12. Case Studies: Student Portfolios
Exploring student portfolios that stand out.
Not all students enter college with an interest in or intention to design for a living, but some do, and others get inspired along the way. I do not come from a family of graphic designers, nor was design my first course of study as an undergraduate. (I started with physical education, dabbled with genetics, and settled into fine arts before discovering my passion for graphic design.) Looking back, I can identify two milestones that should have made it obvious to me that design was my calling, long before it did.
When I was growing up, I would walk around my family home repositioning the bowls on the china cabinet and the photo frames on the mantle and hiding anything that shouldn’t be out on a counter. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was “art directing,” arranging and organizing elements to create visual order and aesthetically pleasing experiences. In middle school, my grandfather (who was a book binder) gave me a Letraset catalog of typefaces. I used to sit for hours and study the letterforms, and then I would copy the letter styles for birthday cards and invitations for special occasions. (I remember the typeface with the rose swirls most clearly, probably because it was the one I used most.) It was many years later, after meeting Robin Landa, that I realized design was my calling and officially declared myself a student of graphic design.
Not everyone takes a direct path to a design career, and many who aspire to become designers never make it through the rigors of a design school program or break into the industry. Many do succeed and are good at what they do, but some go on to be truly great, because design is their calling.
In this chapter, I highlight students who have demonstrated true greatness; they are creative, inquisitive, skillful, have a strong work ethic, and freely share their talents with others. From my perspective, they “arrived” as professional designers before they ever left my classroom. When I encounter these students, I’m not afraid to let them know that I have little left to teach them, except perhaps to guide them through the process of packaging and preparing themselves to leave the familiar and comfortable RBSD nest. I dedicate Chapter 12 to these students to let them know how proud I am and how meaningfully they have touched my life. They continue to inspire and remind me why I fell in love with design in the first place.
1. Describe the moment you realized that design was your calling. Were you influenced by someone or something?
I did not discover what design was until I was in high school, when my mother brought me to speak with an acquaintance, one of the graphic design professors at Kean University. What was supposed to be a 15-minute conversation about the program turned into a two-hour discussion on the history and nature of art and design, which subsequently hooked me into joining the illustrious ranks of the creative. Oddly enough, years later, that same professor would become my collegiate mentor and co-author on a series of textbooks on the fundamentals of design.
I believe that I am still figuring out what my calling is. Right now, design plays a huge part in my life, yet the road to success holds many twists, turns, flips, flops, blips, dips, and bops that we’ve got to venture tirelessly through to find what we’re looking for. I’m currently making strides forward, hoping they’re in the right direction, as we all are, learning as much as I can each step of the way.
Design is taking someone on a journey, allowing him or her to see the world through your eyes or, at least, the world you choose to paint, and that is what I have come to love. It’s the window through which we see and learn more about others and ourselves.
2. What project in your student portfolio made you believe that you could be a professional designer and why?
Developing a student portfolio is a challenge that separates the sheep from the goats. More than any specific project I created for mine, the process itself allowed me to see that I was already well on my way to becoming a professional designer. Going into this concluding trial of studenthood, time begins to narrow, friends are seldom seen, thousands of granola bars have been consumed, and a good night’s sleep is rare. The process culls those who are passionate from those who are not. Creating a body of work that defines everything about you to the rest of the world is no simple task; how you approach it defines you. A student who puts in half the effort and who doesn’t take the process seriously will emerge with an average portfolio. Those who work tirelessly and push themselves to create a book of work they can be proud of for years to come will thrust forward into design and make something of themselves. Passion fuels professionalism and progress, and it’s evident in the efforts you put forth when the going gets tough.
3. What advice can you give to other students who are building their book of work?
Design gives back what you put into it; hard work and dedication are rewarded with opportunity and endless possibilities. Over the last year, more so than any time before, my design aesthetic seems to have developed tremendously, not because of the hundreds of late nights submerged in the depths of my computer screen with a coffee in one hand and a pen in the other, but because I am having fun with whatever I’m doing. Always try to have as much fun as possible with your work, because that’s what makes it less of a job and more of an experience.
