Hi all, any of you who does creative work in 2 very different directions how did you manage to create efficient your personal website?
*** In addition: I already have a selection of my work, are very different and I want to do both.
graphic design (branding, editorial, print matters)
https://www.behance.net/oana_maries
and very different -
children illustrations:
https://www.behance.net/oanamaries1
Here on the-dots, I like it because I can mix them easily.
Replies6
- Hey OanaWhat a lovely and varied practice you have... you should totally be proud of all your work. The world needs more creative polymaths.It’s really great that you are being critical of how you set up your shopfront to the world. To help you answer your own question I think what would be helpful is to ask yourself ‘what is your website for’... yes, of course, it’s to show off your lovely work... but with what goal? Who do you want to see what do... and what do you want them to do when they see your work?For example... if you want to get a job in a design studio then seeing a multitalented creative will be very interesting. If perhaps you're after client work what type of projects are you after... let’s say your website is recommended to someone who needs branding but they mainly find illustrations... that could be problematic... Another scenario... a publisher sees your work and can easily see you could illustrate as well as design a children's book... that’s a huge asset.I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer we could give you because it’s really down to what you want to work on... You ought to tailor your website for what you want to come your way... typically the work you show will encourage the similar type of projects to come knocking on your door. This can be a blessing and a curse so it’s a great challenge to wrestle with this and get it right.Hope this helpsRobin
- Personally I see them both as the same but in different cataegories. In a way they are both graphic design and illustrations. If it was me, I would be happy to host both under the same website but separate them with different menu / navigation links.A clear and simple website layout, easy navigation. There are many good website template or ready made website to start you off and go from there.Alternatively, you could go with 2 separate websites.
- @Helene Vetik Thank you very much for the tips, I might need to reflect on that :D.
- I think you should only showcase the work you REALLY want to do in the present time and keep the portfolio simple, tidy and clean. Two separate one's is a bit messy and mistaking. I would pick out 4 best illustration projects and 4 best graphic design works and would also keep a curating eye open - so that they represent your personal unique style as one coherent portfolio. Curating your own stuff is important. You get the work that you put out there so if you put up a bit bipolar separate content, it will just confuse the clients :)
- @Morgan Cannon Thank you for all the good advices and very detailed replay. I will have it in mind, so yes, maybe you're right about the separation on the web and I found other great tips - so thank you very much,
- I've tried about 5 times to write you a response to this, I started out freelancing and found It inconsistent and tiring work, being your own company is hard. I work in-house as a graphic designer and enjoy occasional freelance illustration jobs now by word of mouth. If you want to head into a design agency or in-house ever; my best advice on joining very different portfolios in a website is:Don't.Keep two portfolios in PDF form ready to go, but on your website don't be a multi-specialist. It's too stressful. Pick one career path (for now) and let the other one inform it.From a marketing perspective:Design Is a combination of multiple skills applied to each application,- So every designer should in theory have the proven ability to do the basic jobs people are going to want designed (Logos, Publishing, Print, Web, Art, etc) Art is a part of design, but not essential and usually a bonus skill. It must be balanced with the rest of your design portfolio, not overwhelm it. Your art is for the sake of itself, it's a product. Not an advertisment. Give it its own section, treat it like it hangs in a gallery. Your illustrations will show their worth in their ability to fit into different applications, improve the story and work seamlessly within the design.Illustration is a singular skill applied to many different applications.Whether or not you're full time as an illustrator, If you're putting yourself out there and answering calls for submissions or adverts for art wanted; Have that illustrator's portfolio ready to go on a reputable portfolio host and maybe even pay for a simple separate domain name and a nice clean squarespace with a gallery on it if you can afford the upkeep. If you're wanting to push hard to be an illustrator, go that route, put all your energy into your illustration website AND your social handles consistently and do whatever you can to get your name out there an an illustrator. Maybe some design work will turn up with it.Splitting your website or trying to mash the two almost always ends up muddying both.One more bit of advice,No matter how much it thins your portfolio, Keep it to real-world practical applications. People don't want to know you have a skill, they want to see what you do with it. So be honest with yourself and weed out the least practical/applied projects and try to avoid "explorations". - even fabricate a final format for your projects to take - a book, posters, magazine articles etc. It seems like you've done a bit already, but look at your portfolio from someone else's perspective and see if everything in your portfolio really proves your work is practically applicable. school is for practise, work is for work, so show "work" whether it be a finished work of art or a piece of design work achieving a desired outcome - or don't show it.
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