Blog » How To… Build a Creative Portfolio

How To… Build a Creative Portfolio

4th July 2017

IF you’re looking to make it as a professional creative, the all-important question is what makes one creative portfolio stand out from another. Pip Jamieson, founder of professional creative networking platform, The Dots shares five top portfolio tips:

LESS IS MORE

Or as we like to say in the office ‘all killer, no filler’. This has been passionately advocated by all the creative directors we’ve ever worked with. Don’t worry if your portfolio isn’t bursting at the seams.

What you leave out is as important as what you put in. It’s not a problem that you’ve done a bad piece of work, but putting it in your portfolio says you don’t know it’s bad.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

Your portfolio should reflect your own aesthetic and clearly show the type of work you want to be doing.

SELF-INITIATED PROJECTS

All the creative directors we’ve worked with have been massive fans of portfolios that include personal work, as well as client/student work. Selfinitiated projects are a great way of showing off your creative thought processes and what you are capable of – it’s also a great way to show you’re passionate about the industry.

Projects could be anything from a personal identity, a competition entry, an exhibition, a zine, a popup store, a product range, short film or an installation.

Contacting a senior creative or a company that inspires you, and asking them for a brief, is also an amazing way to challenge yourself creatively. If they like your response they may even offer you a job.

CREATE YOUR OWN BRAND

Let’s face it, your own brand is the most valuable brand you’ll ever work on and one of the only ones you’ll have complete creative license over. Creative agencies and employers can sometimes see hundreds, if not thousands, of portfolios a year, so creatives that develop their own identity can help catch their eye every time.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

When it comes to printing your portfolio, most senior creatives have the same firm opinion on design: Keep it simple… the work should own centre stage.

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