Designing a Digital Portfolio Second Edition Cynthia L Baron Designing a Digital Portfolio, Second Edition Cynthia L Baron New Riders 1249 Eighth Street Berkeley, CA 94710 510/524-2178 510/524-2221 (fax) Find us on the Web at: www.newriders.com To report errors, please send a note to errata@peachpit.com New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education Development Editor Becky Morgan Copy Editor Scout Festa Production Editor Hilal Sala Interior Design Cynthia L Baron Copyright © 2010 by Cynthia L Baron Cover Design Aren Howell ISBN-13: 978-0-321-63751-2 ISBN-10: 0-321-63751-8 Indexer FireCrystal Communicationss 987654321 Printed and bound in the United States of America Proofreader Suzie Nasol Notice of Rights All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact: permissions@peachpit.com Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it Trademarks Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book Dedication Corny as it may seem, to my mom Finally, this one is for you This page intentionally left blank About the Author About the Author Cynthia L Baron is Academic Director of the Digital Media program at Northeastern University in Boston, Cynthia has been active in the creative community for most of her professional life Previously Associate Director of the Multimedia Studies program and Technical Director and Lecturer in the Department of Art+Design, she holds an MBA with a Marketing concentration and was the executive vice president of a Boston-based graphic design studio for over a decade She has written for many publications, been a series editor for Rockport Publishers and a contributing editor to the magazines Critique and Computer Graphics World She has edited, authored, or co-authored over a dozen books, including Adobe Photoshop Forensics: Sleuths, Truths and Fauxtography and The Little Digital Camera Her 1996 book, Creating a Digital Portfolio, was the first title ever published on the topic v vi Acknowledgments Acknowledgments I was truly blessed with great people and much support in writing and producing the second edition of this book Although I can never say enough in thanks to all the people who helped me along the way, I can at least formally acknowledge their input and contributions In a project like this one, a lot depends on who you know, and who they know in turn Nancy Bernard knows how much in her debt I am for the first edition, and therefore all subsequent ones In addition, I owe a big thank you to my dear friend Dan Peck for playing yenta on the first edition He led me to Roz Goldfarb, whose foreword graces the book's beginning, and to Rita Armstrong for spot-on talent searching Thanks to both of these astute women for helping the second time around In this edition, two colleagues were instrumental in helping the book take its present shape The first is Terrence Masson, whose opinions and knowledge of the animation and special effects worlds provided great quotes and inside knowledge The other is Jay Laird, who went way beyond tech editing for Chapter 7, thereby saving me at least one week of agony—and my deadline A quick read of Appendix B reveals what a talented, savvy, and articulate group of creatives contributed to this book I think it says quite a bit about the quality and creativity of my contributors that most of them were extraordinarily busy during what has been one of the worst economic downturns in recent history Yet from the established stars to the brand new talents, they were all unstintingly free with their ideas, opinions, and time As you might expect, I owe a lot to the publishing team In particular, I want to thank my friend Becky Morgan, whose career has moved well beyond that of a development editor But nonetheless, she graciously made time for this book in her busy schedule As always, it was a pleasure to work with her Becky's feedback was invaluable, and permeates every chapter In addition, many thanks to Scout Festa for her attention to all the niggling details—especially those tedious commas—and to Hilal Sala for her help and counsel in production issues A special thank you in memoriam to Marjorie Baer, for supporting my initial book idea, and for making the first edition happen You are still remembered And, as usual, thank you Shai After all these years of being married to a classic Type A personality, he remains the unconditional One—my very best friend I am a most fortunate woman Foreword Foreword I often speak to student or professional groups about career, marketplace, and workplace issues An overwhelming number of questions relate to the structure and content of portfolios “What should the format be? How to demonstrate different forms of work: two-dimensional and three-dimensional? How should the work be viewed? How should it be delivered? How much work should be shown? What samples should be included?” There is no other topic of such critical significance, because everyone recognizes the role portfolios play in capturing work And thus, the importance and relevance of Designing a Digital Portfolio A digital portfolio is now the professional standard It is without question the most important and mandatory vehicle to demonstrate an individual’s skill and accomplishment It is the first introduction to a future employer, the first foot in the proverbial door The portfolio is also a repository of past work, a personal archive to be