Portfolio is key: The creative panda offers some portfolio advice

Aug 4, 2015 2:47:23 PM

Our creative panda, Yasmin, shares some portfolio advice for digital designers in her latest blog post... 

I love my job. I love the variety and the creative input I get to have with all of my candidates and clients. It’s exceptionally interactive, and it nearly always generates an interesting debate in processes which could otherwise be quite clinical (NB. recruitment should not be clinical! We don't condone “clinical”, “generic” or “mundane” as adjectives to describe our service!) 

Make that first impression count

I recently finished reading Tony Hsieh’s (CEO of Zappos.com)  “Delivering Happiness” which details his rise to success in the ecommerce arena – an inspiring man with a great philosophy for delivering the best online retail experience to his customers. And (I quote) “It starts with what customers first see when they visit [the] website.” It always comes back to the basics in that you only have one chance to make a first impression.

So if you’re working as a digital designer or an online content writer/editor and you’re in the market for a new creative opportunity – make your first impression count. I have had numerous conversations with very bright and ambitious junior designers or copywriters who are desperate to progress in this wonderful world we all cohabit, online retail.  Time and time again their portfolios aren’t up to date, or the most relevant work (which they can talk me through in fantastic detail) isn’t present in the work examples they share with me.

How can you promote your past design experience?

Now I shan’t lie – I am blessed with the gift of the gab (!) but even I can’t talk my candidates into my clients good books or secure them meetings by simply describing “how beautiful their design style is”, “how they create seamless online user experiences through their understanding of UCD”, or “how they have written amazing editorial features for huge multichannel retailers and you’d be mad not to see them for an interview”. My clients, just like me, want to see it to believe it. 

Just as a model wouldn’t turn up at a casting without their up-to-date look book, or a photographer would struggle to bag a wedding gig without a fantastic portfolio of work,  you creative pandas cannot expect to land your next step without a portfolio that encapsulates all the successful design or copywriting work you’ve done. 

How can the pandas and you join forces?

“You are only as good as your last performance” and I need to be able to see why you should be my first choice to represent us both to my clients. Never forget, I am on your side and I want to brag about your creative genius to my clients. I can’t do this if I can’t show them. So embrace the power you have to visibly showcase your ability in ways other ecommerce specialists cannot.

Celebrate your ability to adhere to strict brand guidelines for particular briefs and perhaps make the presentation of your work a more “off piste” adventure and demonstrate your own creative flair. Your work is the heartbeat of everything you do, and you should always have your finger firmly on the pulse of design/creative/editorial innovations if you’re in the market for new opportunities. 

Keep your work fresh, and roll with the times!

Even if you’re not looking - do yourself a favour and keep your work up-to-date. You never know when opportunity might come knocking or when your circumstances might change. And if you’re not ready to jump and your work isn’t ready to share, there will be someone else who is.

This is the difference between good digital designers and competent content writers, and great ecommerce creative talent who my clients are begging me to make an introduction to. Be wanted, be creative, and be ready. Ecommerce waits for no man. 

Already put our portfolio advice to use? 

Sounds like it's time to take a look at some dreamy digital design and UX/UI design jobs!

What do you think?

Share your thoughts on this post - whether you agree, disagree or have your own insight to share, we want to hear from you!

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