How to Build an Advertising Art Director Portfolio

If you are an aspiring art director then you know just how important it is to have a killer portfolio. Your portfolio serves a significant purpose because it allows employers to see your skills, originality, and helps them determine if you are a good fit for their company. It also helps you land the job that you want by showing the exact work you want to do in your next position.

Here are a few steps to help you get started on building an advertising art director portfolio.

Why Do I Need A Portfolio?

In a nutshell, people need to see your artistic capabilities – that is why portfolios are important. With everything going digital, not only should you create a tangible book but also an electronic version as well ready to upload at a moment’s notice.

Websites are a fast and easy way for anyone to search for your work online. It takes away the stress and hassle of fumbling through your book looking for pieces to show a hiring manager during an interview. Make the interview process easy by providing a link to your website instead.

It is an even better idea to have your portfolio’s website and the compiled PDF ready to show on a tablet. Having a compiled PDF available is so that you can be ready even if wifi is not available or very slow. Even this kind of forethought informs your interviewer how you can be the right choice for the job.

Pick a Website to Showcase Your Work

There lots of options for creating an online portfolio These are a few that most creatives know how to navigate.

• WordPress offers free themes but allows you to upgrade if you decide to buy your domain for example. With WordPress, it is completely customizable as well if you are willing to build on this site for the future. You can create elaborate or more basic portfolios here based on your needs.
• Prezi is a very dynamic platform to build your portfolio on with flash animations available and intuitive site building tools. A great way to make those able to boast strong facts about campaign ROIs more engaging on screen.
• Behance is the graphic designer, production artist, and print advertiser’s paradise. The layouts are ideal for graphic mediums and the community could help get your portfolio into the right hands.
• Squarespace is a paid platform that is touted as being one of the most comprehensive places to build your online presence. An Advertising Art Director with an online presence (a weekly blog post, an e-commerce shop for their work) along with their portfolio can be tremendously validating to an employer.

Add Your Best Work

Once you have chosen a platform that best works for you, it is time to add content. This takes a lot of consideration because you want strong examples of work that highlight your strengths. Include a breakdown of the creative approach you took for each project to showcase your strategic thinking in creating your pieces.

Remember, the work you show is the work you will be hired to do. While it’s tempting to add your most recent work if you are looking to pivot this will not be in your best interest. If you do want to continue your trajectory, then choose the best few to maintain their focus on your process within those projects. A choice few have more impact than everything you have ever done. Get feedback from those whose creative tastes you trust for additional perspectives.

Target Your Goal

Tailor your portfolio to the industry you want to work in. For example, if you want to work for Adidas, then featuring samples of artwork that include shoes or sports apparel will draw more attention to hiring managers. Employers will appreciate you took out the time to research their company. If you do not have any relevant work, you can create what’s known as ‘spec work’, short for speculative work. It simply means that your included work is something that was not commissioned by the brand, but your own imagination of what

Unique Personal Brand

Your portfolio is a representation of your personal brand. Take some time to think about what you want your viewer to take away after looking through your website. Give your site an authentic take on how you envision yourself to be. This is the place to use the adage, ‘fake it till you make it’. Embody your Advertising heroes until you become one yourself.

Versatility Goes a Long Way

Showing artistic flexibility can improve marketability. Creating a layout of an app and an online brochure, for example, might get your hired. Including a wide range of work, samples show that you are able to execute any task.

Do Include Accolades

If you’ve won awards, include them in your portfolio. Employers will remember who you are and it helps you stand out from other job candidates. On websites, including accolades are called trust-builders. These serve the same purpose for employers as further validation that your work has been recognized in the past and could be during your time with them as well.

Hello, My Name Is…

Every good online portfolio needs an “about me” section. This is a great way to introduce yourself and get personal by sharing your interests, goals, etc. Complementary skills or interest can reinforce your overall brand while completely different hobbies can surprise the viewer and make you seem more well-rounded. However, this is still your professional portfolio and any images or text should remain that way.

Please Hire Me!

Do not forget a “contact me” page that includes your email, number, and social media profiles. Also, make this one of your headers – do not assume people know to look in your About section or Home Page or even at the top or bottom of the page. Dedicate a section to how you are contactable for hire – that is the whole point!

FIU’s Global Strategic Communications (GSC) – Creative Track

FIU’s Global Strategic Communications (GSC) – Creative Track is a program designed for students with an undergraduate degree from accredited universities, to gain analytical and creative skills while creating a great portfolio to get noticed and ultimately hired. For more information contact us, or email Grizelle De Los Reyes, Director of the FIU-MAS Creative Track Program at gdelosre@fiu.edu.

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