maintained, treasured, and properly backed-up In developing a presentation portfolio—and many professionals have strong opinions about their “correct” or preferred method—ultimately the portfolio is a marketing tool To successfully function as a marketing instrument, the portfolio should be as unique as its owner This is the most difficult challenge, and this book will help in that crucial process Our design and interactive culture moves forward at a lightning pace and, as always, the pressure is to keep up, be current, look cool However, I would suggest that sometimes it is also valuable to look back, for otherwise we lose perspective Bells and whistles are not a substitute for substance We need to make sure, in our fixation on the latest, newest and hottest, that the fundamental emphasis on content is not lost Portfolios were constructed of 2D or 3D printed material, or on 35-millimeter slides At the end of the day, the actual deliverable object was important Today, some old forms may be obsolete, but there is still a need, and a place, to experience the quality of a final printed piece, to touch and smell the final result Designing a Digital Portfolio is unique as it offers, with clarity and logic, the process of developing a portfolio—along with personal experiences that add firsthand information It respects traditional values, while successfully tackling the digital challenge on all issues relating to the choices of structure, content, and delivery I believe you will agree that it fulfills a tremendous need And, hopefully, it will aid you in fulfilling your future potential Roz Goldfarb President, Roz Goldfarb Associates August 2009 vii This page intentionally left blank Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction Part I xv Planning Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Assessment and Adaptation Soul-searching Adapting your content Creating your own projects Partnering Portfolio highlight: Luke Williams with Jonnie Hallman | Partnering 15 17 20 Professions 29 Purpose Portfolio ingredients Your portfolio mix The grain of salt… Portfolio highlight: Will Scobie | Primary directive 30 31 32 43 Your Audience 51 Why research? What should you research? Search tools When are you done? Portfolio highlight: People Design | Know your market 52 52 56 63 Delivery and Format 70 Portable media Email Online Portfolio strategies Portfolio highlight: Emmanuel Laffon de Mazières | Form and function 71 75 77 83 22 44 64 86 Part II Collecting and Preparing Chapter Organizing Your Work 95 Collecting material Storing original art 96 97 ix 328 Index Index Numbers 2D games, 43 2D graphics professionals, 35 3D animators, 152 3D artwork, 116–120, 309 3D designers, 38 3D flyarounds, 86 3D games, 43 3D objects, 90 4:3 aspect ratio, 151 16:9 aspect ratio, 151 A abbreviations, 167 absolute links, 281 Absolutearts.com, 309 academic history/honors, 168 academic portfolios, xviii, 33, 106 acid–free paper, 97 ACM, 311 Acrobat Professional, 77, 142, 188, 269 Acrobat Reader, 188 acronyms, 165 ActionScript, 191 ActiveX files, 151 ADC, 312 admission portfolios, xviii, 33–34, 106 Adobe Acrobat Professional, 77, 142, 188, 269 After Effects, 127, 152, 314 Dreamweaver, 81, 188 Fireworks, 148 Flash See Flash Gamma control panel, 126 Illustrator, 77, 188 InDesign, 77, 188, 269 Lightroom, 103 Photoshop See Photoshop Premiere, 123, 124 Reader, 77, 188 Adobe Photoshop Restoration & Retouching, 124 Advanced Search option, Google, 62 advertising, 286 After Effects, 127, 152, 314 After Effects for Flash, Flash for After Effects, 314 AIA, 311 AIGA, 57, 80, 311 AKQA, 325 Alexander Isley, Inc., 322 aliases, folder, 100 alumni associations, 60 American Institute of Architects, 311 American Society of Media Photographers, 312 analog-to-digital conversions, 116 animated actions, 219 Animation World Network Television, 308 animators, 41, 230, 266–267 Apple Aperture, 103 Final Cut Pro, 124, 125 Final Cut Studio, 123, 188 iWeb, 187, 188 Keynote, 77, 188 QuickTime See QuickTime Aquent, 311 architects, 37–38, 311 architectural designers, 90, 111 architectural presentations, 38 architecture CloudRaker.com, 200–203 Gracefulspoon.com, 106–110 KenLoh.com, 298–300 LaylaKeramat.com, 225–227 LukeLukeLuke.com, 24 Noa.com, 273–274 PeopleDesign.com, 66–69 ReverieCreate.co.uk, 44 SandstromDesign.com, 176–181 TBGD.co.uk, 158–160 TriboroDesign.com, 133–134 archive.org, 270–271 Index archiving files, 103, 125 Armstrong, Rita, 318 art category, creative professional, 33–36 art directors, 29, 312 Art Directors Club, 312 Art in Context Center for Communications, 310 Art Law Center, 308 art schools, 60 Art to the Nth Power, 33 See also artn.com artifacts, 128 artist statements, 171 artists, fine, 34–35 ArtistsRegister.com, 310 artlaws.com, 308 artn.com, 35, 192, 325 ArtPostcards service, 310 ArtVitae, 310 artwork for admission portfolios, 33 altering someone else’s, 261 cleaning up digitized, 124–125 derivative, 261–262 digitizing, 120–122 getting permission to use, 255 labeling, 143, 166, 276 licensing, 267 organizing, 98–99 oversized See oversized artwork photographing, 97, 99, 115, 116–120 protecting rights to, 265 See also copyright repurposing, 139–141 shooting 3D, 116–120 storing, 97 viewing on Mac vs PC, 126 aspect ratio, 151 assessment, 5, 291 See also self– assessment Association for Computing Machinery, 311 associations, professional, 57, 61, 311–312 attachments, email, 