What makes for a good portfolio?

Okay.

Well, look, I'm very excited by the opportunity to have this conversation and, uh, I'm gonna try and guide it through.

We're gonna hear a lot less from me and a lot more from all of you, which will be fantastic.

And I'm gonna start with you, Chris.

Mm-hmm.

Why does a portfolio exist, and who's it, who's it really for in your eyes?

I think that sounds like a really simple question, and, and I, and I think it sounds simple because it is.

And I think that regardless of format and technology and form, and all that sort of stuff, the core reason for it existing h- I don't think had really has changed since it, since it was very first a thing, um, you know, in, in the history of design or advertising, whatever you wanna call it.

I think the primary audience for a portfolio is an employer.

I, I think that, I think that really can't be overstated.

Um, I- I'm really curious to unpack your, what you were saying earlier [chuckles] about this not being, you know, the core piece of the puzzle and not being the most important piece, 'cause I, I think I have some hot takes on that.

But, um, but yeah, I think the primary audience is an employer.

I think the secondary audience, which is, which, you know, really is not to be overlooked, is the employee or the designer, because I think we- In the same way that a studio case studies and documents its work, it's really, really important for designers, regardless of their-- whether they're looking for roles or out there sort of hitting the streets, to, to document what you do, you know, to keep a catalog and a, and a, and a record of what you do.

So there is-- there's a lot to be learnt and, and observed and, and, and to grow from while documenting and, and sort of, I guess, cataloging your own work.

But I, I really think, yeah, the primary audience to me is the employer.

I mean, this is, this is why these, as I said, regardless of form, format and all that kind of stuff, which I'm sure we're gonna get into, um, all of those things aside, the, the purpose of these documents is, is to, is to help you gain employment, I, I, I believe, yeah.

So let's not dilly-dally around the point around hot takes.

Yeah, sure.

Uh, I think we should get into that.

And so also the point of having lots of different people on this chat is lots of different perspectives.

Yeah, I'd argue-

Because the reality is when you're out looking-

Yeah

... for jobs is that there are different perspectives, right?

Yeah.