A great designer once told me that to succeed in design you need to have three things: talent, skill, and passion. Talent: you either have it or you don’t; skill can be developed and practiced in time; and passion is the thing that makes you want to get up every morning and make something of yourself. I believe that passion is the single most important thing for any student or young designer to have in his or her arsenal. A deep desire to change the world can be what sets you apart from hundreds of other designers. If you are dedicated, look to the future and drink plenty of hot tea, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish. The harder you work, the luckier you get.
1. Describe the moment you realized that design was your calling. Were you influenced by someone or something?
Every time I try to pinpoint a time in my life when I realized design was my calling, I realize that the design culture has always been part of who I am. The stories that my parents have told me about my toddler days—how my eyes immediately got wider when I entered a mall for the first time, how I meticulously paired my Barbie doll’s outfits together, or when I played “art auction” with my Grandma—have helped me to see that I have always had an eye for design, whether it’s interior, fashion, or graphic, before I even knew what design was.
2. What project in your student portfolio made you believe that you could be a professional designer and why?
It wasn’t until I saved my final file at 3 a.m. the morning of my last senior portfolio class that I was able to say to myself with complete confidence, “I can do this.” Witnessing how all of my hard work finally came together gave me a tremendous sense of accomplishment and validation that I was on the right path to an exciting future in design. During one short (and I mean very short) semester, I noticed an enormous leap forward in my ability to translate designs and ideas across multiple platforms. The ad campaign I created—a jewelry brand called “Tinseled”—was extremely well received by my professor and her colleagues. Seeing all of my projects woven together into a final portfolio made me believe in myself.
3. What advice can you give to others who are building their book of work?
From the countless lessons that I have learned in the portfolio building process, I still reflect often on these three pieces of advice:
Consider every project as “portfolio potential.” Believing that a portfolio can be formed using one semester’s worth of work is a mistake. It wasn’t until I began shuffling through old classwork files and used-up sketchbooks dating back to sophomore year that I realized my portfolio was (for the most part) laid out right in front of me. Revamping past works and revisiting unfinished ideas can shape the basis of a portfolio piece or even inspire new ones.
Have a “don’t stop at one” mentality. When a professor asks for one poster design, make two more than that. With thanks to Professor Robin Landa for enlightening me about this way of thinking, I have been able to create campaigns rather than individual elements. Going the extra mile can generate stand-out work and push you to discover additional design solutions that may not have been so obvious.
Create with confidence. Receiving what seems like an endless amount of feedback and an excess of personal opinions during the process of creating portfolio pieces can be downright overwhelming. While it is always valuable to remain open-minded to criticism, it is also important to remember that a final portfolio is a reflection of the designer who created it. Every designer has a niche, a certain style, and should shine where it counts most.
1. Describe the moment you realized that design was your calling. Were you influenced by someone or something?
In some ways, I feel like I have always been a designer. From a young age, I was enthusiastic about creating images, drawing, and even making video from time to time. I wasn’t the type to paint just to paint or sit and make a sculpture, but I found satisfaction in creating things, such as the logo I developed for my skate crew. In fifth-grade shop class, we made racecars out of woodblocks that all wound up looking pretty much the same. I wasn’t satisfied with my car until I had given it a paint job and branded it with a lightning bolt.
2. What project in your student portfolio made you believe that you could be a professional designer and why?
I had my “aha” or “eureka” moment when I set out to create Views & Brews, my new business idea that combines hiking with craft beer. The concept is grounded in an incredible, awe-inspiring adventure I had in Colorado, and the project was designed to recapture that sense. It was a great life experience that I was able to turn into a meaningful brand that also speaks to my strengths in conceptualization and execution. The Views & Brews brand shows my capabilities as a designer and gives a glimpse into who I am as person as well.
3. What advice can you give to other students who are building their book of work?
The idea is just as important as the execution.
Beautiful brands are great, but beautiful brands that are viable and original are even better. Create brands for your portfolio that are distinguishable and have a foundation in something that is authentic. Pixel-perfect work without a strong concept backing it up will miss the mark. Let the work speak for itself, and let the pieces in your portfolio put the brand into context.