75–77 audience See target audience audio codecs, 154 Automator, 104–105 AVI files, 125, 151, 152, 154, 155 awntv.com, 308 B backgrounds, 119, 129–130, 221 backups, 75, 96, 103 Batch Process function, Fireworks, 148 BBK Design, 64 BDA, 312 Behance, 80–81, 86, 282, 310 Benedict.com, 308 Bennett, Thom, 156–161, 318 biographical information for book’s contributors, 317–327 including in portfolio, 168–169 blend modes, 140 Blogger, 187 blogs, 82–83, 172–173, 195 blunders, concept, 199 BMP artwork, 101 books designing covers for, 18 vs onscreen content, 208 software self–help, 314–315 Borosky, Michael, 318 Boston University Photographic Resource Center, 283 Braithwaite, Rick, 176–181, 318 Braley, Michael, 143, 144, 319 Braley Design, 143, 144, 319 brand–design specialists, 11, 39, 176, 200 branding agencies, 11, 200 personal, 230 Broadcast Designers of America, 312 brochure portfolios, 193–194 broken links, 281, 296 329 browsers See web browsers Browsershots, 280–281 Budelmann, Kevin, 64–69, 319 bugs, 280, 281 Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting Your Work, 284 bulk renaming, 104–105 business cards, 72, 286 C cable modem connections, 146 Cafe Press, 260 Cahan, Bill, 319 Cahan & Associates, 319 Calder, Thane, 200–205, 320 cameras, 116–120, 125 capabilities portfolios, 194 capital letters, 165 captions, 166–167, 171 Caradonio, Jackie, 18, 106, 195 career counseling, 60 events, 57 objectives, 168 placement services, 60 websites, 59, 313–314 Cascading Style Sheets, 185 See also CSS case studies including in portfolios, 69, 171, 178 by name of site owner/partner Bennett, Thom, 156–161 Braithwaite, Rick, 176–181 Budelmann, Kevin, 64–69 Calder, Thane, 200–205 Hallman, Jonnie, 22–27 Heasty, David, 132–137 Keramat, Layla, 222–227 Kim, Yang, 64–69 Laffon de Mazières, Emmanuel, 86–91 Laird, Jay, 246–251 Locke, John, 106–111 Loh, Ken, 298–303 330 Index Scobie, Will, 44–49 Sinani, Emin, 272–277 Verstegen, Pascal, 272–277 Weigler, Stefanie, 132–137 Williams, Luke, 22–27 by topic creating written content, 176–181 digitizing files, 132–137 dividing strategy, 86–91 expressing personal style, 44–49 interface design, 222–227 knowing your market, 64–69 partnering, 22–27, 272–277 presenting portfolio, 298–303 reels, 246–251 repurposing/optimizing, 156–161 structural metaphors, 200–205 virtues of organization, 106–111 by website name CloudRaker.com, 200–205 Emmanuel–Laffon.com, 86–91 Gracefulspoon.com, 106–111 KenLoh.com, 298–303 LaylaKeramat.com, 222–227 LukeLukeLuke.com, 22–27 MetaversalStudios.com, 246–251 Noa.com, 272–277 PeopleDesign.com, 64–69 ReverieCreate.co.uk, 44-49 SandstromDesign.com, 176–181 TBGD.co.uk, 156–161 TriboroDesign.com, 132–137 catalog software, 102, 103 catalog thumbnails, 102 catalogs, 18 CD portfolios, 188, 191 CD projects, 19 CDs business-card, 72 distributing portfolio on, 72–74 and frame rate, 154 labeling, 285 and window size, 154 cease and desist order, 256 Cefaratti, Mike, 289, 320 CG Channel, 309 CG Society, 309 channels, 127, 128, 131 checklist portfolio as, 13 self-assessment, 7–9 Cinepak, 151, 154 classic projects, 18–19 client-centric portfolios, 194 clientele, looking for, 54 clip art, 259–260 CloudRaker, 11, 40, 175, 200–205, 320 CMYK bar test, 98 codecs, 151–152, 154 cold–calling, 290 collaborative efforts, 272–277 See also partnering collages, 260–261 collecting material, 96–97 color combinations, 199 color fidelity, 118 color management, 123 color palette, 219 color profiles, 149 columns, 217 ComfortKyle.com, 325 commarts.com, 311 commercial art portfolios, 33 Communication Arts, 30, 63, 80, 311 company research, 53 See also research company–specific portfolios, 56 compression formats, 126, 151–152, 154 comps, design, 258–259 computer animators, 41 computer graphics, 309 computers, testing portfolio on different, 280 Computing Machinery, Association for, 311 concepts, portfolio, 198–199 confidentiality, xviii, 288–289 connection speeds, 148 consistency, design, 284 contacts, personal, 57–58 content, 163–181 adapting for portfolio, 15–16 avoiding errors in, 164–165 case study, 176–181 creativity in, 32 explaining creative thinking in, 170–173 greeking, 217 importance of, 163 language considerations, 166 legibility of, 218 onscreen vs print, 208 quality of, 15, 163 quantity of, 15–16 for specific sites CloudRaker.com, 204–205 Emmanuel–Laffon.com, 90 Gracefulspoon.com, 111 KenLoh.com, 300–303 LaylaKeramat.com, 222–225 LukeLukeLuke.com, 25 MetaversalStudios.com, 247–248 Noa.com, 274–276 PeopleDesign.com, 69 ReverieCreate.co.uk, 46–48 SandstromDesign.com, 181 TBGD.co.uk, 161 TriboroDesign.com, 134–136 what to include in, 166–173 writing for target audience, 173 contests, 287 contributors, this book’s, 317–327 copy stands, 115, 119 copyright, 255–271 assignment of, 265–267 contracts/agreements, 267 determining who owns, 263–267 expiration dates, 256 and fair use, 256–258 financial implications of, 263 infringement, 256, 258, 267, 270–271 protecting, 267–271 Index registering, 267–268 resources, 308 respecting, 258–262 symbol, 268 terminology, 256 copyright-free images, 259 copywriting See content Core77, 61, 86, 311 Coroflot, 86, 282, 311 corporate identity designers, 39, 230 Correll, David, 136 cover art, 18 cover letters, 169–170 cover pages, 142–143 craft digital, 114 and fine art, 35 and technology, 32, 35 Creative Commons, 260 Creative Digital Darkroom, The, 314 Creative Group, 313 