How can you tailor your graphic design portfolio for a specific industry?

The design industry is a large space with many disciplines to specialize in. In my experience as a marketing professional, I have worn many hats depending on the needs of a project, client, or in this case— a potential employer. A lot of things fall under the umbrella of 'design,' so thoughtfully choosing which skills to highlight in your portfolio is crucial in showing a potential employer why you are the best person for the job. My best advice is, do your research! Understand the industry, where the business stands now, and where they plan on going. Surf all of their media channels, think of campaigns you can contribute to and grow. Think of what unique qualities, skills, and perspectives you bring to the table.

Tailoring your graphic design portfolio involves strategic research and curation. Understand the target industry's aesthetics, showcasing projects that align with its needs. Customize the presentation with industry-specific language and design elements. Highlight versatility, create detailed case studies, and adapt your design style. Incorporate relevant skills and consider industry-specific portfolio versions. Include client testimonials and stay updated on industry trends. Regularly update your portfolio to showcase evolving skills. This approach ensures your portfolio resonates with the specific expectations of the industry, making a strong and relevant impression.

Target Their World: Industry Research: Deep dive into the industry's visual style, trends, and target audience. Project Focus: Showcase designs relevant to that industry (e.g., medical brochures for healthcare). Tailored Case Studies: Briefly explain how your designs solved their specific problems (e.g., increased brand awareness). Industry Jargon: Sprinkle in relevant keywords throughout your portfolio to show you understand their needs. By showcasing industry-specific skills and understanding, you'll grab their attention and land your dream job!

A great concept for showing your work is the rule of fence posts. Think of a fence and the posts being your major projects, whereas the run between the posts your minor projects. This shows a diversity of projects of differing scales. This really flows well for the client to understand your depth of work.

It is imperative to find a suitable tailor that can match your Graphic Design portfolio to a specific industry. With the advent of mass produced textiles and clothing, experienced tailors are truly hard to find - and if you do find someone, they are frightfully expensive. However, once you find a tailor you can trust, you can be sure that they will be able to match your portfolio with the industry of your choice. Hot tip: Avoid beige at all costs.

For one of your projects show the design process and your ideation concepts. This will help the client/ prospective employer understand your problem solving abilities and how you build toward your amazing design solutions. The rest of the projects it would be ok to show completed work with Minimal process. That one complete project gives them an idea of how your work and it would be overkill to show every project that way. Don’t forget how important storytelling is in your process and project briefs, this skill can sell ideas to clients and is often overlooked, but when mastered can put you at an entirely new plane.

Building trust with your work and your integrity is the foundation for your professional relationships with clients and employers. They see creativity and unique design solutions in your work but they are ultimately hiring you. There will be times that you are not the right fit, that is ok, not everyone was meant to work together. The right ones will come.

For emerging design professionals who are recent grads, it may be difficult to break into the industry they're most passionate about solely with the portfolio pieces culled from school projects. When I graduated from design school, I learned of an available position as a package designer for a toy company. Unfortunately, I hadn't taken any packaging courses as part of my undergrad curriculum. So, I researched the marketplace to glean some insight on trends in toy package design. I then developed a fictitious toy brand and product, creating all consumer touch points from brand identity to product design, package design and trade advertising. This not only shows passion for the industry, but resourcefulness as well.

Do your research. What are the most successful designs for the industry you're interested in? What do their portfolios look like? What's in those portfolios? Don't have that type of stuff that's in your portfolio? Make it. Do pretend projects. Pretend you already got hired and were asked to make your own interpretations following industry standard design guidelines; design like your life depended on it, and don't accept failure as an option. (Many people will probably reject it even with that mindset, but that's still the mindset you need to have.)

Keep a working indesign file that allows you to shift projects as needed for certain roles. Be organized with your files so you can update projects easily. And… always document your process, great way to see how far you have come as well as including these images in your portfolio for the client to understand you more. Keep learning and update your work often.

Regularly review and update your portfolio to reflect your growth and adapt to the changing needs of the industry. Stay up to date with the latest industry trends and incorporate them into your work to show your relevancy. Remember, a tailored portfolio demonstrates your understanding of the industry and positions you as a relevant and valuable professional within that field