• Graphic Design Pdf Portfolio Examples
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• Graphic Design Pdf Portfolio Samples Examples

You’ve already posted all of your graphic design work online, so who really needs a print portfolio, anyway? As a matter of fact, investing the time to create an outstanding printed portfolio can pay off in a big way—even if your work is strictly digital. Unlike online portfolios, physical portfolios cannot be clicked away. Since they’re physical objects that take up space, clients can rediscover them even after putting them in storage (long after they’ve deleted your web portfolio from their bookmarks). The more care and effort you put into making your graphic design print portfolio look good, the harder it will be for clients to part with. Consider the following printed portfolio examples from graphic designers across the globe—would you find them easy to throw away? The artists who created them went above and beyond to show the world not only their ability to design, but also their ability to think outside the box.

Present yourself as a brand. Photo Credit: The focus of your portfolio should always be your work and the results you create, not necessarily you as a person—but you still need to have some sort of presence throughout your portfolio’s layout. The best strategy is to present yourself as a brand. This doesn’t mean you need to develop a new “brand name”—your own name can do just fine.

In this creative example, we see the artist has turned her name into a logo, which allows it to be repeated throughout the portfolio to help build brand awareness. A symbol can represent much more to a potential client than just your name and contact information. It presents both you and your work as a grand concept.

Branding yourself also demonstrates to a client that you are capable of building and maintaining a brand identity, which means you can do the same for them. Don’t be afraid to show off. Photo Credit: Printed graphic design portfolios are all about making an impression, but you’re not going to do that by holding back. Don’t be afraid to trust your gut, because if you create something that excites you, it’s ultimately going to excite your clients. In this example, the artist transformed his portfolio into a magazine, something that people often browse, read and even keep on their coffee table.

By presenting his work in this format, the graphic designer is communicating a positive message to the audience about his work. A magazine usually features professional quality design and photography, so by presenting his portfolio as a magazine, he’s telling the audience that his work is of a comparable quality. And what client could argue with that claim when they have the proof right in front of them?

Be surprising. Photo Credit – Everybody always talks about the importance of first impressions, but nobody ever mentions how important second impressions can be. Nothing beats that moment when you completely dazzle and delight your audience by surprising them with a brand new element. Pretend your portfolio is telling the audience a story about the work you do—hook them in with an unexpected twist. This print portfolio may look unassuming from the outside, but when the audience opens it up, a 3-D robot pops out at them.

It’s this kind of spontaneity that potential clients really remember. Best of all, the surprise comes from an interactive element, which means the audience will develop a stronger connection to it since they had a hand in bringing it to life.

Redefine what a portfolio can be. Photo Credit: Arguably, a portfolio can be anything so long as it is able to show off your work in a positive light. Since the form of the portfolio itself is malleable, it should change to fit your work, not the other way around. Your printed portfolio should take on a form that will help enhance your ideas and identity as an artist. In this example, the artist shows off his architectural designs on one large sheet of paper, which uses to create a neat package.

This kind of presentation makes sense for an architectural designer, because their clients are used to looking at blueprints, floor plans and other large format print media. A portfolio like this would resonate to that type of client because it feels familiar and therefore, more appealing. Tell the story behind your work.

Graphic design portfolio examples pdf. Thats because the website header is the first place that your visitors will probably look in order to decide if your site can really be useful for their needs. Making an excellent website header design is very important. From free software to adobe photoshop and illustrator resources we have the tutorials.

Photo Credit: Remember that the people looking at your portfolio will be much less familiar with your work than you. Just because something looks good doesn’t mean your clients will know what they are looking at or how it came to be. Include these details in your portfolio so that your client has some insight into your process get a better idea of what to expect from you.

Graphic Design Pdf Portfolio Examples

This printed portfolio uses a layout with stitched inserts that first presents the story behind each work, then invites the audience to look inside and see the work for themselves. This sort of picture book quality allows the audience to become invested as they follow the story of how the work came to be, in a format that is easy-to-follow and not excessively wordy. Remember how your teachers in school always told you to “show your work?” Knowing how something was made and learning about the process that the artist undertook can help the audience to become more personally invested in it. It’s not just about the end result but also the work that went into it. Don’t neglect digital media.

Photo Credit: Just because your portfolio is printed doesn’t mean you should neglect all of the digital work you’ve created. You won’t be committing some taboo if you print screenshots of your digital work in your portfolio. But at the same time, digital media should ideally be viewed on a digital device; at the very least, you should have a URL or QR code linking to your online portfolio. Your best bet is to just include your digital work alongside your printed work. This portfolio contains a small sample of printed work with a CD containing more examples of digital artwork.

Since the CD and portfolio are designed to bundle together, it means that one is never far from the other. And there is something to be said about the physicality of digital media.

An online bookmark is easily forgotten, but it’s easy to hold on to a CD that you can actually “hold” in your hands. Make your work sharable. Photo Credit: If you are a designer of many talents, it behooves you to show them off. Can you bind a book? Do you know how to create your own custom die cuts? Incorporate these skills into your portfolio—you probably won’t find a client who wants to utilize all of them, but you will be demonstrating that you can go above and beyond. Here’s a print portfolio that doesn’t shy away from showing off the fact that it was handmade.

Each of the artist’s three portfolio booklets were bound and die cut by hand, a fact that the graphic designer chose to display proudly with a custom-made label. This kind of thoughtfulness and attention to detail shows clients that you’re willing to learn new things and unafraid to get your hands dirty. Give the audience something to interact with. Photo Credit: When we discover something for the first time, we use all five of our senses in unison to create a sense memory.

