ahandrewh teaches IAT-102graphic design

P4: Portfolio (due April 7)

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Introduction

In your final project you will be assembling your own portfolio to showcase your process, thinking and outcomes.

P4: Portfolio is worth 30% of your final grade.

I already have a portfolio

If you already have a portfolio we will need to know to avoid any potential plagiarism. Please email Andrew with a link to the existing portfolio by March 24.

If you are happy with your existing portfolio and do not want to build a new one you can organize with Andrew an alternative final project. This will need to be done before March 24.

Portfolio content requirements

The portfolio will require the following content:

The list above is not a list of 'pages' required. All this content could appear in one page or multiple pages across a website.

Weekly instructions

This project spans multiple weeks. Please read the weekly instructions carefully.

From March 17 to March 24

This week is about defining you and your content for the portfolio.

  1. Draft your ethos. This is meant to help you frame the approach to your portfolio's writing and content and should not be an actual page on the portfolio itself. Draft your ethos by answering these questions in written statements and/or sketches:
    • What kind of work is this a portfolio for? (i.e. art, design, music, etc)
    • What kind of written language would people looking at this type of portfolio expect?
    • What kind of visual language would people looking at this type of portfolio expect?
    • How does your experience prepare you to present this kind of portfolio?
    • What characteristics do you have that make you well suited for this kind of work?
  2. Based on your answers to the questions above, select a prior project and complete a draft process analysis which helps support why you are qualified in this kind of work. The process analysis should cover:
    1. What was the project about?
    2. What was the task you tackled in the project?
    3. What did you do, think, practice as part of working on this task?
    4. What was the result and what did you take away from this project?

    When writing the process analysis focus on:

    • Picking one focused task within a project (do not talk about the entire project).
    • Showing your ability to think through a problem from start to finish.
    • Presenting accompanying artifacts — images, video, audio — that support what the text is saying.
    • Being no longer than 300 words in length.
  3. Write a draft bio using no more than 100 words to introduce yourself.
Bring to your March 24 class
  • A draft ethos.
  • A draft process analysis.
  • A draft bio.

We will chat about your deliverables in class.

From March 24 to March 31

This week is for taking the content and building it into an initial website.

  1. Start your portfolio site in Figma. Keep in mind:
    • Use your own work to design and fill the site content.
    • Bring as complete a structure as possible to next week.
    • Do not use a template. It will mean a grade of zero for the project.
  2. Revise your bio and process analysis based on feedback provided in class.
Bring to your March 31 class

Your initial portfolio site. We will chat about your deliverables in-class.

From March 31 to April 7

Continue refining your portfolios after receiving feedback in the in-class feedback sessions. Consider if you are creating:

  • A readable portfolio through good typesetting and composition?
  • A navigable portfolio through good linking and structure?
  • A consistent portfolio through a set of elements that complement one another?
  • A convincing portfolio by using text and image to explain your skills in a process analysis?
  • An ethos that shows you are what you claim to be.

Grading rubric

Your project will be graded on the following criteria:

Grading rubric for P4: Portfolio.
A B C D

Typography (8 points):

  • Is the hierarchy clear?
  • Is the portfolio designed to be readable?
  • Does the portfolio's design guide the reader effectively?
  • The hierarchy of text is clear.
  • The portfolio uses good line-lengths, leading, point-size and alignment to create readable type.
  • The portfolio's design guides the reader effectively through the portfolio content including text, images, and any additional items (such as pull-quotes).
  • There are some concerns with the clarity of text hierarchy.
  • There are concerns with one of good line-lengths, leading, point-size or alignment which make for somewhat less readable type.
  • The portfolio's design guides the reader effectively through the portfolio content including text and images.
  • There are multiple concerns with the clarity of the text hierarchy.
  • There are concerns with two of good line-lengths, leading, point-size or alignment which make for less readable type.
  • The portfolio's design guides the reader somewhat effectively through the portfolio text and images, with some areas confusing or misdirecting the reader.
  • There is a lack of text hierarchy.
  • There are concerns with three of good line-lengths, leading, point-size or alignment which make for hard-to-read type.
  • The portfolio's design makes it hard for the reader to follow the flow of text and image content in the portfolio.

