Digital Portfolio

Now I have uploaded online my digital portfolio. Its been a long process to get my portfolio to this stage... definitely something that could not be rushed. However I have a problem... the digital online version lacks the intimacy of the physical version I created.

Open publication - Free publishing - More architect

This brings to me to the whole 'tablets will kill the book' argument. I agree that tablets will likely take over certain reading markets, but I disagree that it will take over the entire market. I find my portfolio online looks too sharp and crisp, lacking the softness that paper instills. Right now its difficult to duplicate that softness through a screen. Yes we have the 'Epaper' replacement for a lot of eReaders, but its not yet here for the standard computer screen. Epaper will have the image quality I achieved with a physical portfolio, but unless the screen is in the format of the paper, it will still be missing the feel I am trying to achieve.

Now I could format my entire portfolio to mimic the formats found on tablets, but which tablet do I choose. The popular Apple format? The dozens of other formats that range from 7" to 12" screens... OR do I just go for the phone app market...

This is why the portfolio as a physical object will and must continue on. The physical portfolio provides my own definition and not an imposed definition by technology. Taking experience from Japan I've developed a physical portfolio that lacks a centre groove, a key feature taking my portfolio from two demarcated pages to a single wide format.

Next week I'll be producing my portfolio in a physical format and will document the process of creating a grooveless book.

Mini Portfolio

Currently I am developing my new portfolio... Version 3.0...

The differences between v2.0 and v3.0 is staggering... as though my portfolio went from someone who couldn't design to someone who had half a sense of composition.

Not tooting my own horn, but I am far more pleased with the rough cut result of my portfolio design than any of my previous portfolio iterations. My last portfolio was a creation on a time limit. I was afraid the job industry was tanking in 2010 and I wanted to get something out to employers fast... in the end I don't think my portfolio did much for my job prospect, but at least I had something.

My new portfolio is developed more as a book/digest of my projects and career. I am attempting to achieve a level of simplicity without creating a dull document. Text is reduced in scale to be less apparent and white voids are embraced readily. My v1 and v2 portfolios were maximized with content that appeared more as technical manuals and not an artists representation.

I've also embraced more full page images... if I could I would just have a portfolio of full scale images... its much more appealing and I always figure no one reads the text. However my new portfolio has increased text 5 fold to achieve the 'book' feeling I desire.

Today I finally printed off a test portfolio... Printing was half the work, cutting and assembling took its time too. Presently my portfolio is 1/2 format and is very appealing to me. While too small to be a realistic portfolio, it definitely opens the doors for creating other documents at a similar scale.. 

This is my first blog in probably over a month... I hope to ramp up the blogging over the next while at get back to my random thoughts...