1. Describe the moment you realized that design was your calling. Were you influenced by someone or something?
I was a designer before I knew I was a designer. As an only child, I had to keep myself entertained and “creating” was my hobby. I also kept tons of diaries where I would write the details of my busy kid life on one page and make some type of visual on another—I was an editorial designer at age 7. After finishing high school, I just wanted a secure job that paid the bills, because I was afraid to fail in such a competitive field as design. After pursuing a different field of study and working for a while doing something I was not truly passionate about, I realized I needed to be true to myself. I went back to school for graphic design and haven’t looked back since. People sometimes ask me what influenced my decision to become a designer. There was nothing specific, but I think I admire so many things (probably too many) that everything I touch, see, or smell translates in my head as inspiration.
2. What project in your student portfolio made you believe that you could be a professional designer and why?
Nothing is more reassuring than having others appreciate and praise your work. It’s even more encouraging when your work is published in a well-known magazine in your field. My last semester at Kean University, I asked my professor, Robin Landa, to help me edit my description of a project, “The Things I Take for Granted,” which was based on a brief she gave us in class. Robin was so excited about it, she gave me the confidence to enter it into a poster series contest for HOW magazine. Months went by, and I completely forgot about entering it. When I got an email from the magazine telling me my work would be published, I knew I had a chance.
3. What advice can you give to other students who are building their book of work?
Many things are important to becoming a great professional designer; for me, the most important thing is passion. When you’re passionate about something that you’ve created, it’s not only easier to explain what the project entails but the project itself will stand out. Don’t work on something for the sake of filling your book—do it because you truly want to; otherwise, why waste your time? During my last semester of school, I started interviewing as much as possible so I could practice talking about my work. I made one thing clear to all the potential employers: I loved every single project I had created. During one interview, I was talking about one of my identity projects, and when I mentioned it was a student project, they expressed disbelief. I had shared so many vivid details that they thought it was the real thing. That’s when I realized that my passion truly showed in everything I made, and that’s what kept the conversation going.
1. Describe the moment you realized that design was your calling. Were you influenced by someone or something?
I always knew design was my calling without consciously knowing it. I was drawn to it most concretely through my love for literature and creative writing. In high school, I was appointed to the editor-in-chief position of our school’s literary magazine, Cobblestone. Selecting the articles to include in the magazine was within my zone of familiarity, but I was also responsible for the layout of the bound booklet. I began acquainting myself with letterforms and the space they claimed. I realized the elements that needed to be highlighted and used hierarchy to express them. You could say it was my first date with design. I began to understand that every execution was part of the general delivery of the message. Each page, comma, image, and letterform would contribute to the success of the final product. I fell in love with this idea of visual construction.
2. What project in your student portfolio made you believe that you could be a professional designer and why?
In my Identity class, I was tasked with creating a brand for any type of event. At this point in my life, I was heavily focusing on my health. I found refuge and spiritual strength in running each morning and respecting my body’s needs nutritionally. I wanted to export that enjoyment, so I created an obstacle course event that would simultaneously function as a charity fundraiser. As I started building it, I realized the positive impact it could make. Design should only serve to improve and I felt like the project was accomplishing that in many ways. Our health is often undermined and overestimated. By making a participant’s funds contingent on how well they performed physically, I introduced motivation from a completely new angle.
3. What advice can you give to other students who are building their book of work?
Building a book of work is first and foremost uncomfortable. Creativity does not surface in a predictable, monotonous environment. Removing yourself from familiarity will help you expand your personal limitations. Do one thing every day that you wouldn’t normally do. Listen to different music; read about political issues; or learn about aliens, drones, jellyfish, or sushi. You’re absorbing content and borrowing perspectives that will eventually shape your own. If you feel stuck, try what I call “anti-thinking” as a method to reset yourself mentally. Go for a run or fold some laundry. These activities require simple mental involvement but allow you to be consumed in the rhythm of the task. After giving yourself distance, return to your work refreshed.
Be nonjudgmental of yourself. Make everything a design problem and just create. Produce lots of solutions without trying to filter them in advance. Design is its own language; if you don’t keep speaking it, you’ll never be fluent.
