Portfolio Projects

consilio PDf Whole

Developing my MYOB project further I have decided to make some text elements larger to increase legibility as well as having the mockups flow downwards rather than horizontally, this helps to make the viewer more likely to continue scrolling through the various visuals. I found this project the hardest to present within a portfolio due to not only the large scale of work made but also the variance in the format that the work was made. Within my subject work the vast majority if not all of my work is made within a digital format and therefore is consistent in the way that it can be presented, mockups are used effectively and allow for a more consistent visual style. However, for this project some of the work was manufactured products, I treated this as a way to separate the two elements of the project, digital products are presented first, with digital second and then some large photographs of the products that were manufactured being used to split the two sections up and break the quite dense workload up with two large and simple photographs that showcase what we made and give the viewer an idea of how many were manufactured within the timeframe of the project.

Met Living PDf Whole

The Met Living project is showcased smoothly and priorities the strong digital elements created as well as the overall general aesthetic of the project. A clear and simple branding system is in place within this project and that is showcased by using the geometric lines throughout this section of the portfolio and even using this style to showcase the colour schemes and to help transition between the different work created for the project.

The motion graphics and app created for this project was the most successful elements of this project, this, unfortunately, does not get translated well within a static PDF, however, the posters and leaflets are still showcased effectively.

On Display Whole

 

Penguin Whole edited

 

Formatting my Portfolio

Portfolio merged MK3

In order to format the portfolio in the most effective way possible I have split up the different projects into different pages, however, each project exists as one page. This allows the viewer to view a project as far down as they would like, and if they ever feel as though a project is going on too long and wishes to skip, they can simply skip that page and be taken straight to the next project. This can then be as easily repeated in reverse.

This helps to solve the issue of the project potentially being too many pages long, the file will then be condensed in order to be able to fit inside as an email attachment.

Website & CV

https://aidanmurphy.myportfolio.com/

20138647_AidanMurphy_BAGraphicCommunication_CV

 

My website using Adobe Portfolio and includes customised elements on a pre-existing template, due to the small number of projects that are on my website I have used large thumbnail images and smooth and hero images in order to fill the page in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. The project pages have large masthead to continuity between all pages of the website, Moving entities are given priority as they are not shown within my portfolio.

My website contains a large amount more information than my portfolio, treating my website as an opportunity to explore further into what I have made and why I have made the decisions that I have throughout the various projects that I have posted onto my website.

Adobe Portfolio Is the correct choice for my website as it works well alongside other Adobe programs, as well as the ease of including more projects in the future throughout level 6 and beyond university.

CV Developments

CV Example 1

My CV is being developed alongside my portfolio, using the same style as used in my portfolio, however, the CV allows me to create an aesthetic, faster. Only needing to make one page it allows me to experiment with different techniques and aesthetics in a smaller amount of time than it would take to create an entire portfolio.

One part of this that I like in particular is the inclusion of a border logo, it does not take focus away from the hierarchal system and also allows me to input a more structured format into my CV, This style could be put into my portfolio, having the logo cascading down the entire project and forming a border that interacts with the images used to display my work.

While I have included the option to use a photo within my CV, I do not think that I will include a phot given my previous experimentation sand how unsuccessful photography was proving. However, It is noteworthy that I do think the interaction between the simple geometric shapes and the detailed photographs are very modern and would perhaps be more appropriate in another project sometime in the future.

While only three colours have been used (Including the paper stock). The work still appears nice and varied with the interaction of the three colours, chunky underlines that offset the text work to give additional emphasis to the titles and also guide the eye away from the titles correctly down towards the body copy and subheadings. The Large shapes and lines seen on the left are useful to fill empty space while still leaving some blank space to allow the elements to breathe.

 

Using Mockups

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Perhaps the most important part of creating a portfolio is showcasing your work in an attractive and dynamic yet still informative manner. The use of mockups allows me to place my work into context without the need to print/publish the projects. While in normal circumstances I would print my work and then use the photography studio within University to photograph my work, due to COVID-19 I am required to use mockups found online and input my digital work into then, this does effectively imitate printed and digital matter, however it does lack the personal touch that I would be able to implement if I were to photograph the work myself.

Quickly being able to learn the correct way to use mockups allowed me to create flowing and intuitive portfolio experimentation. Able to slightly ignore the verticle restrictions of a printed portfolio I can give priority to the more successful outcomes in a project while still including some of the less successful but still essentials parts of the same project.

Mockups also allow me to display my work in ways that I previously was unable to. Created apps are normally difficult for me to display, while only including the home page does not give enough insight into the app, and including the entire wireframe is often oo overwhelming/time-consuming to input into a single portfolio page, A mockup allows me to layer different devices on top of one another and concisely yet effectively display what the functions and aesthetics of each of my digitally created material are.

