Portfolio Development #2

I've been working on a number of areas over the last three weeks to get my portfolio ready for submission and also with the final show in view. The main area i've been concentrating on is my own branding. This has involved website development, a printed portfolio as well as a logo and business card. Whilst it is all still in development, this is at least an idea of where I am.

Today I received a first draft of my Portfolio book that i'm going to use for my final show. I decided it would be useful to create one firstly for a College interview coming up, which gave me the opportunity to try out the online printing company Blurb. In order to get it printed and at my door in time, I realised I had only a day to produce it, so I deliberately kept it basic. I'm pretty pleased with the initial concept, and i'll improve it for the final show, using better stock, and creating a bound book rather than a basic saddle stitched brochure, as used this time.

I've also been working on my website, via the publishing platform Cargo Collective. The platform allows me to customise one of their 40 or so initial themes, and i've been able to edit and develop the site from there. CSS and HTML don't come naturally to me, so i've spent many an hour staring a screen wishing my life away. But with persistence, a little online help as well as some sound advice from Dan at work, i've started to get my website into shape, and i'll be finished for my final show.

Finally i've been trying to create some kind of identity for myself. I believe that as a designer, its not really that essential to have a particular logo of sorts. More than anything, its difficult to find something that you really think represents YOU as a designer. It's a job you might never be happy with. Currently, as you can see i'm using that diamond logo, whether it stays i'm not so sure. But it's lasted longer than most ideas have done.