Creative Hotlist site, 80 creative influences, 262 creative partnerships, 20–21, 272 creative professionals, 32–43 art category, 33–36 design category, 37–41 game design category, 42–43 motion and interaction category, 41–42 performing artist category, 43 and portfolio mix, 32 creative services portfolio sites, 79–81 creative signature, 31, 44 creative thinking, explaining, 170–173 CreativeHotlist.com, 30 CreativePro.com, 313 creativity, in content vs presentation, 32 credits, 20, 21, 263, 272, 276 critiques, portfolio, 59, 282–283 CSS, 187, 218, 298 CSS Zen Garden, 189–190 curves, 127, 128 D DeBabelizer Pro, 146 degrees, professional, 10 delivery/format options, 72–83 email, 75–77 online, 77–83 portable media, 72–75 delivery technology, 186–191 complex movement/interaction, 190–191 instant portfolios, 186 portfolio helpers, 187–189 simple motion/interaction, 190 static websites, 189–190 demo reels, 42, 43, 153, 229, 246–251 See also reels derivative art, 261–262 Descreen option, 128, 129 description tags, 63 design briefs, 171 design category, creative professional, 37–41 design comps, 258–259 design consistency, 284 design schools, 60 DesignDirectory.com, 61 DestroyToday.com, 321 developing portfolios, 85 diary portfolios, 195–196, 197 DigiMarc, 308 digital branding agencies, 11, 200 digital cameras, 116–120, 125 Digital Classroom series, 314 digital craft, 114 digital files backing up, 96, 103 choosing file type for, 125–126 cleaning up, 124–125 compressing, 126 creating alternate versions of, 100 downsizing, 130 grouping, 99–100 naming/renaming, 100–102, 104–105, 155 331 optimizing, 144–151 organizing, 99–103 password–protecting, 269 stability of, 98 storing, 97 transferring physical media to, 111 See also digitizing updating, 103 weeding out, 102 digital photos, 130, 129 See also photographs digital portfolio See also portfolio capturing material for, 111 See also digitizing case studies See case studies choosing structure for, 191 copyright issues See copyright delivery/format options, 72–83 delivery technologies, 186–191 flexibility of, 72 getting feedback on, 282– 283 goals for, 8, 12 how people judge images in, 114 identifying work in, 166–167 interface design process, 210–219 metaphors, 66, 186, 191–197 navigation See navigation organizing artwork/files for, 98–105 presenting, 279, 291–295 vs printed work, xvii–xviii promoting, 286–287 quality vs quantity in, 15–16 reworking, 16 showing 3D pieces in, 116–120 testing, 21, 280–282 types of, xvi–xvii use of humor in, 173, 174–175 written content for See content digital signatures, 269 digital zoom, 117 digitizing, 113–137 3D artwork, 116–120 case study, 132–137 cleaning up after, 124–125 332 Index digitizing (continued) file-type considerations, 125–126 flat art, 120–122 getting help with, 114–116 how to approach, 114 slides/negatives, 123 video tapes, 116, 123–124 directories, 61 disc package, designing, 284–285 disc portfolios, 72–74, 191 discs See also CDs; DVDs hybrid, 188 labeling, 285 printing, 285 -R/-RW, 74 discussion groups, 59 dispersing portfolios, 84–85 displacement maps, 140–141 dividing strategy, portfolio, 83–84, 86 DivX codec, 152 Dolby Laboratories, 324 doubling portfolios, 85 download speeds, 148 downloads, testing, 282 downsampling, 130 Dreamweaver, 81, 188 dress code, presentation, 293–294 Dropbox, 77 DSL modem connections, 146 Duggan, Sean, 314 duplicating portfolios, 83 DV codec, 151 DV files, 126 DVD-creation software, 188 DVD Maker, 188 DVD portfolios, 188, 191 DVD projects, 19 DVD-R format, 116 DVD services, 116 DVD Studio Pro, 188 DVDit, 188 DVDs distributing portfolio on, 72–74 and frame rate, 154 labeling, 285 testing, 281 transferring video to, 124 and window size, 154 file drawers, 98 file formats, 125–126 file-naming methods, 100–102, 144, 155 file types, 125–126 files See digital files E film scanners, 115, 123 Easter eggs, 181 Final Cut Pro, 124, 125 editing program, professional, 127 Final Cut Studio, 123, 188 education fine artists, 34–35, 171 checklist, fine-arts resources, 309–310 vs experience, Firefox, 280 including in résumés, 168 Fireworks, 146 Eisenman, Sara, 284 Firm List, The, 313 Eismann, Katrin, 124, 314 fistik.com, 10, 242, 324 Electronic Arts, 324 FLA files, 143 electronic media projects, 29 Flash Eleven, Inc., 318 content, 89–90 email drawbacks, 161 contacting target audience via, 288 and experience portfolios, 197 distributing portfolio via, 75–77 FLV video format, 152 including résumé with, 288–290 internal programming language, 191 signatures, 286 mastering, 191 embossing, 141 Flash-based websites, 143, 210 Emmanuel-Laffon.com, 21, 86–91 flash photography, 117 encoders, 151–152 Flash Player, 152 encoding settings, 152–155 flatbed scanners, 121–122 environmental-design portfolios, xvii Flay.com, 309 EPS files, 125 Flickr, 16, 36, 37, 78 event posters, 19 flow-charting software, 214 exhibit designers, 90 flowcharts, 214, 223 experience FLV files, 152, 153 vs education, folder icons, 100–101, 102 filling gaps in, 20–21 folders including in résumés, 168 creating, 99 experience designers, 29, 40 linking, 100 experience portfolios, 197, 200 naming, 100–102 Expression Media, 103 follow-up, presentation, 295–296 fonts, 218, 279 See also typography F format/delivery options See delivery/ Facebook, 82, 173 format options fair use, 256–258 forums, 59, 282, 308–311 Fast Start feature, 151 Foster, Henry, 73, 320 feedback, 282–283 