Portfolio Experimentations

PDF Portfolio Info

PDF Portfolio draft 1 (notes)

 

My first draft of my portfolio utilises mockups in the previously mentioned way, using a combination of both Adobe Acrobat and an iPad allowed me to extremely efficiently make visual notes directly onto the PDF itself. This would create a sort of visual to do list, I can now take the Pdf back into Indesign and make each change, one by one and then repeat the process alongside experimenting with different colours.

The colours that I have chosen to use here are effective, originally I wanted to have a lighter background however much of my work seems to contrast niceer with a darker grey background. Some project sit on a dark background and because of this the portfolio background blends into the designs and makes the brighter colour pop more effectively and yield more impact, something that is extremely desirable within my portfolio.

The Length of the portfolio does concern me, even with the initiative style of the portfolio whereby whenever the viewer is looking at a piece of work in the centre of the screen, the top of the next piece is previewed on the bottom of the page,m promoting them to continue scrolling, the portfolio does still seem quite long in places, this would need to be cut down, even if it is not done for the actual look of the project, the file size may become too large in order to effectively port the project over to potential companies/clients, this does present a problem. However this could then be amended by reducing the file size in Adobe Acrobat, large amounts of file size can be saved with only a minimal amount of image quality loss.

The text style that I have opted for allows the viewer to focus more not eh visuals that are being presented as well aw allowed me to experiment more with how the mockups would interact with each other, describing the entire project at the beginning of the portfolio allows the viewer to enjoy and appreciate the stunning visuals to follow just that much more. It also allows me to make hero images larger and not have to worry about where the text will sit. While some headings and sub-headings are still included these are simply to describe or present project titles, exhibition names or taglines, these text elements are necessary to translate how logotype/typography or what the colour schemes are within each individual project.

Logo

 

My logo is taken from the original 100 marques project done at the start of Level 5, this example using simple shapes to illustrate the letterforms A & M, both my initials. The loose box allows me to manipulate not only the monotone colour of the logo to match the background and contrast with whatever additional imagery that I use around the logo. But it also opens up interesting opportunities for logo manipulation, while the A and M letterforms must remain where they are for legibility and to ensure that the logo remains recognisable as my own, the other lines within the logo are free to change, animating the width and height of the logo would make for interesting graphic opportunities. The open space in the middle of the logo could interact with a photographic element or the logo could even expand out, forming the border of the page and making the work appear more structured.

 

Neon

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When coming to creating the logo and format in context, many different techniques could be used, a style that I like the look of is this neon type style. Thin lines work to border and highlight the text that it is mimicking, as well as a neon glow being used to illuminate the dark background and expose additional elements such as the logo or other letterforms.

Different colours could be used for different topics/projects to help to split the portfolio up, while the style remains similar enough to still be considered the same brand.

I think this effect looks clean, minimalist and contemporary however the very dark background and only small elements of light alongside the dark grey letterforms barely showing up with the glow of the neon lines put the legibility in question, neon may not be the best approach for this particular project, even if the aesthetics are extremely clean and professional, additionally the black background makes the page appear smaller, making me concerned that once I input work onto a black page, it will look out of place and thinking perhaps a lighter background would be more appropriate, however, this would then potentially rule out the use of neon shapes and lines as the effect would then subsequently lose its striking look if placed on a light grey/white background.

I think this effect should be kept in my mind for a later project, while it is a very aesthetically pleasing look, it does not seem very appropriate for the showcasing of my work in the format of a portfolio/website.

 

Photography

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Another element that could be imported into my portfolio is photography, using a photo of yourself is a common practice that I found within my research, however, I do not think that this is a necessary part of a portfolio, some photos look natural when placed into a portfolio, they are stylised correctly and do not look too forced. However, they are often placed inappropriately and overall seem an element that is not needed, running the risk of taking too much focus away from my work and achievements just to see a photo of myself does not sit high on my priority or hierarchy list for my portfolio.

The duotone style and non-portrait photo here appears more natural on the page, as it would form a background rather than sit as an individual image with hard borders on a screen with other elements it appears as it should belong there more, the photography format gives the viewers something interesting and striking to look at, the large variance in colours are pleasing to the eye and the inclusion of duotone techniques allows me to implements some more specialist colour palettes that would attract more attention to my work from a long-distance away.

While the duotone technique and colour is positive, the framing and content of this photo do not outright speak “Graphic Designer”. The photo speaks more of a web-based IT Company, Creativity is not an element I get from this photo. The colours are the only element of the photo that helps to translate the industry of graphic design, this paired with the fact that I could still translate these interesting and contemporary colours in a number of different and potentially more successful formats other than photography say to me that perhaps photography is not a well-suited technique to my portfolio and perhaps I should stick with a more geometric style aesthetics that are so prevalent within actual Graphic Design Projects throughout Level 5.