The more senses affected, the stronger the memory becomes. Since printed portfolios are physical objects, they offer an advantage over digital portfolios by stimulating the sense of touch. In this example portfolio, the artist uses a series of different techniques to provide interaction—from and embossed effects, to the uniquely built carrying case that opens both drawers at the same time.

Providing the audience a chance to experience the portfolio with their hands as well as their eyes makes the work much more appealing and memorable. Final Thoughts Although you will need to break the mold if you want to craft a truly creative printed portfolio, remember not to sacrifice functionality. It’s not enough to just be creative if that creativity makes it difficult to understand or utilize your portfolio. Your clients want a graphic designer that can help them get their message to the audience.

Why would they think you can do that if your portfolio fails to deliver your message to them? Do you have a print portfolio you’d like to show the world? Have any tips for creating an imaginative portfolio layout? Share your pics, tips and ideas in the comments below!

As technology continues to evolve and influence the creative services industry, many designers and other professionals find themselves conflicted. Do they abandon established traditions in favor of adopting new technology and its advantages? Or are the old ways still best? It’s not an easy question to answer. In a and in, I brought up the importance of context, what I refer to as one of four C’s. Context comes directly into play when making this type of decision. Print and Digital both have their own unique qualities and advantages, and there are scenarios where one may be more appropriate than the other.

There is also an overwhelming advantage in simply making an investment in both and having your bases covered, but I’ll address that a bit later. For now let’s focus on the strengths and weaknesses of them individually. THE POWER OF A PRINT PORTFOLIO Print in and of itself is still an experience. It is immersive and when done well it is impressive. Tangible media may not always be convenient, but it does have “gravitas.” Walking around a conference room table and individually placing materials in the hands of each and every person, takes more time than just presenting on a digital screen, it’s not productive or practical.

Yet, the value it has is that it creates a lasting impression by drawing out the moment, and making individual micro transactions. There is a subtlety in this that most people overlook. The micro-transaction matters—the physical connection, as well as the sense of ownership created when you personally hand something to an individual is more meaningful to them than the convenience of digital (though later I will address how you can do both). From a presentation standpoint, print has the added advantage of depth. We can touch it, see it beyond just aesthetic but in terms of texture and craftsmanship.

We can even smell it, with our sense of smell being one of the strongest senses tied to memory, this is important, in fact it is famously a trick still used when submitting resumes today. In terms of context, print materials that you designed, are their strongest when presented as print. Their impact and power can be diminished in digital, since the intention behind them was always meant for physical media. The other variable here is size. Large format designs or even small format designs, when translated to digital ignore scale as a factor.

Presenting billboards and poster designs as large prints may be cumbersome, but the reason it is still done is because it makes more of an impact and communicates the experience in a meaningful way. WHERE DIGITAL PORTFOLIOS DOMINATE The digital world has an obvious advantage that can’t be ignored: speed and convenience. In a nutshell that is the value we immediately associate with all things digital and what we desire from it the most. For designers, their clients, colleagues and employers, it is no different. Can be easily and instantly shared and distributed via email, mobile devices, digital download links, etc. Feedback, reviews and approval processes that would take hours or days can be reduced to moments. The added value in many cases is a reduction of cost all around.

Nobody is excited about paying postages fees on a portfolio book, and it’s devastating if one gets lost in the mail. Emails and PDF’s can be resent, easily updated and even annotated on directly. Digital allows designers to sell themselves in the marketplace at all times. Having a convenient portfolio website means that you’re not limited to the number of interviews you can line up week to week. Having a readily available portfolio on your mobile device puts you in a position to literally “elevator pitch” at a moments notice. WHAT DO CLIENTS AND EMPLOYERS PREFER?

The simple answer to the above question is both. This isn’t just limited to the portfolio itself, but extends to all presentations and pitches.

Unfortunately, the execution behind that answer is a bit more complex and often more expensive than committing to one or the other. Let’s examine a hypothetical scenario of a 3 Designers doing a $5,000 pitch project for a law firm that is rebranding, that includes print materials, brand identity, a mobile app and a new website. Of our three designers: one does a print presentation, one does an all-digital presentation, and the last designer does a hybrid presentation. PRINT PRESENTATION Our print practitioner spends their money on spiral bound sample books for the five decision-makers in the room, large prints on foam core that demonstrate the layout and design of the new website and mobile app, sample business cards and other leave behinds such as custom pens and USB thumb drives.

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Estimated cost: $1800 Estimated profit: $3200 DIGITAL PRESENTATION The digital designer knows that the rebranding will involve print materials, but decides to save a few bucks. All samples of print materials have already been emailed as a PDF to the stake holders for the meeting.

The presentation takes place in the board room on a 55-inch screen controlled via laptop. The video files and presentation deck have been emailed to the decision makers for reference after the presentation. Estimated cost: $0-500 Estimated profit: $4500-5000 HYBRID PRESENTATION Our hybrid has decided to spend the majority of the money. They eliminate clunky presentation boards in favor of the large conference room screen.

Graphic Design Pdf Portfolio Samples Examples

The meeting starts with them handing out a very small stack of printed samples but also to each stake holder an older iPad Mini, (to be collected at the end of presentation) to navigate the digital portions of the presentation. They are given instructions on how access the mockup of the mobile apps. PDF samples and links have been emailed to them of everything for convenience. Each phase of the presentation is given in context. The website is presented on the big screen, but they are also directed to sample the mobile version of the website on their iPads.

The brand identity is presented on the big screen and they are invited to feel the print samples in their hands and examine them further. Estimated cost: $1500 Estimated profit: $3500 CONTEXT IS THE KEY Outlining the above scenario is one of the best ways I could see framing the conversation and the case for making decisions based around context. The third designer in our scenario had more opportunities to create depth and communicate a powerful experience, while also eliminating very specific weaknesses, such as transporting heavy and cumbersome materials.