Taking a course is only the first step in getting a career into becoming a graphics designer. An online course in graphics design offers an excellent way to develop the skills needed to work in this exciting and creative field. But if you truly want to make the leap from hobbyist to professional, you need to perform your work and studies with an eye towards creating a working portfolio.
What a Portfolio is and Why You Need One
Where artists are concerned, a portfolio is generally defined as a collection of completed works that demonstrate the skill and abilities of an individual. In the case of a graphic artist, these will generally be a collection of your previous projects which give an example of what you can do. The goal then is that you can present this to a potential employer in order to get work.
Think about it logically for a moment. Whenever an employer wants to hire somebody for a job, they want to see evidence that the person can do what is asked of them. Normally, they will make their initial decision based on a CV or resume, presuming they are not already acquainted with the prospect. A portfolio does not replace a graphic artist's CV or resume, rather it is a necessary accompaniment. If you can’t demonstrate you can do the job, it’ll go to someone who can.
That’s why, even at the outset of beginning to learn graphics design, it’s essential to work with a view towards building up your portfolio. Just as with documents like CV’s, what you include in your portfolio is entirely up to you. You can include work done both for profit and not for profit, though you should take care when producing work for clients that they do not mind being mentioned. Ideally, if you can get a professional endorsement from happy clients you will further your cause.
Quick Tips to a Better Portfolio
It might help if you think of your portfolio as your personal art gallery. Inside, all your works can be on display. The first thing to decide is should they be? Part of mastery of any craft is the acceptance that mistakes and failures litter the path to success. Not everything you attempt to do will succeed on the first try.
Especially when starting out and the portfolio is light, it can be tempting to throw everything you have into it, but this is a mistake. One rotten apple puts the buyer off the whole bowl so make sure that anything you put in your portfolio shows you at your best.
Another thing modern day graphics designers should take into consideration is that, in today's digital age, there are numerous ways you can present yourself. While it’s not a bad idea to have a physical portfolio you can display in the real world, digital reproductions of your work, whether through social media or via a website, can help you spread word of your skills and get you business right across the globe. If web design or site building is not your strength, consider hiring or partnering with someone who can build the site you need.
Whatever you present in your portfolio, it’s best to do so at print quality, even when working on the internet, which means a minimum of 300 DPI. Though this is bigger in file size than, for example, typical digital internet works needs to be, it is hard to know ahead of time when a potential client or employer needs to see you at your best quality. For web based portfolios, this requires the clever use of thumbnails – smaller internet images that provide a preview of the high quality image to enable faster site loading.
Learning the skills of graphics design are just the start. Just like any trade, it’s not enough to just be good at it – you need to build your portfolio so that others can know just how good you are. The sooner you do this, the sooner you can reap the rewards.
