Creating the Perfect Interactive Design Portfolio
Onward Search Career Cast, Episode #16
In the latest episode of Onward Search's Career Cast podcast, we dive into the field of interactive design and take a look at what design professionals need to know about creating the perfect interactive portfolio.
Career Cast host Peter Clayton welcomes back to the studio Jonathan Restaino, Director of Account Services with Onward Search Boston, to get his perspective on the evolving field of interactive design. Jonathan describes how the changing landscape of online commerce is generating demand for more skilled interactive designers who can keep up with the latest online trends. From advanced coding techniques, mobile design considerations and balancing form with function, the perfect interactive portfolio will demonstrate a wide variety of skills and concepts and will undoubtedly open up professional opportunities across many different industries.
If you're seeking guidance on building up or perfecting your interactive portfolio, this is a must listen episode.
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Episode #16 Transcript
PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 27, 2011
Welcome to Onward Search Career Cast, the podcast that brings you the latest insight and career advice from experts within the Internet, marketing and creative space. Onward Search is a leading nationwide provider of web-based talent and offers a full range of recruitment and staffing solutions.
If you're looking for a career in search engine optimization, interactive, design or emerging technologies, you should apply online at onwardsearch.com or call 1-800-829-0072 and speak with an experienced recruiter today.
Peter Clayton: Welcome to Episode #16 of the Onward Search Career Cast podcast. I’m your host Peter Clayton. Joining us from Boston is Jonathan Restaino, Director of Account Services with Onward Search to explore the field of interactive design and what interactive design professionals need to know about building the perfect interactive portfolio.
Jonathan, welcome back to the Onward Search Career Cast.
Jonathan: Thanks Peter, good to be here.
Peter Clayton: To start off, why should businesses be concerned with interactive design and what trends or changes are you seeing that make interactive designers so important to business success this year?
Jonathan: Let’s think about how much interaction we have with the interactive medium these days. Somebody going to find this podcast is actually going to Onward Search's website, our resource section and diving into the podcast itself.
These days it’s so important in 2011 moving forward because it’s progressed so much in the past year with new technology, new devices and really, new ways to interact via digital.
Peter Clayton: While just about all companies obviously can benefit from an enhanced online presence, what industries do you predict will invest the most in interactive design this year?
Jonathan: Let’s think about who has a consumer, and that really covers quite a bit on the interactive side. Let’s break it down into even financial services.
There’s new tools, there are new designs for interacting, for tracking your investments or tracking your money. There are different types of applications that you can see on an iPad or a tab, and actually you be the intuitive function; you’re actually the mouse and driving force behind it.
Let’s also think about gaming. There are so many more different platforms to play on, there’s different types of coding and design that can work and work specifically, so they’re going to need more talent in that area.
And then finally, mobile. Really, it’s a conversation that I’ve been having since the beginning of last year and even prior to that and even the conversations now are really exciting. And whether it’s Q1 or the end of the year, mobile is going to play a huge part in interactive.
Peter Clayton: Jonathan, what should interactive designers be focusing on to stay relevant and attractive to hiring managers in 2011?
Jonathan: Creating a portfolio that’s rich with beauty and substance is key. One without the other gets kind of boring after a while, you may be forgotten or looked over. A really great designer is somebody that will create an environment which really captivates the user and really to a point where they keep moving through the work, they don’t want to find the back button and they’re just really enthralled with what they see.
Several elements that can forge such an environment is really a harmonious color scheme, intuitive design, intuitive functionality and easily accessible information. Really being able to bring a user into your world and not have them want to leave.
Peter Clayton: Jonathan, what new trends in web and consumer behavior should I be aware of when creating my portfolio?
Jonathan: You’re no longer designing just for the desktop or even a laptop computer. Now your designs must be content with smartphones, netbooks, tablets, and the like. You really need to ask yourself are you ready and is your portfolio even ready?
So however you may feel even about Flash and HTML 5, in 2011 you’re going to see sort of a slow step away from Flash and people embracing HTML 5. Understand that Flash and HTML 5 are not equal opponents, there’s plenty of room for both; the problem with designers prior to 2010 and 2011, there was a strong misuse of Flash. Now with the new technology that’s coming out, you’re going to really see a little bit difference in capability.
There is also some simplicity that you need to add to your portfolio as well. Limit your color palette to two or three colors, work within the shades of each color for variety. It can be really truly remarkable at what few colors can do for your message and your brand.
Peter Clayton: We were talking earlier about mobile and mobile sites. Should designers be creating a portfolio specifically for mobile devices?
Jonathan: If you have the time and the resources, sure, absolutely. How great would it be to have your own app that you can pull up on an iPad or an iPhone. How great would it even be to have your own mobile site as well.
To create a mobile site for your portfolio, really you don’t have to sacrifice inventiveness and intuitiveness design for the third screen; you just have to be a little bit smarter. There is technology like CSS 3 and open source Android platforms that can allow a little more ease when creating a mobile app or a mobile presence for yourself.
Peter Clayton: Here’s a question that I know some designers must be asking, why do I need to create a portfolio? Krop, Carbonmade, and Creative Hotlist work just fine for me.
Jonathan: It’s all about branding. Creating a portfolio and spending the time to make it reflects your personal brand. It goes a long way in a creative director or design manager’s eyes. Being able to deliver a personal strategy that not only shows your originality but reflects beauty and structure of your work allows the manger to assess your creativity. Besides, anything that you create will really look better than any of those template sites.
Peter Clayton: How can I make my portfolio as visible as possible to the right companies? What are some of the strategies I need to think about?
Jonathan: A dash of great design and a splash of some search optimization, you’ll rarely have to apply to a gig. You can get found.
As we said before, stay away from usage of Flash to create your portfolio in its entirety but use it as a component to enhance your brand or enhance your presentation.
On each project that you have in your portfolio, list out your role and reference the technology used. Reference the team that was there, who you worked with and even terms like HTML 5, PHP, and CSS 3 to complete the application. Not only is it descriptive, but it’s full of keywords that can be searched on Google.
The new technology that’s out there to create your portfolio, like we just mentioned Krop, CarbonMade – there is better ones out there. Integrate new technology like WordPress. Look at sites like Cargo, there is others out there. Try to diversity yourself.
Peter Clayton: I think that’s some great advice. One last question for you Jonathan, what are the hot interactive opportunities that Onward Search is working on right now? What do you guys really have on the front burner?
Jonathan: Within Boston, the interactive community has become a hotbed for user experience and tons of conversations about mobile. Currently what we’re looking for is several UX designers and UX innovators I’m even calling them, to really work on cross platforms – working on the web and being able to take that into a mobile environment.
Within our offices out in San Francisco, they are talking mobile all over the place out they are also building that consistency between web and mobile. So there are tons of designer positions out there.
Chicago and Dallas all have great opportunities that are within interactive design, user experience design and user interface.
So there is quite a bit that Onward is working on within the digital medium.
Peter Clayton: Jonathan, thanks again for taking time to speak with us today on the Onward Search Career Cast.
Jonathan: Thanks. I appreciate the time.
Thank you for tuning in to Onward Search Career Cast. For more information on the career opportunities available through Onward Search, you should visit us online at onwardsearch.com or call 1-800-829-0072 and speak with an experienced recruiter. And you should also follow Onward Search on Twitter at twitter.com/onwardsearch.