The importance of a strong and consistent brand package cannot be overestimated in the creative industry. It is the face of your business and a gauge of your quality and professionalism. After all, who would want to pay you to design for them if your own identity looks shoddy or unprofessional? Branding is always a complex process, but this is further enhanced when the subject of your branding is yourself or your own business. In the following tutorial we're going to break down the various stages of creating a cohesive and well-structured brand image to decorate your stationery, promotional materials and portfolio. We will outline the specific elements and materials that you need to operate as a business, and offer some useful pointers on how to go about designing them. We'll also talk you through the finer points of putting together a dazzling portfolio.
Whether you're fresh out of college or ten years into a creative career, it's important that you find the time to fine-tune and perfect the presentation of your portfolio if you want to make the cut in an increasingly competitive market place. As a designer, you are constantly judged on your attention to detail - something as subtle as a greasy fingerprint on your portfolio sleeves can lose you valuable points to the discerning interviewer or potential client. Your folio allows you to demonstrate your creative flair, your technical skillset, and should also offer a valuable insight into your personal approach.
Your portfolio should read like a story, with a thought-provoking beginning, a cleverly plotted mid section and a dramatic ending. Interviews and presentations can take on very different forms - sometimes you will be expected to wax lyrical about each project, sometimes your interviewer will hop, skip and jump through your carefully designed pages seemingly uninterested, and occasionally you will be requested to drop off your folio and pick it up the next day with no opportunity to justify your ideas and techniques. The challenge is to create a presentation that will work in all eventualities. Each presentation can throw up unforeseen obstacles, so careful preparation and a coherent brand package is the key to a happy ending.
Click here to download the tutorial for free
