The Perfect Portfolio

The recruitment process has changed thanks to social media. Working in almost every industry now commands some type of positive online presence, especially in digital media. Having a website that showcases your talent is essential to leverage your creative advantage over the other professionals. Fortunately for everyone who isn’t a design ninja, there are marketplaces like Themeforest that sell high quality designs in multiple formats. Also be sure to check out also some sites created by digital media students at Cogswell.

Front Page

Leaving a lasting first impression is important, preferably that impression is positive, less you may end up looking like these guys. Homepage designs now usually contain specific elements (featured projects, notable clientele) to give that WOW factor. The general trend is to use bold typography and graphics similar to what WorryFreeLabs did with their site.

Services

9 out of 10 times a visitor will hire you based just on the content and design of your website, so why leave out what makes you unique? Can you image any car commercial that does not list off enticing features and how it’s the best in its class? Probably not. Although there are extremes, due to information being accessible online, it’s safe to assume that any information posted will be checked to legitimacy.

There are several options in how to list out what you do, Abstract and Concrete. Abstract would be listing out tech jargon like HTML5/CSS3, W3C compliant code, AJAX. Concrete tends to tell a story; “We hand code our sites using code that looks awesome in all current browsers. We make things look good, naturally.” usually fits the overall brand’s image. The latter tends to be used by agencies and designers where the majority of projects involve startups. In the example of WorryFreeLabs, they used a more abstract approach:

WORRY FREE LABS IS A USER INTERFACE DESIGN FIRM, ESTABLISHED IN 2005 & BASED IN AUSTIN,TX.

WE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:

• Information architecture
• User interface design
• Front-end development (XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, and AJAX)

Current Portfolio

Try to keep your portfolio current, a stale portfolio can turn away a potential employer. This does not mean to dump out your good pieces if they are outside the 6 month window, just make sure you add what you’ve been working on. Even if they’re [high quality] personal projects, this shows your viewer that you are keeping active in the community.

Have a gallery of some sort on a project page that highlights key aspects of the project. In a web design project, some images may draw attention to styling or coding that stands out. If you received one, any testimonials that the client gave can be highlighted along with a project brief and what processes were used to complete the project.

Notable Clients

Showcasing clients isn’t a must. Generally recent graduates haven’t collaborated with clients yet, which make the client section optional. As you mature in your field, it is recommended to show off whom you’ve worked with.

Contact

How websites utilize this element varies. Some prefer to have a form to allow visitors to easily send an inquiry, while others like to keep that for the contact page.

Social Media

Social media isn’t just for talking to friends. A quick Google search of your name can quickly so how importing it is to keep up a positive social media presence. This can happen by watching out for what you post, but if you still want to upload pictures from last nights party that’s also fine. Sites like Facebook allow for strict privacy settings that hide your profile to non-friends. A simple way to check how your social media image looks is by logging out then view your profile.

Useful Footer

Arguably one of the most standard sections on a page, the footer holds important information; Copyright info, where to get in contact, and now things like twitter updates. Even Cogswell’s site has a functional footer.

Your Turn

There are tons of resources to gather information on how-to’s, inspiration and design showcases, even free code snippets. Here’s an image of the site with the elements numbered, and we encourage anyone who’s created their site to share a their experiences in designing it.

What do you think?

The standards for designing a portfolio has changed in the last 3 years. It wasn’t that long ago that every designer’s site was built on flash. What trends have you seen gain popularity since HTML5?

[The original article can be found here]

There were around 30 founders from different industries with companies who wanted advice for early stage to late stage ventures. Among the crowd were several of our entrepreneurship students, all actively taking part in the discussions. The three panelists briefly talked about their investment background, but the topic quickly became what they look for in when investing in a company. Don Reinke, Peter Craddock, and Andy Bartley all gave excellent advice about taking money from angels and vcs, how to become investment ready, and as a treat, their opinions on the future of some industries. After every point from the panel the room was a hypnotic synchronization of head nods.

Even though this event was groundbreaking for our new Entrepreneurship programat Cogswell, it will definitely not be the last of its kind. Staying true to the world of entrepreneurship, we are letting our students get their hands dirty and become immersed into the Silicon Valley culture. Trish Costello, the mastermind behind this innovative degree,  created the program to produce not just world-ready entrepreneurs, but also fully established ventures.

Cogswell has become a mecca of creativity and innovation. Collaboration is innate for our students and the outcome of which will set us en par with the world’s top business schools. We truly are entrepreneurs at heart, n’est pas?

Original article can be found here.

Hacker Dojo started with the dream that people with a passion for anything can meet at their own Ithaca of innovation. The creates behind this space were members of the Super Happy Dev House, but coders, designers, students, and professionals all find a spot to work in the facility. Since its inception , the Hacker Dojo has become a hangout for people who want to keep up with the latest methodologies and technologies and thrive as entrepreneurs. I ran into a problem before while working on a mobile project, and was able to have my problem solved by someone sitting behind me. What’s even better is that they really wanted to help, even someone years younger and still in a college entrepreneurship program. These are the type of creative people that after finishing an idea, they’ve thought of five more.

Events fill almost every night with topics ranging from robotics and emerging technologies to business management and funding seminars. Partnerships are formed by connections made at these conferences and other events sponsored by the Dojo.

The reasonable price is easily justified with the events and resources made available to their members (an added perk is the 24-hour access). The Hacker Dojo is more than an incubator, it’s a destination spot for innovative & technical minds to come together to disrupt industries.  Positive disruption, of course, that is meant to shake the industries and create new directions.

As a student, the opportunity to network and thrive among other creative minds is incredibly inspiring.  The entrepreneurial spirit is alive, and meeting other professional and student entrepreneurs and innovators provides a strong base for whatever endeavors come my way during or after my experience as a student at Cogswell College.

Original article can be found here.