fps, 154 Fernandes, Herculano, 236–237, 244, 320 frame rate, 154 Index free speech, 257 freelancers animators, 41, 266–267 copyright considerations, 264 graphic designers, 39 illustrators, 36 importance of portfolio for, xvi vs independent contractors, 264 multimedia designers, 40 photographers, 35–36 production developers, 41 videographers, 41–42 and work-for-hire projects, 265–267 Fron, Janine, 192 FTP sites, 77 G Gallery of 3D, 309 gallery portfolios, xvii, 192–193 gallery presentations, hosted, 82 gallery sites, 82, 193 GamaSutra, 310 game art, 42 game artists, 43 game-design resources, 310 game designers, 42–43, 172, 230, 248 game programmers, 42–43 Gamedev.net, 310 gamma settings, 126 Garbage In=Garbage Out, 114 Gaussian Blur filter, 129 GDNet Lounge, 310 Geduld, Marcus, 314 generalists, 230–231 Georgia typeface, 218 GIF files, 146, 147, 150 GIGO, 114 goals assessing, checklist, importance of, 12 long-term vs short-term, 12 Goldfarb Associates, Roz, 313, 318 Google, 60–62, 187, 271, 313 Gottesman, Deb, 294 Gracefulspoon.com, 106–111, 323 graduate school portfolios, 34 grammatical errors, 164–165 graphic artists, 36, 312 Graphic Artists Guild, 312 Graphic Arts, American Institute of, 57 Graphic-arts resources, 310–311 Graphic Design, Society for Professional, 57 graphic designers, 29, 39 GraphicDesignForum.com, 59 Graphis, 63 greeking, 217 group portfolios, 20 group sites, 308–311 grouping files, 99–100 grouping schemes, interface design, 211–213, 217, 223 groups, discussion, 57 See also forums Gunnar Swanson Design Office, 326 H Hallman, Jonnie, 22–27, 193, 321 Harrington, Richard, 314 HD encoding, 152 headlines, 218 headshots, 144 Heasty, David, 132–137, 321 helpers, portfolio, 187–189 hint tracks, 151 histograms, 127 Hoefig, Nancy, 321 Holzschlag, Molly E., 314 honors, academic, 168 hosted gallery presentations, 82 HTML, 190 humor, 173, 174–175, 199 hybrid discs, 188 I ICC color profiles, 149 ICO files, 101 333 icons, folder, 100–101, 102 ID portfolios, 86 identity design, 132, 136, 230 IDSA, 57, 312 iDVD, 188 illustrations, scanning, 121 Illustrator, 77, 188 illustrator portfolios, 33, 44–49 illustrators, 36 image collages, 260–261 image-compression formats, 126 image-editing programs, 127, 128 techniques, 126–131 terms, 128 images See also photographs adjusting brightness/contrast in, 128 compressing, 126 copyrighted See copyright editing background for, 129–130 eliminating moiré pattern in, 128–129 fixing tonal problems in, 126–127 optimizing, 144–150 quailty considerations, 114 resizing, 130, 146 scanning See scanning sharpening, 131 slicing, 146 sources of, 258–259 testing, 282 watermarking, 259, 308 Incase, 322 independent contractors, 264 InDesign, 77, 188, 269 industrial design portfolios, 86 industrial designers, 38, 90 Industrial Designers Society of America, 57, 312 InfoDesign, 313 infringement, copyright, 256, 258, 267, 270–271 InsideCG.com, 309 instant portfolios, 186 intellectual property, 256, 271 334 Index interactive designers, 29, 42, 168 interactive websites, 190–191 interactive wrappers, 38 See also wrappers interface design, 207–227 avoiding distractions in, 219–221 and book metaphor, 208 case study, 222–227 process, 210–219 typography considerations, 218 interface designers, 29 Internet Archive Wayback Machine, 270–271 Internet Explorer, 149, 280 interpolation, 130 Interview Rehearsal Book, The, 294 invitation-only sites, 80 IPG Art Law Center, 308 iPod-like scroll wheel, 273–274 Isley, Alexander, 322 Issuu, 79, 80, 106 iStockPhoto.com, 259 italic fonts, 218 iTunes, 151 iWeb, 187, 188 J Jardine, Mark, 303 JasonRing.com, 39, 76, 325 JavaScript, 190, 191, 298, 314 JavaScript and Ajax for the World Wide Web, 314 jewel cases, 284, 285 job listings, 61, 116, 313–314 job searches, 54 jokes See humor JPEG files and digital cameras, 117, 125 editing, 126 and ICC color profiles, 149 optimizing, 146, 150 vs raw files, 117, 125 and screen shots, 143 JPG files, 100, 142 K KenLoh.com, 298–303, 323 Keramat, Layla, 79, 222–227, 322 key frames, 154 Keynote, 77, 188 Kim, Yang, 64, 322 KISS principle, 219 L labels artwork, 143, 166, 276 disc, 285 Laffon de Mazières, Emmanuel, 21, 75, 86–91, 322 Laird, Jay, 172, 246–251, 323 laptop portfolios, 74–75, 222–225 lawyers, intellectual property, 271 LaylaKeramat.com, 222–227 leave-behinds, 284, 287, 294–295 legal issues copyright See copyright fair use, 256–258 resources, 308 legal rights, 270 legibility, 284 Leo Burnett Advertising, 327 letters, cover, 169–170 levels, 127, 128 license-free images, 259–260 licensing fees, 260 lighting, 117 Lightroom, 103 line art, 120–122 LinkedIn, 58, 286 linking decisions, 217 links, 281–282, 296 lioninoil.net, 18, 106, 195 LiveBooks, 81 Locke, John biographical information, 169, 323 blog site, 18, 106, 195 case study, 106–111 online portfolio, 38, 106 PDF portfolios, 111 Loh, Ken, 169, 298–303, 323 Longo, Kevin, 14, 196, 324 Ludden, Jack, 192 LukeLukeLuke.com, 19, 22–27, 84, 327 M Mac Automator app, 104–105 Bulk-renaming feature, 104–105 catalog software, 103 DVD-creation software, 188 flow-charting software, 214 folder icons, 102 portfolio helpers, 187, 188–189 testing portfolio on, 280 Time Machine, 103 video format, 151 video software, 151 viewing artwork on, 126 web browsers, 280 magazines, 63 mail-to links, 296 mailers, 287 mailings, 290–291 maps displacement, 140–141 site, 214–215, 223, 280 market research, 52–53 See also