes

33. Protect intellectual property
• Watermark
• Limit scope
• Low resolution
• Remove “copy & paste” ability
• Put your footprint in the metadata
• Copyright
@ContentNotes

34. Protect yourself
• NEVER leave your portfolio behind
• Make copies of portions of the artifacts in
your presentation portfolio
• Organize your artifacts in a less expensive
presentation folder
• Consider including a thumb drive with soft
copies of included and/or larger works
• Maintain consistency when possible
@ContentNotes

35. Lather, Rinse, Repeat!
@ContentNotes

36. Questions?
Wri4ng Design Web Solu4ons
www.yourcontentsolutions.com | 972-987-0567

37. Wri4ng Design Web Solu4ons
www.yourcontentsolutions.com | 972-987-0567