5 Things to Have in a Well Rounded Graphic Design Portfolio

A graphic designer’s most important possession is his or her’s graphic design portfolio. This is something that will be an important part of your career for as long as you are a designer. It will constantly change and evolve as you graduate design school, apply for new jobs and better yourself as a designer.

Its always important to showcase your best work and just as important to tailor your portfolio to each job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying to a job as a graphic designer for a magazine your portfolio should have many examples of related work such as magazine cover designs, spreads etc. One should also have a mix of other work to make the portfolio appear well-rounded, but with the main focus being examples of what you would actually be asked to create if hired.

Even though you may specialize in one area of graphic design, I believe it is important to stay well rounded because you never know what some one may ask you to do. You may suddenly find yourself looking for a new job and if you are a well rounded designer there will be more opportunities for you. The same goes in the freelance design community. If you are talented at creating a variety of designs you will find it easier to keep steady work coming in.

Below are some examples of things you should always consider having in your portfolio no matter what your specialization in graphic design is.

1. Identity Designs – Logos, business cards, letterheads, envelopes, etc.

A brand’s identity begins with its logo, colors and style, which is then carried over into other brand marketing materials such as business cards. Logo designs and business cards are probably one of the most needed graphic design creations, because most businesses cant function well without a brand identity. Having experience in brand identity design is essential for any graphic designers.

2. Promotional and Publication Designs – Posters, magazines, books, etc.

Another very in-demand area of design is promotional and publication design. Promotional designs typically include things such as posters, billboard designs, flyers and so on. Publication designs tends to deal with magazines, books, catalogs and such. Some jobs look for designers who specialize in one of these industries, but again many companies look for graphic designers who can DO IT ALL! Having a few examples of the above mentioned would be a great idea and can come in handy for promoting yourself.

3. Packaging Designs – Boxes, bottles, labels, etc.

Packaging design is extremely needed and millions of dollars are spent each year to come up with the best looking product packaging. Its a tough fight for attention on store shelves and with all the companies out there in need of great designs for their products, its a skill designers should sharpen for sure. In design school we had to come up with a fake product idea and then design packaging for it. If you have never had an actual client, just make a product up for your portfolio and do some concept designs for it.

4. Fine Art- Original drawings, illustrations, photographs

People hiring designers often like to see that you have a foundation in fine art. This is considered to be very important for graphic designers even though many end up using the computer as their main tool. A strong background in fine art can make for a much stronger graphic designer. That is why in many designs schools your initial classes will be ones such as color theory, drawing and painting before you even touch a computer!

5. Web Design – Web layouts, web interface design, etc.

While you may never be asked to create websites as a graphic designer, more and more employers are combining the graphic and web design professions into one. It can be hard to master both skill sets, but many designers do become both great graphic and web designers. This can open many more doors for you and you should at least have some experience with creating website design layouts. Having experience in this area is extremely attractive to people who hire designers, because the web has become such a major aspect of every day life.

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Image Credits – http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Personal-portfolio/184330