everyone needs a portfolio: a workshop
DESCRIPTION
Whether you are a designer, a developer, a marketer, a student or anything in between - in today's creative job market every differentiator will count towards getting the job. Gone are the days of being able to talk over your future employer's head, just showing the latest deliverable you are working on, even worse showing nothing at all. Welcome instead to a world where your work is being measured not by what you say it was, but by what it really was. This workshop was developed for General Assembly in NYC. It is meant to be run in 90 minutes.TRANSCRIPT
Everyone needs a portfolio
by Abby_The_IA
The best Portfolios...
1. Show pride, not Just proof
2. tell a story, not a catalog
3. illustrate Process, Not just passion
Step 1: Define Your Chronology
Now begins 7 minutes of silence...
Break the timeline of your story in chunks of context and start layering on important details.
Don’t forget: Personal Achievement, Volunteerism, education, promotions etc.
College First Job Promotion Second Job
Volunteered
Third Job
TaughtRan Marathon
Volunteered
Step 2: Tell Your Story + Highlight interest
College First Job Promotion Second Job
Volunteered
Third Job
TaughtRan Marathon
Each person has 5 minutes to tell their story. The rest of the team will take notes on that persons story.
5 minutes will then be given for the team to give them notes on what they found the most interesting and why.
Volunteered
4
2004 20112007 2008 2009 201020062005
First job as an Information Architect @ EMC Microsoft Practice.
Design Lead Information Architect on innnovation team for Fidelity Investments
Started information architecture practice in strategic healthcare agency.
Director of Strategic Planning + UX at Draftfcb
Senior UX Planner at DraftFCB
School of Visual Arts - Content Management System
American Society of Training - Intranet System
Medicare Pilot Program - Call Center Application
Bank of America - Talent Management Application
The Hartford Insurance - HR Self Service Application
Stratex Partners - HR Self Service Application
Pricewaterhouse Coopers - Marketing Site Redesign
Kraft Foods- On and Offline Engagement Program
Prismacolor - Marketing Site Redesign
Sharpie - Liquid Pencil Launch
Boston New Hampshire Chicago
Abby The IA: Career Timeline
JELL-O - Facebook
Managing Partner, TUG
Attended Northeastern Bachelors in Graphic Design
Sharpie.com
Herman Miller
JSTOR Personas
2012
New York City
IDEA 2010
IA Summit 2010
Consultant & Teacher
IA Summit 2010
Executive Producer for:
Project Highlights
Take 5 minutes of silence to come up with short, job title-less description of yourself.
Write each attempt on a note card.
Then quickly go around and share these for reaction from your team.
Step 3: Who are you?
What is common about what is interesting in your story?
About me:
I make the unclear, clear.
Next Steps toward a
great portfolio
Decide what you should (and can)
show
Show Process
Show Your Deliverables
Show The Story
Show The Result
12
Sharpie.com
Lead in redesign that brought together Sharpie’s very popular social community properties with the more standard catalog functionality
About this effort:
Good Example of:
Sharpie.com
Results: Sharpie was written up in the NY times on site launch day. They also received the TED Ads Worth Spreading Award in 2012.
If ever possible, Show The Numbers
7
Prismacolor.com | Summer 2009
Lead on full site redesign including a rich social community of artists sharing their work online.
Results: Redesign resulted in a 400% improvement in engagement as measured through site traffic, time on site and uploads, comments and views of the member gallery.
About this effort:
Good Example of:
Prismacolor.com
Good Examples
Before you go..
Trade Cards
thank you!
Twitter: @Abby_The_IAEmail: [email protected]: www.AbbytheIA.com
Slides: Slideshare.com/abbycovert