research masks, 128 Masson, Terrence, 324 media, portable, 72–75 Media Photographers, American Society of, 312 Media Player, 188 message boards, 59 meta tags, 63 metallic inks, 141 metaphors, portfolio, 66, 186, 191–197, 200 Metaversal Studios, 172, 246–251, 323 Index Microsoft Internet Explorer, 149, 280 PowerPoint, 77, 188 Visio, 214 Windows See Windows Word, 164–165 mini CDs, 72 MitchWeiss.com, 36, 327 modernpostcard.com, 290 modularity, 210 moiré patterns, 123, 128–129 Monster.com, 313 motion and interaction category, creative professional, 41–42 motion graphics professionals, 41–42 MOV files, 125, 151, 153, 154 Movie Maker, 125 MP3 files, 126 MP4 files, 126 MPEG-4 codec, 151 MPEG files, 126 multimedia designers, 40 MySpace, 82 N naming files, 100–102, 144, 155 narrative portfolios, 196–197, 200 native files, 125 navigation CloudRaker.com, 200–203 Emmanuel-Laffon.com, 86–90 Gracefulspoon.com, 106–110 KenLoh.com, 298–300 LaylaKeramat.com, 225–227 LukeLukeLuke.com, 24 MetaversalStudios.com, 247–248 Noa.com, 273–274 PeopleDesign.com, 64–69 planning, 217 and portfolio metaphor, 191 ReverieCreate.co.uk, 44 SandstromDesign.com, 176–181 TBGD.co.uk, 158–160 TriboroDesign.com, 133–134 negatives, digitizing, 123 Negrino, Tom, 314 newsletters, 19 Niederst, Jennifer, 314 Nikon COOLPIX cameras, 117 Noa Studios, 272–277, 326, 327 Nolo Press, 258, 267, 308 Northeastern University, 324 O Oakley, 323 objectives, career, 168 OmniGraffle, 214 online contests, 287 online forums See forums online portfolios, xvi–xvii, 77–83, 130 See also digital portfolio optical zoom, 117 optimizing, 144–151 animation files, 155 case study, 156–161 defined, 144 image files, 144–150 purpose of, 144–146 tools, 146 video files, 150–151 ways of approaching, 148 organizations, professional, 57, 61, 311–312 organizing artwork, 98–99 case study, 106–111 digital files, 99–103 samples, 98–99 orphan projects, 258 outreach portfolios, 194, 197 oversized artwork backup considerations, 96 photographing, 115, 116–120, 140–141 repurposing, 140 scanning, 115 ownership, terms of, 256 Ozkurt, Cemre, 10, 242, 324 335 P package designers, 39 packaging, portfolio, 284–285 page layout grids, 215, 216 page size, 215, 221 paper samples, scanning, 140 paper stock, 97, 284 partnering, 20–27 benefits of, 20 case studies, 22–27, 272–277 your role in, 20–21 password-protected files, 269 PDF files and 2D images, 77 avoiding scrolling in, 143 file–size considerations, 143 locking, 77 naming, 144 password-protecting, 269 repurposing published work with, 142–144 software for creating, 77, 142 as standard for publishing layouts, 126 tips for creating, 142–144 PDF portfolios, 39, 76, 111, 142 Peachpit Press, 114, 315 Pendaflex folders, 98 People Design, 64–69, 194, 216, 319, 322 performance digital portfolios, 43 performing artists, 43 permissions, 255, 258, 267 See also copyright personal blogs, 82–83, 172–173 See also blogs personal branding, 230 personal contacts, 57–58 personal information, 167–169 personal websites, 78 personality, assessing, 6, 9, 14 photo collages, 260–261 photo scanners, 115 photographers, 35–36, 312 336 Index Photographers, American Society of Media, 312 Photographic Resource Center, Boston University, 283 photographs See also images of 3D pieces, 116–120 optimizing, 146–150 of oversized books, 140–141 resizing, 130 royalty-free, 255 scanning, 113 See also scanning sharpening, 131 Photoshop cleaning up digitized art in, 124 combining scanned images in, 115 creating illusion of 3D in, 116 download-speed estimator, 148 fixing tonal problems in, 127 and ICC color profiles, 149 opening raw files in, 125 optimizing features, 146 resizing images in, 130 setting gamma in, 126 slicing feature, 146 squaring up art in, 121 physical portfolios, xvii–xviii See also portfolio pixelated images, 120 placeholder text, 217 platforms, testing portfolio on different, 280 players, video, 151–152, 269 PNG files, 126, 146, 150 portable media, 72–75 portfolio See also digital portfolio case studies See case studies case-study approach to, 69 concepts, 198–199 copyright issues See copyright creating company-specific version of, 56 determining mix of elements in, 32 developing, 85 digital vs physical, xvii–xviii dispersing, 84–85 dividing, 83–84 doubling, 85 duplicating, 83 expressing personality in, 14 helpers, 187–189 important ingredients in, 31–32 interface design process, 210–219 as marketing tool, 13 metaphors, 66, 186, 191–197 navigation See navigation neutralizing, presenting, 279, 291–295 purpose of, xv–xvi, xix, 30–31 reels See reels resources, 307–315 reviews, 5, 12, 282–283 in second language, 166 selecting material for, 15–16 for specific professions, 32–43 stretching limits in, 43 target audience for See target audience templates, 34, 187 testing, 21, 55, 280–282 understanding goals for, 12 what it’s not, 13 Portfolio feature, Adobe Acrobat Professional, 142 postcards, 290–291, 310 posters, 19, 140 PowerPoint, 77, 188 Premiere, Adobe, 123, 124 presentation programs, 188 presenting portfolio, 279–303 case study, 298–303 designing disc package, 284–285 dress code for, 293–294 following up after, 295–296 hints for, 294 as part of portfolio design, 279 rehearsing prior to, 291–293 testing prior to, 280–282 print designers, xxiii, 29 print portfolios, xvii–xviii, 79, 284 print projects, 140–141, 142–144 printers, disc, 285 prints, scanning, 115 problem-solving, 32 process comments, 