Selling Yourself (Nah, not that way)

At the beginning of the year we were asked to describe where we came from, what inspired us, what do we think, what do we like and do we not like. All these questions were supposed to help us form a design philosophy. Initially I did not have much of a clue what my design philosophy was. But I did know what I believed in and what I liked. I knew I cared about the environment and I love the beauty of nature. I always had a taste for a vintage old-fashioned look in nearly all aspects of design. I even like old music. I come from a happy home in the countryside. Both my parents work in the healthcare industry, and always try to make a positive impact in the world. My father HATES bad quality products! if they somehow manage to make it into my house, they are quickly trashed. This has had a huge impact on me, it has inspired me to admire and want to design sustainable and long-lasting products.

After learning a lot more about the design world and the opportunities it withholds for me, I have begun to shape my own design philosophy. The more I learn about myself the more accurate my design philosophy becomes. My design philosophy is not fully set, but I know it will always be changing as I develop as a person. As of now I want to create long lasting, sustainable products preferably out of recycled materials. I hope to incorporate some upcycling wherever I can. I want to design for a positive social impact. I want to believe in the design I am designing. I know beginning as a young designer I might not get my dream job initially, and I will have to work to survive. I hope I can incorporate my design philosophy into wherever I am working. However, I am optimistic I will find somewhere to work that are environmentally conscious as it is a selling point in today’s world, so businesses are beginning to ensure sustainable design to make more money.

It is important when selling myself to really show off my beliefs and my design philosophy, the employer or portfolio viewer should get a good sense of who I am and what I stand for in my portfolio. This will further my chance of getting a job I really want.

We were given some advice from Design Partners on portfolios, I found this very helpful. The first point they addressed was that the employer more than likely makes their decision in the first 10 seconds, the average time spent on the first review is 60 seconds, the viewer is looking for a trigger whether its good or bad.

These points are extremely important, it showed me that I need to highlight one of my strong points in the beginning to give a positive first impression. First impression is very important in this scenario. I took from this that my portfolio should be clear and simple and convey what I need without much heavy reading.

This class has made me reflect on the work I have done, and on the work, I need to do. This summer is a huge opportunity for me to create things. I really want to create stuff that can add that extra bit of magic to my portfolio. (Behance, 2020)

Bibliography:

Behance.net. 2020. Behance. [online] Available at: <https://www.behance.net/gallery/91351917/Product-Design-Portfolio-2020?tracking_source=search_projects_recommended%7Cproduct%20design%20portfolio> [Accessed 1 May 2020].