The Graphic Designer's Guide to Portfolio Design, 3rd Edition

Chapter 3

The Traditional Portfolio

The Résumé, Cover Letter, and Business Card

You have created a body of art, and now you must determine the best way to showcase it. As was explained in chapter 2, most artists choose either the traditional or digital method, but, in recent years, many artists are using both.

Although digital portfolios have received a lot of attention of late, most employers (and artists) agree that the traditional method is the best overall visual approach, as it allows you to display your work in a structured way. You decide what constitutes your best work. You decide on the display approach, and it all begins with your résumé.

What’s in a Name?

What does your e-mail name say about you? Professional? Amateurish? It’s all well and good to use a cute e-mail address when sending mail to your friends, but when it comes to applying for jobs, that “creativity” may doom your application. Any e-mail address you create should be as professional as your résumé. Names such as [e-mail] or [e-mail] are not acceptable. Sending your portfolio to a prospective employer with contact information such as that will likely get you taken out of consideration. First impressions are always important, so if your current e-mail address is too personal, get a second one for professional use only.

Writing an attention-getting résumé does not necessarily mean you should follow “the rules.” Talk to almost anyone who has a résumé, and you’ll hear many opinions ...