Graphic Design Portfolio

Ghengis65

Hi, I need to put together a portfolio for an interview for Graphic Design. What should I include and what is the usual number of pieces? I am doing Art for the LC so I have some pieces already but are there certain things they are looking for in relation to Graphic Design? What sort of thing will be asked at the interview? Thanks in advance.

takeabreak

Good your thinking ahead... Now be wise keep your options open. There are limited oportunities in Graphic design at the moment. It is not so specialised as it once was, you can now do a one week course in graphic design. i studied it for two years and found it extremely dissapointing. If you like to draw and paint then its not for you. I now call it copy and paste not graphic design as that is exactly what your doing. Picking photos you did not take and choose with fonts pre made. My advice would be to do a portfolio course for a year or prepare a portfolio for an art college whereby you do one year not souly focused on graphic design. Then in the 2nd year you pick your speciality. 95% of your time in graphics will be spent in photoshop - get yoursel familiar with it and see if you like? Remember dont give up a passion but dont be afraid to change direstion either. Creativity is the best thing you can own so do it good i only wish someoe hadtold me what it was all about!! Letterheads business casds ... interesting ????

Ghengis65

Thanks for that, especially about not losing my creativity. Will have a play with Photoshop and see what I think. Cheers :cool:

bohsfan

Like anything, graphic design is a profession that has many angles to it. It would seem to me that the previous poster became a little disillusioned with some aspects of it. It all depends on where you get work. If you have a job in the pre-press department of a printers for example then things might start to become a little repetitive. However, if you work as part of a team in a busy agency, or as an in-house designer in an engaging company then things can become much more interesting.

There is a misconception that being a designer is all about using Photoshop. That is certainly not my experience. I have been working professionally for nearly 5 years now. My work has covered everything from posters to magazines to corporate identities to photography to illustration. And lots in between! I spend most of my time using software called Illustrator and InDesign, but also Photoshop and Flash. Add to this a nice part of my time spent taking photographs and sketching for illustrations. It can be pretty varied!

Graphic design can be a fun and challenging profession. However, it can be tough to get a start. I would say that out of 70 that started my first course (Waterford IT 2001) less than 15-20 of us are working in the field now. A high proportion of those not still involved would be made up of people who realised after a while studying it that GD just wasn't for them. The rest just failed to make an impact after graduating, or move into other areas (web, animation, film etc.).

I didn't have to submit a portfolio to gain entry to my Diploma course so I can't really give you advice on that. All I would say though is to get a range of work in there. Some of your Art projects will be suitable for sure. But also try and get some photography and illustration in aswell.

Good luck! Just PM me if you need any more advice on my experience of GD as a job.

Ghengis65

Good advice Bohsfan, thanks.