Designing a digital portfolio
From the Publisher: Portfolios have always been artists' most valuable tools for communicating their talents to the outside world, whether to potential employers or galleries or clients. But the days of sketches and slides have given way to arrangements of digital assets that are both simpler and more complex than their traditional analog counterparts. Instructor and design professional Cynthia Baron covers all the facets that artists need to know, from choosing the best work for a particular audience to using various file formats to organizing, designing, and presenting the portfolio. Beautiful full-color illustrations demonstrate her instructions and case studies throughout portray examples of attractive and effective portfolio design. This book gives artists at any level a creative edge, ensuring that their portfolios get noticed and help them stand out from the crowd
xix, 339 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm.
9780321637512, 0321637518
439520184
Introduction
Part 1: Planning
1: Assessment and adaptation
Soul-searching
Adapting your content
Creating your own projects
Partnering
Portfolio highlight: Luke Williams with Jonnie Hallman / Partnering
2: Professions
Purpose
Portfolio ingredients
Your portfolio mix
Grain of salt
Portfolio highlight: Will Scobie / Primary directive
3: Your audience
Why do I research?
What should you research?
Search tools
When are you done?
Portfolio highlight: People design / Know your market
4: Delivery and format
Portable media
Email
Online
Portfolio strategies
Portfolio highlight: Emmanuel Laffon de Maziere / Form and function
Part 2: Collecting And Preparing
5: Organizing your work
Collecting material
Storing original art
Organizing samples and artwork
Organizing digital files
Portfolio highlight: John Locke / Left brain, right brain
6: Transferring physical media to digital
Digital craft defined
Getting help
Shooting 3D and oversized work
Digitizing flat art
Digitizing slides and negatives
Digitizing VHS tapes
Cleaning up
Working process
Choosing a file type
Editable issues
Resizing
Sharpening
Portfolio highlight: Triboro Design / Applause in translation
7: Repurposing and optimizing
File adaptation strategies
Repurposing with PDFs
Optimizing image files
Optimizing process
Optimizing video
Encoders and players
Encoding settings
After the artwork
Portfolio highlight: Thom Bennett / Optimal detail. 8: Creating written content
Avoiding writing errors
What to write and why
Identifying your work
Introducing yourself
Explaining your creative thinking
Writing to your audience
Portfolio highlight: Sandstrom Design
Get your words' worth
Part 3: Production
9: Structure and concept
Choosing a delivery technology
Developing for web or portable
Thinking about structure
Selecting a metaphor
How you use a metaphor
Concept
Putting it all together
Portfolio highlight: CloudRaker / Experienced design
10: Designing a portfolio interface
Screen is not a book
Interface design process
Process stages
Avoid distractions
Moving to production
Portfolio highlight: Layla Keramat / Master plan
11: Portfolio reels
Reel possibilities
Your reel and the market
Developing the reel
Structure
Audience sweetners
Reel delivery
Portfolio highlight: Metaversal Studios / Reel life
Part 4: Marketing
12: Copyright and portfolio
Understanding fair use
Respecting others' rights
Roles and large projects
Owning your work
Protecting your work
Protection technologies
Dealing with infringement
Portfolio highlight: Noa Studios / Fair share
13: Presenting your portfolio
Testing your work
Getting feedback
Packaging a portable portfolio
Getting the word out
Contacting individuals
Personal presentation
Following up
Staying relevant
End, maybe
Portfolio highlight: Ken Loh / Hand in the game
Part 5: Appendixes
Appendix A: Resources
Appendix B: Contributors
Index
Previous edition: 2004