What is the key to an amazing and sellable portfolio?
In this video is sponsored by Envato
I'm going to be sharing with you the key to a successful portfolio.
Let's get into it.
The first thing I want to say is a portfolio is basically a place
Where you sell your work online, not as in you can buy the logo.
But it's where you sell yourself and your ability.
So therefore it makes a lot of sense to make it as good as possible.
But sometimes there is a disconnect.
There is a disconnect between the client, and there's a
disconnect between you or a potential client and you.
This main disconnect happens because we can see
things in a primitive design. For instance, a logo on a blank screen
in black and white.
We can see that it looks good, but a client cannot.
And the reason behind that is because we as designers and
creative for, have experience of knowing what the logo could
be at the end.
It is our job to make that logo, or that piece of work speak to
the client there.
And then in that portfolio, that is what is going to allow
the client to trust in your abilities and choose you for
you to get work.
So without the way, the first thing you can do to level up
and to take advantage of your portfolio is be interactive.
Static portfolios are kind of boring depending on the work.
Now, as a logo and brand identity designer we have to
try and make our work look a bit more interactive, because
it can be quite static and just there.
And there are multiple ways of doing this, whether it's a
logo animation reveal whether that is taking your logo and
bring it into an app called Vectary and making it 3D.
And giving it this 3D space, where it becomes a reacting to the
mouse of the clients.
And obviously it's a bit of a gimmick, but it's going to help
the client see your creativity, especially in the 3D realm.
When you create a 3D object out of your logo design.
For example, they're going to see the design in a new perspective.
The 2nd way to level your portfolio is to tell a story.
Not just show the work. Countless times when I'm asked
to critique or look at other people's portfolios.
I see many people just having their work on the portfolio and that's it.
Kind of like a dribble shot.
It does not work this way.
In every story, there is a challenge and that's what
We need to give a cross or get a cross to the client that there
is a challenge to what they have been working on.
And this is how they solved it.
And that is the hero at the end in your portfolio for every project.
Have a problem that you are solving and explain
that in an interesting way to the client.
For instance, the client is a blockchain expert
And his personal branding is weak right now and looks more like an ice cream factory.
So my challenge was to therefore make his design less
Ice cream factory and more blockchain.
That's a really primitive example.
I thought of it on the fly. Show the problem and how you solved it.
This could be done through text but don't just write walls of text.
Clients don't want to see that they don't particularly want to read that.
They want to understand what you're doing through small
snippets of text.
And as you scroll down to the portfolio, want to make sure
that we can see how its evolving everything is more
interesting with the story.
And a client can really relate to it once you've told the story.
And it allows also the potential clients and customers that
You have to really understand that you understand
the problems that they have and that you are the one who
can fix it and solve it a good way of working out.
What the problem is? Look at the goals. What are the goals of the company?
If they don't achieve those goals.
That's a problem.
So use that as a problem.
Number 3 is a big one, and it is one that
I keep preaching about for the rest of my time on YouTube, which is
mock-ups, mock-ups, mock-ups.
If you don't have the physical product such as a logotype,
letterpress into a piece of leather bag or whatever
Then it is a great idea to use mock-ups, because it bridges
the gap between fantasy and reality ality as designers.
We think we can get away with putting out our logo, just as
it is on a white background, and sometimes it can work.
Sometimes it's something that is more effective is to show
the logo in its real life use case, without having to purchase
the real life use case.
For instance, if you want to make sure that a logo works on
top of a shopping center, at the top of it then
find a mock-up to do that and show it to the client, proving
the concept worked and why.
Mock-ups aren't just good for a portfolio showing the work.
It's actually great for presenting a concept to a client also.
Now, Envato sponsoring this video. Because they have
got 55 over 55 million assets such as fonts, graphic
templates, mock-ups, WordPress templates, video templates.
They've got the lot.
And the saving grace of all of this is actually that they've
got a simple license.
So you don't have to worry about getting sued or
Getting into hot water for using something.
After subscription has ended as well.
Now, the great news for you guys, if you click the link down below.
You can get amazing mock-ups like you're seeing right now.
These mock-ups are high-end.
They work super well, and they're super varied.
We use these mock-ups a lot in our design process as well.
Because there's so many of them, you can literally find a
mock-up for anything that you need are designed to be on.
If you click the link down below, you will get 50% off the
annual subscription.
And that is like less than $20 a month for over 55 million assets.
If you don't believe me, go and click the link before and check
and vital elements and see what it's got to offer, then go ahead and get it.
Trust me.
Although the sponsoring this video, they are really good,
and we use them our self. Without mock-ups, your sort of
a dead end.
You don't have a way to show that the concept works.
So in every situation possible sell the idea with a mock-up.
Do you prefer this logo, or this logo?
They were both the same logo, but the way that they were
dressed and sold in a mock-up changed it.
It makes you the One in the mock-up more. Because it's
bridging that gap.
And as someone who's a designer, it is your job and roll to show
that within your portfolio as well, not just during presentations.
Now, the last way of leveling up your portfolio is one that's
going to change the game for all of you.
And that is to show your first ideas over the years I have
learned through my portfolio, which is very bare and bones.
I know I keep saying it, but we're literally in the process right now.
Jim is in the process of making it.
What I found over the years is that when I show my sketches,
only a few of them in the portfolio, it really gives
context to the person who's wanting to work with me.
So our potential client about the project and the way that
I'm going into it, context such as this is the problem that I had.
And this is how I ideated. It shows that I'm not just behind
a computer in funds and doing something that anyone can do.
I'm showing how I sketched out this logotype.
I'm showing how I said yes, no, maybe.
And I'm basically showing them a bit of magic.
What this does is it shows high reverence for the design that you're giving.
It shows that you've actually worked on it.
You've been... your hands have gotten day the writing
and drawing things down.
You've been writing little annotations next to the design
when you do this clients love it, because it shows work that's gone into it.
And the idea of a a portfolio is to show your work in the best light.
You'll see this on Instagram a lot.
A lot of people posting their drawings of logos, because it's
a lot more interesting than showing the actual logo at the end.
There's something about it being handcrafted.
And if you've done some sketches, no matter how bad they're.
Scan them in and show the sketches in a mock-up
Or as an image like I've done and let that speak for itself.
You're telling a story.
It's like a documentary behind the logo creation.
This is what gets clients really wanting to work with you.
It separates you from many others.
And again, as always a portfolio is a game of time.
The more you put into it, the more you'll get out.
If you guys have enjoyed this video, and you would love to learn more
about being a designer, getting more clients as a designer, or
just some more useful tips.
That is the reason why I'm on YouTube.
So go and subscribe down below.
We want to take your creative journey to the top.
Thanks for watching, and I'll catch you in the next one.
See you soon.
Goodbye