 

 

Memphis & Patterns

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Finally, the technique of Memphis pattern interests me, light and thin shapes and illustrations nicely reflect my work while the thin lines would not take away too much focus from the work that’s being shown. Almost any colour scheme could be employed with the technique of Memphis as well as the technique giving me plenty of room for creative development. I would begin with basic shapes and understanding the rules of Memphis patterns and then proceeding to evolve and develop my style to make it my own. Both bright and dark backgrounds work effectively as long as the patterns placed on the background correctly reflect the background colour. This opens up opportunities for including both a light and dark mode option within the website, this is often used by many companies in order to make the UI a more tailored experience for the user.

negatives with Memphis pattern would be my lack of experience with the creation of repeating patterns as well as the potential for the style to go wrong, from my research it seems that it is extremely easy for a Memphis pattern to be slightly wrong and then proceed to look very dated and undesirable, while I imagine that it would be easy to create a pattern that is too simple or too heavy, a heavy pattern would take too much attention away from the work while a pattern that is too light would be less detrimental however would still not convey a sense of design proficiency and therefore hurt the quality of the work that would be showcased throughout my portfolio/website.

 

My final project for my Level 5 is consolidating all of my previous subject projects (Alongside any other high-quality projects completed to this date) into a professional standard portfolio, this portfolio will be accompanied by both a website and CV. This will then allow me to apply for external Graphic Design opportunities from the university.

To begin this project I consulted Behance and researched a number of different portfolio styles, this was important to do as while I continue my journey through the Graphic Design industry it is vital that I find my style and flair as a designer. This project will allow me to experiment with my style and continue to develop my digital skills with the creation of websites and a CV.

Different portfolio styles offer different aesthetics and styles. Judging from my previous projects from level 5, my style appears to be more geometrically focussed, using simple lines and shapes to illustrate objects and symbols.

My first portfolio research uses a large amount of type and titles, creating a mix of hierarchy and imagery overlaying each other, while I think that this example is very modern and contemporary, it does not fall within my style of work and seems far too heavy for the style to be maintained throughout the entire portfolio alongside showcasing my work. The key to a successful portfolio is translating who you are as a designer while also lending most of the focus to the actual work you are showcasing, I think that this style would drive too much focus away from my work that would be being showcased.

 

Next showcases a more minimalist approach, a white background opens up the space more as well as the smaller, less impactful photo gives blank space to allow the text to breathe and showcase the information more clearly. Simple shapes that form the backgrounds of photos seem much more my style of work, Sans serif fonts are often used within my work a more concrete colour palette appears to be in use here, blue, black and white offers a contemporary and modern style, while I do not think the inclusion of photos is necessary in my portfolio. I think that some more variance in text style as well as the inclusion of headers and footers would help to make my work appear more dynamic and interesting, allowing me to change the pace of different spreads throughout my portfolio and website.

 

A more subtle approach to creating a portfolio front page keeps focus on the headings and subheadings, and visuals are kept to the borders, and even then are low impact, thin red lines on a dark grey background allow the white titles to be given significant focus and impact. Large empty spaces are utilised and left alone, giving the title room to breathe, this is something seems more my kind of style of work. The actual title is made from the script, not something that I normally use and so I will likely use a serif/sans serif font to increased legibility and modernise the work more. Verticle subheadings are interesting, while I do not often use these I do often find they look better on a more empty page and as such will support my proposed style of work for this project. While empty spaces are important in work, I find a blank colour can be improved by implementing a texture to the background of the page, as this is a portfolio, I think that a very subtle paper texture would be advantageous to make the page just a bit more interesting to look at, small details like this help to enhance the work without taking any docs away from the actual work that is on the page.

Overall I find this example the most interesting and useful, to me, this seems the most successful in terms of my assessment criteria and matches well with the advice I’ve been given about creating my own portfolio, small geometric shapes can be varied throughout the portfolio in order to change the pace of each project while keeping the work fresh and exciting to examine.

 

 

Stepping away from the colour schemes and visuals of the portfolio, the actual structure of how I will display my work needs to be interesting and innovative when submitting my work to a design company they will be seeing many peoples portfolio, most of them likely made in the same, one slide, one piece of info, one/two images supporting it. While this is functional it is also getting very boring if looking through 10+ pages of work, in an industry that strives for innovation and creativity I think it is important to look for creative opportunities in every single avenue of my work, even in the way in which my work is shown within my portfolio. After looking through Behance for an extended period of time for research on my portfolio, I found that some of the more intuitive portfolio navigation systems were those that treated the entire page as one verticle cascading canvas, bound still by the horizontal axis of a page, however, the vertical axis would exist for as long as needed, this would allow me to give my work more room to breathe while I could also interact different images/mockups with each other in order to preview what would come next in the project, making the viewer interested enough to continue scrolling through the perhaps longer than usual portfolio.

 

Continuing on from my research, I will now create initial visual ideas for my own portfolio. Creating a logo and the additional visuals needed, I have taken away a lot of information from my research there are various styles of the portfolio for me to choose from and I think a more subtle approach suits me best. Finding design elements that give maximum impact to the viewer while taking minimum impact away from the work that is being displayed.