Being a final year student Multimedia Design student means one thing… portfolio time.
One of my subjects this semester is purely dedicated to helping us get our portfolios together. I already have a show reel. I also already have a portfolio website in the making. I think I’d like something pretty, shiny & printed that I can actually show prospective clients. Something tangible they can actually hold and flip through. That said, over 50% of my work is animated or moves in some way. So, if I do choose to do a printed folio it is going to be a very interesting challenge in communication.
Am I totally insane (as a Multimedia/Web designer) to be thinking about a print folio?
Not at all; I’d advise print screening some of your work – or if it’s 3D-studio based, print of the models you did.
You can’t always garuntee a (good) internet connection when you’re displaying things to a customer. The other option is a website that’s launched on a CD (Flash is always fun for this).
If you did a mix (Printed screen shots / DVD of Work / Hosted Website) it will give you enough flexibility to show off you work to anyone.
I think you should have a print portfolio. As long as it’s very shiny :D It wouldn’t hurt, right?
A print portfolio can be flipped through in a matter of seconds to get a quick overview of your mad skillz. An animated CD/DVD will take a lot longer and will probably shit them to tears with how they have to your stupid intro movie before getting to the portfolio… oh wait, that intro movie WAS the portfolio?
So do you need one? As someone who’s been through portfolios and CVs by the dozen, I says yes. Should it be your primary strength? I’m prepared to say no. Just as long as it looks kick ass, and can probably relate to your additional flash/animation DVD (a footnote on a page advising them to check out an item on the DVD for example).
What we really need are flexible OLED screens that can replace paper…
Mark: They have them; the bigger issue is powering the thing :P
Unless portfolio’s become like tablet pc’s, or something like this: http://www.businessinsider.com/arringtons-crunchpad-will-be-a-real-hit-says-best-buy-marketing-boss-2009-8
I don’t know anything about portfolios, but I think having a print one would be really shiny :D
[...] portfolio is here! So shortly after my post on print based portfolios I go to it and started designing my new folio in InDesign. Late last week I sent it off to Blurb to [...]