Composition (7 points):

  • Is the structure consistent?
  • Is the composition repetitive?
  • Is whitespace used to direct the attention of the reader?
  • Is whitespace used to clarify relationships between pieces of content?
  • The design uses a consistent structure for the content of the portfolio.
  • The composition of the content in the structure is not repetitive, but understandable by the reader.
  • Whitespace is used actively to direct the attention of the reader to key content.
  • Whitespace is used passively to help create clear separations between pieces of content.
  • The design uses a consistent structure for the content of the portfolio.
  • The composition of the content in the structure is repetitive and understandable by the reader.
  • Whitespace is occassionally used actively to direct the attention of the reader.
  • Whitespace is used passively to help create clear separations between pieces of content.
  • The design uses a somewhat inconsistent structure for the content of the portfolio, which somewhat hinders reader understanding.
  • The composition of the content in the structure is repetitive (or not), but mostly understandable by the reader.
  • Whitespace is rarely used actively to direct the attention of the reader.
  • Whitespace is used passively to help create clear separations between pieces of content.
  • The design uses a very inconsistent structure for the content of the portfolio, which hinders reader understanding.
  • The composition of the content in the structure is repetitive (or not), and hinders reader's focus or attention.
  • Whitespace is rarely used actively to direct the attention of the reader.
  • Whitespace is used passively to help create clear separations between pieces of content.

Unity (8 points):

  • Do the elements used feel like a set?
  • Do the images complement one another?
  • Does the portfolio's design help convey the content of the portfolio?
  • The design uses a consistent visual language.
  • The images are a complementary set.
  • The portfolio's design strongly conveys the content of the portfolio.
  • One of the design's elements: fonts, ornamentation, and imagery feel inconsistent.
  • Most of the images in the portfolio feel like a consistent set.
  • The portfolio's design conveys the content of the portfolio.
  • Two of the design's elements: fonts, ornamentation, and imagery feel inconsistent.
  • Most of the images in the portfolio feel like a consistent set.
  • The portfolio's design somewhat conveys the content of the portfolio.
  • Two of the design's elements: fonts, ornamentation, and imagery feel inconsistent.
  • Some of the images in the portfolio feel like a consistent set.
  • The portfolio's design somewhat conveys the content of the portfolio.

Content (7 points):

  • Is all the required project content included?
  • Bio describes clearly 'what they do'?
  • Does the portfolio illustrate what they do?
  • Does the process analysis explain what they did individually?
  • Does the process analysis show why this process was followed?
  • Does the process analysis speak to the images or other artifacts used?
  • Does the process analysis show what they learned?
  • All required project content is included.
  • Bio describes clearly what they do, and their employment interests.
  • The process analysis connects clearly to an aspect of what they do.
  • The process analysis explains clearly what they did individually.
  • The process analysis shows the thinking used, it is clear why the project had the resulting outcome.
  • The process analysis clearly explains how images or other artifacts (video, audio, code snippets, etc) are connected to the process.
  • The process analysis clearly illustrates something learned specific to the project as an individual.
  • All required project content is included.
  • Bio describes clearly what they do.
  • The process analysis connects clearly to an aspect of what they do.
  • The process analysis explains clearly what they did individually.
  • The process analysis shows the thinking used.
  • The process analysis uses captions to explain how images or other artifacts (video, audio, code snippets, etc) are connected to the process.
  • The process analysis clearly illustrates something learned specific to the project.
  • Most of the required project content is included.
  • The bio is unclear in what they do or provides lots of unrelated details.
  • The process analysis somewhat conveys what they do.
  • The process analysis explains some pieces that were done individually, but others that were done as a team.
  • The process analysis shows some of the thinking used.
  • The process analysis uses images or other artifacts (video, audio, code snippets, etc) to illustrate the process.
  • The process analysis illustrates general takeaways.
  • Some of the required project content is included.
  • The bio is unclear in what they do and provides lots of unrelated details.
  • The process analysis does not convey what they do.
  • The process analysis only explains what was done as a team.
  • The process analysis focuses on what was done.
  • The process analysis uses no images or other artifacts to illustrate the process.
  • The process analysis provides little to no takeaways from the project.

Final submission requirements (April 7)

The final submission for P4 is a URL to your portfolio site prototype to Canvas.

Your project submission is due to Canvas before your April 7 lecture.

Please make sure double-check all your submitted files and URLs to ensure they can be opened. We want to avoid late or problematic submission penalties whenever possible.