Putting Together a Portfolio

Every graphic designer has to put together a portfolio and this is where most majors differ from graphic design. Most majors at Carthage have to write a thesis and of course every senior dreads that time that they actually have to take the thesis class and sit down and write their 15-30 page paper. Most people, at least people I have talked to, believe that being a graphic design major is a lot easier than say a business major because we don't have to write a thesis. Well, that's not exactly true.

Those in the graphic design major have to put together a complete portfolio and present them to professionals in the business world at the end of the year. Each student has to have 12 complete pieces (each single piece can consist of 5-10 pieces so total there may be up to 80 pieces of work). Each piece needs to be mocked up on a piece of black or white cardboard (each piece takes about 15 minutes to make presentable) and there needs to be a written out description of each piece and what your thoughts are behind them. This whole process should be a process done over four years and not done in a semester but that is the way Carthage has put together the schedule. I think the rest of the seniors in my senior seminar graphic design class would agree with me that we should have been taught these things along the way starting freshman year.

To check out some of my work in my portfolio, click here.