Posts Tagged ‘resources’

Designing portfolios: resources + case study

Friday, September 18th, 2009

If I had to sum up my portfolio redesign project, it would be “slow going, with flashes of inspiration”. When I’m stuck in a rut, it helps me to draw from my bookmarks of design inspiration and explore new ways of thinking about what an online portfolio should be. Here are a couple of great reads for those looking to carve out their own online space.

Chris Spooner of Blog.SpoonGraphics recently shared 10 Solutions to Easily Create Your Online Portfolio. Chris put together a list of sites and communities that make it easier to get an online portfolio up and running with a focus on your work.

Smashing Magazine just released its initial Portfolio Design Study: Design Patterns and Current Practices. The team spent more than 75 hours researching the visual design, structure, layout, navigation, and design details of each section of an online portfolio. There is a lot to take away from this initial study, plus there’s more to come: SM will be publishing the second part of the study in two weeks.

Reading recommendation: Redesigning Your Own Site

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

As someone who has been “in the process” of redesigning my online portfolio since January, I was encouraged by Lea Alcantara’s look at redesigning your own site over at A List Apart. This article is a great reminder of the time and effort that should be taken when it comes to your personal brand, from colors to fonts to readability. If you’re like me and stuck in the redesign process, or maybe you’re just getting started and aren’t sure where to start, check out the insights Lea has to share about designing for yourself.

Using WordPress for your portfolio

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

I’m always thrilled when I hear about new ways to use existing tools, even if “new” really just means new to me. So it was great to see Smashing Magazine’s latest article about the capability of WordPress for portfolios. We use WordPress for beyondwords, and I also use it for my personal blog. But the “Ultimate Guide To Using WordPress For A Portfolio” shows how you can take advantage of the tool for more than blogging.

WordPressLet’s face it: designing your online portfolio can be a scary process, especially if you don’t have strong web design skills. Smashing Magazine helps the process along by sharing WordPress themes for those who don’t want to fully customize their site and giving tips on how to set up your main page and project pages.

They also showcase designers who are already using WordPress for their portfolios. I’ve been brainstorming for the last few months about how I want to update my portfolio, and this is just the kind of inspiration I needed to dig in.

Check out the full article for more resources and eye candy, and our previous portfolio tips and resources. If you’re a professional writer using WordPress for your portfolio, let us know about your experience!

Never Sleep: Transitioning to design professional

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

Never SleepEMPRNT recently sat down with Andre Andreev and Dan Covert of dress code NY about their new book, Never Sleep.

When asked what triggered the idea for the book, Covert had this to say:

I was really influenced in school by “tellmewhy.” It kind of changed how I looked at design and we thought maybe we could do that for students…. And once we started teaching we realized how literally we had just gone through all the stuff they were asking about, so why not write about it?

The book features both early and professional work by the authors as they talk about what worked and what didn’t, giving design students insight into what the transition to design professional is all about. From the book’s website:

There is a major disconnect between the life of a design student and the transition to being a design professional. To demystify the transition, we share the failures, successes, and surprises during our years in college and progression into the field: the creative process, monetary problems, internships, interviews, mistakes, and personal relationships. We include the work from our first design class to our most current client work, along with side stories and interviews from our mentors, teachers, and peers. This book will serve as the ultimate companion for design students, educators, and anyone breaking into a creative field.

Be sure to check out the full EMPRNT interview and add the book to your Amazon cart or wish list.

Social Media Summit

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

Those working in PR and corporate communications may be interested in the Social Media Summit to be held in Chicago this September. The event will feature how-tos and best practices to put social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace) to work for your organization.

You may also find interesting information on Ragan.com, a web site offering “news, ideas, and conversations for communicators worldwide.” 

The site also features an interesting interview with University of Michigan communications professional Jessica Soulliere, who discusses how her team developed video podcasts (vodcasts) to promote the work of faculty at the medical school.

New design resource: The Daily Heller

Monday, July 7th, 2008

I love finding new resources for design information and inspiration. The Daily Heller landed in my email inbox today and I thought I would share. For the first installation, Heller muses on the AMC series “Mad Men” DVD case design.

Steven Heller is the legendary graphic designer who “has been writing for PRINT since 1982. He is the co-chair of the MFA Designer as author program at the School of Visual Arts. For 33 years, he was an art director at The New York Times. He has authored or contributed to more than 100 books on design and popular culture.”

You can subscribe to the Daily Heller here.

Enjoy!

In the Workplace Series

Friday, April 18th, 2008

As part of our ongoing professional development, we thought it’d be helpful to hear from professional writers, editors, and designers in the field about the work they do.

This is the inspiration behind our “In the Workplace” series, where featured professionals will share with us how they create and communicate in their job, what resources they use, what tips they have for other professionals, and much more.

The first in the series will be up later this weekend, so be sure to check it out. We’re looking forward to what we feel will be an exciting series, and a huge thank you in advance to all of our featured professionals for sharing with us!