Michael Mase

It’s game time. Show off your portfolio.

Michael Mase — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:22:07 +0000

So now you have to present your portfolio and land that job. Do it in a way that is confident, but not cocky. Show that your work is your work by readily and thoroughly answer any questions the viewer may have. Talk about why you did certain things, what you enjoyed about each project, whether or not you want to explore more areas similar to that project. Dress well and talk clearly. Don’t take forever, be brief—so make your sentences rich with information.

It’s my work! Please, don’t steal it.

Michael Mase — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:21:48 +0000

First and foremost, don’t steal from other people. We all know there are things we love that other people do, but unfortunately, it wasn’t our idea. As much as we want to use it…well we can, but always use it as a starting point for inspiration. You are a designer, so design. Gaining inspiration is a wonderful thing, but it becomes stealing when it’s nearly exactly the same as the original. Secondly, the same goes for others trying to take your work. It’s yours. Know your rights as an artist and protect your work.

Thoughts on Time Management

Michael Mase — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:21:26 +0000

Personally, I feel that content management is the key to good time management. Recently, I worked for a design firm that had its client files across various servers, in possibly one of the most unorganized systems I’ve ever seen. I, along with co-worker, spent hours search for a simple logo file within a clients folder.

While I have not found any reliable software to help me manage client files (if you know of any, please let me know), but I feel like I have a system down that works. I have one hard drive for current clients and another for past clients (current clients are also backed up on the past clients drive and both drives are backed up on an additional drive and on DVD’s quarterly). Since my work is primarily web, I will normally have a file system like this: Client Name\Files\Project Name\ -> (Folders: Logo, Images, Backups, Mockups, etc.) and Client Name\Site\ -> (website files). I try to use similar names for each client, that way I know exactly where to look for a certain file.

Sometimes, I think that if its taking me a long time to do something that normally takes me a short amount of time to do, I’m probably not in the frame of mind that I should be in. I think that it hurts to continue to work on this aspect of a project while still in this frame of mind. So instead of wasting time, and not producing anything that pleases my eye, I’ll move to another aspect of the project and then go back to it. I try to log exactly what I have done along with the time spent on it in a timesheet within each clients directory. Periodically, I will assess my project time with my used time and see if any adjustments need to be made, based on how far along the project has gone. If I have used 50% of the time and am only 10% completed, I might consider speaking with the client as soon as possible to alter the quote or (the preferred way), see if there is a way I can accommodate by completing the rest of the project with the remaining time (or minimal time over the time remaining). I think it’s good to check up on yourself and not get lost in time. Doing frequently this also allows for more efficient and accurate quoting in the future.

Web interface. Don’t make me think!

Michael Mase — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:21:05 +0000

Your web portfolio interface is extremely important. If the user can’t use the interface (or just can’t figure the thing out), then all that hard work that you not only put into each piece itself, but putting the portfolio together, will go to waste. Don’t make the user think about what has to be done. Elegantly present the items in a way that works for your type of work, the number of items you have, and the amount of content each item will have. Ask around about to friends and family what they like or don’t like about your navigation or how they explore your portfolio. Believe it or not, sometimes the simplest solutions to problems are the last ones that are explored or even discovered.

More on delivery…

Michael Mase — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:20:45 +0000

So now you’ve chosen your portfolio medium (or media), what you’re going to put in it, what you’re gonna say about it and how you’re gonna present it. When working with digital media (like web), you should be careful what each page is named. Words like ‘blog’, ‘portfolio’, etc. tend to get so repetitive throughout portfolios. Cleverly name your pages and make them unique.

Talk. Talk. Talk. Let others know why you do what you do.

Michael Mase — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:20:21 +0000

Prospective clients and employers like to read about what was done (almost as much as seeing what was actually done). They also like to see a design process of some sort (which validates and reinforces your work). In a clear and concise manner, write short, but direct, information about each project, what you set out to do, what you did, obstacles, etc.

You gotta make it look good.

Michael Mase — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:20:03 +0000

Like stated earlier, how it’s presented is as good as how it looks. If you’re working with web, make sure you take screenshots of the best environment for each page (in term of browser height, width, font smoothing, etc.) In a portfolio, organize images for each item in a way that it flows and presents enough information to the viewer to get an idea of what was done.

There is too much…stuff.

Michael Mase — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:19:41 +0000

Process of elimination is a very useful thing for many aspects of life. Decide what you’re going to be doing (web, print, motion, all three, etc.). Now, make a list of all the items in your portfolio. Go through the list and cross out all the items that you think need improvement, aren’t strong, are old, outdated, etc. Go through the list again, and do the same thing over again. Your portfolio should have only the strongest items possible. You don’t want to chance someone (prospective client, employer) finding an item that isn’t strong and then tossing you aside. You want to keep them looking; keep them looking for mistakes, for that bad piece (that won’t be there, right?).

Web, Print or both? Or more?

Michael Mase — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:19:22 +0000

The type of portfolio you are going to create obviously depends on the type of work you are/will be doing. If possible, you should be able to present your portfolio in at least two types of media (mostly web and print). Some even put their portfolios in Keynote presentations and use that as a tool for interviews, etc. Whatever works for you, just make it good.

Basic rule of thumb:

Print designers – web, print, actual pieces of work (books, magazines, etc.)
Web designers – web, print, Keynote
Motion graphic designers – web, video

Who’s gonna look at this?

Michael Mase — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:19:00 +0000

First you need to decide the type of portfolio you are going to create. If you’re working for yourself and only yourself, you should present it that way. If you’re looking for a job, don’t make it look too much like you have your own business, otherwise employers will be confused and curious to how dedicated you’d be working for them.