171 process work, 32, 40 product designers, xvii, 38, 90 product developers, 41 product packaging, 179 professional associations, 57, 61, 311–312 professional degrees, 10 professional editing programs, 124, 127 professional photographers, 35–36, 312 professionals, creative See creative professionals project descriptions, 170 project titles, 166–167 projectors, 74, 292 projects creating your own, 17 describing, 170 examples of classic, 18–19 recommended number of, 15–16 reworking, 16 showing variety of, 15 promaxbda.org, 312 promotion, 286–287 protection technologies, 268–271 prototypes, 32, 40, 43 public domain, 256 publication design, 132 publicity, 286 Q quality control, 21 quality of content, 15 quantity of content, 15–16 QuickTime, 151, 155, 188 QuickTime Pro, 125, 189 Index R -R/-RW discs, 74 RA files, 155 Rabun, Cynthia, 324 Raffile, Kyle, 153, 325 raw files, 117, 125 real estate projects, 19 RealNetworks, 152 RealPlayer, 152, 155 reels, 229–251 See also demo reels audience sweeteners for, 240–243 case study, 246–251 creating multiple, 243–245 delivery options for, 243–245 developing, 231–234 as exercise in personal branding, 230 and the market, 230–231 purpose of, 229 sequential nature of, 230 structure of, 234–240, 248–251 updating, 251 wrapping, 245 registration, copyright, 267–268 rehearsals, presentation, 291–293 relative links, 282 repurposing artwork, 139–141 case study, 156–161 with PDFs, 142–144 resampling, 130 research, 52–63 purpose of, 52 stages, 52–56 tools, 56–63 updating, 63 resizing images, 130 resolution, 121, 122, 123, 130 resources, 307–315 career sites, 313–314 copyright/legal issues, 308 group sites/forums, 308–311 professional organizations, 311–312 software self-help books, 314–315 specialized, 313 résumés, 13, 167–168, 288–290, 297 ReverieCreate.co.uk, 44–49, 326 reviews, portfolio, 5, 12, 59, 282–283 RGARecruiting.com, 313, 318 Rhode Island School of Design, 312 Richards, Stan, 325 Richards Group, The, 325 rights, assignment of, 265–267 Ring, Jason, 39, 76, 325 RISDBoston.org, 60 RISD.edu, 312 RM files, 155 Roxio DVDit, 188 royalty-free images, 255, 259–260 Roz Goldfarb Associates, 313, 318 S Safari, 280 samples collecting, 96 organizing, 98–99 Sandor, Ellen, 35, 192, 325 Sandstrom Design, 176–181, 212, 318 Save for Web and Devices function, 130, 146 scanners, 115, 120–124 scanning books, 115 eliminating moiré pattern when, 128–129 embossed pieces, 141 getting help with, 114 line art, 120–122 metallic inks, 141 negatives, 123 paper samples, 140 prints, 115 recommended book on, 123 resolution considerations, 122, 123 slides, 115, 123 337 Scanning Negatives and Slides: Digitizing Your Photographic Archives, 123 schematics, 215–219, 225 school projects, 96 Scobie, Will, 37, 44–49, 46, 81, 326 screen shots, 143 screen size, 215 scrolling, 143, 221, 273, 274 seamless backgrounds, 119 search tools, 56–63 alumni associations, 60 books/magazines, 63 forums/directories, 59 Google, 60–62 personal contacts, 57–58 schools/universities, 60 social networking, 58–59 security issues, xviii, 268–269 SEGD, 57, 312 self-assessment, 5–14 challenges of, checklist, 7–9 of goals, 12 importance of, of personality, 14 purpose of, of strengths/weaknesses, 10–12 subjective nature of, of values, 13 self-confidence, 12 self-help books, 314–315 self-publishing sites, 78–79, 286 serif typefaces, 218 Sharpen filter, 131 Shea, Dave, 314 signatures digital, 269 email, 286 Sinani, Emin, 272–277, 326 site maps, 214–215, 223, 280 site navigation See navigation SKevinLongo.com, 14, 196 sleeves, disc, 285 338 Index slicing images, 146 slide scanners, 115, 123 slides, digitizing, 123 slideshows, 77, 103, 187, 188 SMIL format, 152, 155 Smith, Dori, 314 snail mail, sending portfolio via, 290–291 social networking sites, 20, 58–59, 69, 80 See also specific sites societies, professional, 57, 310 See also associations Society for Environmental Graphic Design, 57, 312 software Easter eggs, 181 Self-help books, 314–315 training, 7, 10 Sorenson codec, 154 soul-searching, See also self–assessment spec sheets, 193–194 speed, testing, 282 speed estimator, 148 spelling errors, 164–165 Spiekermann, Erik, 218 sRGB profiles, 149 stages interface design, 210–219 research, 52–56 static websites, 189–190 statistics, 59 stock images, 259–260 Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, 218 storing original art, 97 storytelling skills, 200 streaming data, 151 strengths, assessing, 7–8, 10–12 structure portfolio, 191, 200 reel, 234–240, 248–251 student portfolios, 33–34, 38 student projects, 96 students, hiring, 116 studio blogs, 82–83 style vs concept, 198 derivative, 261–262 expressing personal, 44–49 presenting identifiable, 31 style sheets, 185 See also CSS surveys, 59 Swanson, Gunnar, 326 SWF files, 142, 152, 188, 269 T tags, meta, 63 tape reels, 230 tapes, digitizing, 116, 123–124 target audience, 51–69 case study, 64–69 changing, 64 cold-calling, 290 contacting, 287–291 creating projects for different, 17 and portfolio mix, 32 researching, 52–63 and typography, 218 writing for, 173 TBGD.co.uk, 156–161, 318 teamwork, 270 See also partnering technical virtuosity, 41 technology delivery See delivery technology effect on design, 186 and fine art portfolios, 34 merger of art and, 34 protection, 268–271 using inappropriate, 32 templates, portfolio, 34, 187 testing portfolio, 21, 55, 280–282 text See content thank-you notes, 296 thumbnails, catalog, 