My website redesign was extremely long overdue, it’s almost embarrassing that I let it go this long. I could give a long list of excuses as to why but the important thing is that it is better than the last version. Continuous improvement, right? As designers, we are often so busy creating things for others that we can sometimes neglect our own projects. This is unfortunate because we need personal design time. It is fun to design exactly how you want (let’s not forget about user feedback for personal projects too), trying new design ideas and technologies, and actually take time to reflect on your accomplishments.
Looking back, when designing the portfolio section of my website, I couldn’t believe how much designing I’ve done over the years. As cheesy as it sounds, it really does go by fast. Featured projects are fairly recent, but I had a list of 50 potential projects that I was proud from various points in my career. It’s not just the visual outcome but it’s also the project management hours, the team that worked on the project, and the things I learned on the project that makes them special to me. I cut the list down to a more manageable number and chose only projects that go with the direction of my career path. I started in traditional media, evolved into web design as so many designers do, and then got more into the UX engineering side of things.
Taking an overall look at my projects, what really stands out to me is how all projects are focused on consistent branding. I’m often asked to describe my design style. I guess I could give you the same “clean and modern” response like the vast majority of designers. However, I wouldn’t say I have a set style, it’s all depended on the project and company branding. Maintaining the brand standards and making sure it wasn’t a huge departure (unless a rebrand was part of the project) from established branding was top priority. I leave my personal preferences out of the equation and focus on user and company needs. It’s not about me, it’s about the user.
If you are interested in working with me, please drop me a line. If you are a designer, I encourage you if you haven’t already, to create or update your portfolio if you’ve been thinking about it. You will learn a lot about yourself and your career growth.
If you’re a master designer with a beautiful portfolio, what portfolio design tips would you give your fellow designers?
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