Article Review

Portfolio Design 101

http://www.creativelatitude.com/articles/article_200701_swengler.html

* When designing a portfolio it's more affective to custom design the format, rather then to have a mass produced design.

* Have a larger portfolio to create a better affect with works that deserve to be bigger

* Have no more than 20 pieces in a portfolio as an interviewer only have a certain amount of time and they need to see your best work, not sort through mediocre works.

* Fine art and illustration go in separate folios.

* Always take care in the presentation, no smudges, glue marks, dodgey cutouts.

* Update constantly.

* Buy best quality materials.

Setting Yourself Apart from Other Designers

http://www.creativelatitude.com/articles/article_1204_schul.html

* You have to know who you are as a designer, so you can play to that strength to set yourself apart from other designers.

* Always take risks, don't just think the jobs going to be too hard. Go out and learn the techniques and skills you need to master the job and create the best piece of work.

* Provide a service that sets you apart from the other designers, that makes you different. Be reliable, invest your time into getting to know your client industry and them. This gives you a better ability to guide them into a design that will benefit them as business owners.

* Be intelligent and energetic about designs and clients, it will show that you are professional and offer a better service then others.

Procrastination- A Four-Letter Word

http://www.creativelatitude.com/articles/article_200706_caldwell.html

* 5 stages of procrastination:

- Denial

- Anger

- Bargaining

- Depression

- Acceptance

* We procrastinate because:

- Lack of Vision: It's difficult to start the journey when you don't know where you are going. Setting goals or a checklist and keeping it simple will get the job done.

- Distractions: Start a list of things to do, to make yourself get them done.

- Fear of Getting it Wrong and Lack of Confidence: There's always ambition to do the task, just sometimes we don't know how. If you don't have to skills to get the job done then acquire them.

-Indecision: Just not deciding on how to accomplish the job. Find out how to do it.

-Boring Tasks: Just get the job done, there's a reason they need doing.

- Overwhelming Tasks, Don't Have The Time: delegate time to accomplish the job.

Self Promotion - Finding Your Theme

http://www.creativelatitude.com/articles/article_0704_potts.html

*Have initiative and honesty, your own promotion needs to be completely self generated.

* Work out how useful your designs will be to the client.

* Have to ask the right questions about ourselves and what represents us most.