102 TIF/TIFF files, 125, 143 time-and-motion portfolios, 41 Time Machine, 103 Toadstorm.com, 73, 320 tonal problems, 126–127 tonal values, 127 trademarks, 256 traditional portfolios, xvii–xviii See also portfolio training vs experience, transparent overlays, 140 travel prospectus projects, 19 Triboro Associates, 321 Triboro Design, 132–137, 262 tripods, 119 Twitter, 69, 106, 286 typography, 10, 156, 167, 218 U Unsharp Mask filter, 131 updates digital file, 103 portfolio, 25, 26, 296–297 résumés, 297 uppercase words, spell–checking, 165 U.S Copyright Office, 266–267, 308 us.firmlist.com, 313 V values, assessing, 6, 9, 13 variety in fine artist portfolio, 35 in production specialist portfolio, 41 pros and cons of, 31 in time-and-motion portfolio, 41 Vault, The, 59, 314 Veloso, Bryan, 303 Vernooij, Wip, 42, 326 Verstegen, Pascal, 272–277, 327 VGA adapters, 74 VHS tapes, digitizing, 123–124 video codecs, 151 encoders, 151–152 encoding settings, 152–155 formats, 126, 150 Index optimizing, 150–151 players, 151–152, 188 services, 116 viewing encoded, 151–152 walkthroughs, 90 video-compression formats, 126 video-editing process, 125 video-editing programs, 123, 124, 127 video-sharing sites, 152 video tapes, digitizing, 123–124 videoconferencing, 154 videographers, 41–42 Vimeo, 152 violations, copyright, 270–271 Visio, 214 Visual QuickStart Guides, 114, 314, 315 VisualFX.com, 324 VUE, 214 W watermarks, 152, 259, 269, 308 WAV files, 126 Wayback Machine, 270–271 weaknesses, assessing, 7–8, 10–12 web browsers and ICC color profiles, 149 testing portfolio on different, 280–281 and video formats, 152 Web Design in a Nutshell, 314 web-publishing programs, 188 web text, 166 See also content websites interactive, 190–191 static, 189–190 weighted optimization, 147 Weigler, Stefanie, 132–137, 321 Weiss, Mitch, 36, 327 WESTAF, 310 Western States Arts Federation, 310 white balance, 117, 118–119, 128 white matte backgrounds, 119 wide-angle lenses, 119 Wiley Digital Classroom series, 314 Williams, Luke biographical information, 22, 327 case study, 22–27 copyright notice, 268 future plans, 26 photographic essay, 27, 84 presentation leave-behinds, 287, 295 window size, 153–154, 157, 209 Windows bulk-renaming feature, 104 catalog software, 103 DVD-creation software, 188 Expression Media, 103 Flow-charting software, 214 folder icons, 101, 102 and ICC color profiles, 149 Media Player, 151, 155, 188 Movie Maker, 125 portfolio helpers, 188–189 testing portfolio on, 280 video format, 151 viewing artwork on, 126 web browsers, 280 WipVernooij.com, 42, 174, 326 WMV files, 155 Wondershare PPT2Flash Standard, 188 Word, Microsoft, 164–165 work experience See experience work-for-hire projects, 96, 264–265 work in process, 32, 40 World Wide Arts Resources, 309 wrappers, 40, 43, 161, 219, 245 writing errors, 164–165 written content See content wwar.com, 309 X XML, 26, 161 Y Yahoo discussion groups, 59 YouTube, 42, 78, 152, 308 Z Zazzle, 260 Zen of CSS Design, The, 314 zoom feature, camera, 117 339 This page intentionally left blank VOICES THAT MATTER Designing with Web Standards, Third Edition Jeffrey Zeldman ISBN: 0321616952, $49.99 480 pages, September 2009 Web Anatomy: Interaction Design Frameworks that Work Robert Hoekman, Jr and Jared Spool ISBN: 0321635027, $44.99 336 pages, September 2009 Mastering CSS with Dreamweaver CS4 Stephanie Sullivan and Greg Rewis ISBN: 0321605039, $49.99 368 pages, December 2008 Designing for Interaction, Second Edition: Creating Innovative Applications and Devices Dan Saffer ISBN: 0321643399, $45.00 264 pages, August 2009 Content Strategy for the Web Kristina Halvorson ISBN: 0321620062, $24.99 192 pages, August 2009 Scriptin’ with JavaScript and Ajax: A Designer’s Guide Charles Wyke-Smith ISBN: 0321572602, $44.99 312 pages, August 2009 Handcrafted CSS: More Bulletproof Web Design Dan Cederholm with Ethan Marcotte ISBN: 0321643380, $39.99 288 pages, July 2009 Modular Web Design: Creating Reusable Components for User Experience Design and Documentation Nathan Curtis ISBN: 0321601351, $44.99 360 pages, June 2009 For a complete list of books and videos visit: newriders.com Speaking in Styles: Fundamentals of CSS for Web Designers Jason Cranford Teague ISBN: 0321574168, $44.99 360 pages, June 2009 Get free online access to this book for 45 days! And get access to thousands more by signing up for a free trial to Safari Books Online! With the purchase of this book you have instant online, searchable access to it for 45 days on Safari Books Online! And while you’re there, be sure to check out Safari Books Online’s on-demand digital library and their free trial offer (a separate sign-up process) Safari Books Online subscribers have access to thousands of technical, creative and business books, instructional videos, and articles from the world’s leading publishers Simply visit www.peachpit.com/safarienabled and enter code ZJVIZAA to try it today ... are claimed as trademarks Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark All other... of digital presence Having a digital portfolio —Rita Armstrong doesn't have to be hard Graphic design, architectural walkthroughs, video, and animation are already produced digitally, and the... you to make a major creative change If tation of who that person is and you have a reasonable head for detail, you might be happier as a freelancer than as an employee what they’re capable of doing