Visual Communication
portfolio class

:: AIGA salary calculator :: tips

class documents :: Calendar 11 x 17.pdf :: Portfolio Plan.pdf :: DropBox

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Books
Flaunt by UnderConsideration
Building Portfolios
Letterhead and Logo Design
Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guideline
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Presenting | AIGA ARTICLE |
Writing your resume | AIGA ARTICLE |
Top Mistakes | AIGA ARTICLE |

:- Word to the unwise
:- Top 10 Cover letter Tips
:- Cover letters get you hired
:- 6 ways to bomb an interview
:- 3 steps to a successful interview
:- my-fill-in-the-blank-career
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How to be a graphic designer without losing your Soul
:- introduction
:- Chapter 1: Attributes needed...
:- Chapter 2: How to Find a Job
:- Chapter 8: Self Promotion
:- Chapter 9: Creative Process
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Where to buy Portfolios...
:- Blurb
:- Pina Zingaro
:- Lost Luggage (portfolios)
:- Paperhaus (portfolios)

*Coldsnow Creative in KC carries or will order Pina Zingaro. The advantage of ordering from them is that you save shipping cost and if we order as a group you save a bit more money. So if you want a Pina Zingaro or any other portfolio Coldsnow carries. Don't order it until we are ready as a group.

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Examples
on the server are plenty of examples by former KU students (pull the folder for ref)

also check out these on ISSUU
confessions
stream
ampersand
methodologies
playbook
bloom
case study

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VISC 530: Portfolio

What is a portfolio?
What is its purpose/job?
How does the presenting your work change from a non-personal experience
to a personal one?
What is the difference between a portfolio and a presentation?
How do you talk about your projects?
How do you make them smarter, more compelling, more complete?*
How do you show process? Professionals love to see it!
Will you have just a website and digital presentation? Or will you
have a website and a printed book?
What are the pros and cons of different formats? Types of portfolios?
At the end of this class you will/must have…
An online portfolio
A portfolio to take to interviews
A personal brand system and the applications; resume, business card,...
There are examples on DropBox. Or you can find them on the server.

Your portfolio is a communication tool. It highlights what you have down on your resume. It makes your resume come to life. It is proof of your design education and a document of your work.

It is a display of exercises, talent, thinking and solutions to visual communication problems. The physical form of the portfolio is completely up to you.

It should not be too precious or complicated.

You must create and maintain an online portfolio. This can be on any platform, or use any service, and its form can even be somewhat generic. The most important thing is to make it easy for a potential employer to get a sense of your work in 10 seconds, and proof of what you can do in five minutes. (from AIGA)

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Make a list of your top 3 projects.
What is missing to help tell the story of the project?

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Next 3. What makes them not in the top 3?
Can you make small changes to make them better?

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Which project has all the research done or visual language set but just needs to be re-looked at or expanded?

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Which project do you love but know it isn’t good enough?
— which one do you want to redo?

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How will you show process?
Professionals love to see it?

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Organize and Back-Up
Start organizing all of your projects. Package them. Back them all up. Even the old stuff. Get a NEW hard drive or pay for Google Drive or pay for DropBox. 1/3 of you will loose all your files this year or within your first year out of school. Just do it. NOW.

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portfolio class is not pass/fail. attendance rules are the same as any other VisCom studio. 3 absences and you are dropped from the class. class starts at 2:30 pm but there maybe 3 or 4 nights where we will meet at 6pm for Guest lectures. They are REQUIRED you will be notified in time to get off work or make plans to be there. Grades will be based on meeting deadlines, effort, quality of design.

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Books about portfolios/personal IDs
Flaunt by UnderConsideration
Building Portfolios
Letterhead and Logo Design
Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

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Examples
on the the server are plenty of examples by former KU students. We are going to use DropBox for class you must be able to log onto your folder. You are going to hand in all your process using dropbox.

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please bring your laptop, a notebook/ sketchbook to class and take notes in every class. we will be covering a lot of info. sometimes i will say stuff or guests will more than once but sometimes it will only be said once.

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places to get paper
PaperStation in KC | French Paper ($ but you can purchase small amounts) | Neenah

Refer to the Portfolio Plan document for the project outline and deliverables. You are responsible to keep on-track.

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M: August 21
To Do: Project Assessment
To Do: Alumni Research
Intro Project Expand/Refine

W: August 23
Due: Project Assessment

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: August 28

W: August 30
Due: Alumni Research

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: September 4
NO CLASS Labor DAY!

W: September 6
Due: Expand/Refine first Project
Start Firm Research
Intro Project Redo

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: September 11

W: September 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: September 18
Due: Firm Research
Start second Expand/Redo

W: September 20

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: September 25
Due: Expand/Refine second Project

W: September 27
Due: Project Redo
Start Personal Branding

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: October 2
Short Project

W : October 4
Upload at least 3 projects to Creative Hotlist

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: October 9
Intro Online Presence

W: October 11

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: October 16: Fall Break. No Classes

W: October 18

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: October 23
Due: Personal Branding
Start Photographing work
Start Project Expand/Refine

W: October 25
Due: short project

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: October 30
Due: Expand/Refine

W: November 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: November 6
Start interview portfolio
Intro to cover letters

W: November 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: November 13
Due: Cover letters

W: November 15

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: November 20

W: November 22::
NO CLASS
THANKSGIVING

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: November 27
Discuss online profiles

W: November 29

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------M: December 4

W: December 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------December 8 Stop Day
Portfolio Review with
professionals and alumni