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

Chapter 5

The Digital Portfolio

CD-ROMs, DVDs, and Web Sites

We live in a digital world. Cell phones, such as Android and iPhone, tablets, such as the Kindle and the iPad, the Internet, and cable television—all of these plug us in and keep us connected. It won’t surprise you, then, to hear that having a digital portfolio will give you a leg up on the competition. What employer could possibly resist a state-of-the-art presentation with sound and animation? A print portfolio is a great marketing tool, but a digital portfolio is an experience.

Armed with just a small CD-ROM or DVD or access to the Internet with your designs, you can easily apply for jobs anywhere. Want to relocate to another state? Simply send your CD or DVD to remote locations for evaluation. Or post your material on the Web or attach it to an e-mail.

Although this may sound great, the question is how to begin. I won’t deceive you: an electronic portfolio can be challenging to create from scratch. There are many details you must consider—which computer program to use, which graphic format, file sizes, presentation styles, and copyright issues, to name just a few. Fortunately, once armed with some basic information, you will be able to create a terrific tool to help promote yourself. And that’s the purpose of this chapter—to examine the process of creating both CD- or DVD-based and Web-based portfolios. In it, I evaluate the strengths as well as the weaknesses of each format so that you’ll be able to choose the best ...