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marinagr on Oct 20, 2007

I think you should definitely buy your own domain. A cms like joomla or drupal will help you to manage it and there are ton of support pages for these cms out there!

Anand on Oct 20, 2007

.com is the best
Don't use a script, code it using valid XHTML and CSS.
Use IcnBuffet icons!
Make your site layout but elegant.

minienvelope on Oct 21, 2007

Look at other peoples' portfolios for inspiration. To see how a really simple portfolio page can be executed check out Carbonmade.

Steax on Oct 21, 2007

And you can always ask me if you need tech help. ;)

... I think this is a new feature... ^^

redpoint on Oct 21, 2007

-buy a .com domain
-be sure that you have a good navigation (that people can clearly see how to get to other categories, etc.
-Personally after much research and hesitation I choosed joomla for my portfolio, it has a custom made template and it does validate xhtml/css.

beneton on Oct 21, 2007

@marinagr & Anand
thank you so much for the input! yes, I though a simple but somehow elegant layout would fit best

@minienvelope
thanks for the interesting link!

@Steax
I've replied to your offer..

@redpoint
thanks for the tips! but isn't Joomla too much for a portfolio site? basically I only want to show screenshots of the layouts I made..

ludwiggramberg on Oct 21, 2007

don't make up a fantasy-name for your portfolio(-domain), soon you will like it no longer but the domain binds you to it, best to start is to register your name. to develop a stable brand/name is not so easy.

beneton on Oct 21, 2007

@ludwiggramberg
yes, I'm going to register my full name for the domain ^^

maldenjen on Oct 21, 2007

Having worked for the head of an admissions committee, and having finished college and design school, here's my long 2-cents.

You are really on the ball to be thinking about this in advance. You have a great opportunity to be strategic about getting into the school of your choice. Why not go to your preferred colleges' websites and download the current application? Use the guidelines to develop a sense of what the schools want, and how they want you to present it. You can probably also find on the schools' sites the work of featured students. It may give you an idea of what is most esteemed, and it might also give you insight into which school you feel most strongly about. I am *not* saying to twist your art so that someone will like it more; I'm saying to take advantage of your timing to market yourself most effectively so that you can study wherever you want 3 years from now! :-)

Remember to design a portfolio page for your users' ease. Admission officers have so much to deal with. Do not create a portfolio that requires the user to click. Find an elegant, simple way to put on the home page whatever you really want them to see. You can always provide a link to more "involved" pages. Include in clear, easy-to-see-and-read text: "Portfolio of 'your name,' and something like "XYZ H.S. Class of 2010" or "Applicant for admission to the class of 2014." Enable some website analytic stat tracking, and you'll have a fun way to monitor which schools may actually have taken the time to view your portfolio.

Follow applications' guidelines to the letter. If a format is requested, make sure you provide it. Additional art submissions should be fine, but follow guidelines. It's crazy how many applicants decide that they've got a better way to submit applications than what's requested. Seriously, it just bothers admission officers. Your art, not your application style, is the place to show that you're creative and unique. :)

Don't neglect to include quality printouts of your web design work. If you have a lot, it should be okay to print 2 or 4 images per page if the school doesn't have its own guidelines. It's more likely that the officers will look at these than visit your site, but not including prints will probably annoy them more than entice them to your site.

Hey, good luck! You sound like a really motivated student and I bet you'll have lots of success!

~mj

beneton on Oct 21, 2007

@maldenjen
thank you very much for your long 2-cents! this really helps me ALOT. ;D

beneton on Oct 29, 2007

umm, if you guys have any other suggestions, links or comments feel free to list it down here. anything would be helpful!

daia on Oct 29, 2007

I don't know if it helps, but the November issue of Computer Arts Projects is all about making a portfolio.
Maldenjen really made some good points there. My advice as a graphic designer is to make things easy and simple and allow the work that you've done to really shine and speak for itself :) And another advice - get started and don't expect things to be perfect at once, i started my portfolio in 2000 and i'm still trying to make it perfect.. that's the great thing about being online, it's so easy to change :)

samkarn on Oct 29, 2007

A portfolio is a great idea not just for college but for getting a good job too. For my current web developer job, in the interview they said they were really impressed with my online portfiolio. Here's some tips:

- Register a .com domain for it... like your first name and last initial for example.
- Keep the design/layout clean, professional and simple. Don't do a black background or a star trek or kitten, etc theme or anything like that. Keep it neutral to keep the focus on your content.
- Use XHTML and CSS to code it yourself. If you know PHP or ASP use that for your backend/templating.
- Include samples of your work (screen shot, description and link), your resume, an about you page, and a contact info page.
- If your menu is on the left bar for example, use the right bar to point form your main skills.
-Make d@mn sure there are no grammer or spelling mistakes on the whole thing.
-Be honest. Leave off any irrelevant info. No one cares how many dogs you have for example.

Good luck!

samkarn on Oct 29, 2007

Oh, and make sure it looks good in all browsers!