[IxDA Discuss] Portfolios

[Cindy Alvarez]

I'd agree with that. Lots of products don't make it to market for reasons
well beyond the designer's control - and lots of products have a finished
state that was nothing like the designer's intent because of exec ex
machina.   HOW you worked - researched, prioritized, sketched, tested -
given whatever your particular constraints were, is what I need to know.

Come to think of it, that may explain partially why I get inferior feedback
from people presenting paper portfolios in-person -- many people seem
reluctant to talk about their constraints (perhaps feeling that it will
sound like making excuses?).  All design projects have constraints - and
sometimes those are HUGE, impassable constraints - but at least you can talk
about what you had a chance to do, what workarounds you achieved, and what
you would've done under better circumstances.

Cindy
PS - I'd rather see an online (or offline) portfolio with minimal
visuals/deliverables but great ANALYSIS, than to have you bring in
deliverables that I suspect you shouldn't be showing me since I'm not under
NDA.  ("All rights reserved - For internal distribution only" in the footer
= bad idea to show that you don't respect your former employers' IP.)


On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 1:42 PM, Dmitry Nekrasovski <mail.dmitry at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I have to disagree with this. While it is great to show that you've
> been able to drive a design to completion/release (especially if
> applying for a position that demands a certain level of experience), a
> list of finished products does nothing to show a prospective employer
> your process, deliverables, or particular contribution to a project.
> Also, a list of finished products is the easiest thing to fake, and
> thus the least reliable indication of one's skill and experience.
>
> Dmitry
>
> On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 11:13 AM, Weixi Yen <weixiyen at gmail.com> wrote:
> >  It's all about
> >  finished products.   If you do nothing else, it's best to list the
> finished
> >  products of what you participated in.
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