Never, NEVER get into a project that is over your head. If you get into something that is WAY over your head, well it’s not going to turn out well. There is the possibility that you get so over your head that you learn something extreme and then you know it. But that usually does not happen. Just try to only do thing you know you can do. And if you want to do more things, learn them before you are getting paid for it.

Just released a new wallpaper from the new Ultimates 3 Comic Book.

Check it out here!

I know I have a lot of You The Designer post on this blog lately, but that is because it is one of the best sources for design. This is what I do, I collect the best postings from around the web and anything I can come up with as well. If you are trying to update your portfolio and find a job this posting will help 100%.

I have been doing extensive research on portfolio sites lately and what I’ve noticed and I’m sure a lot of you have noticed is the growing popularity of one page portfolio websites. I know some of you might be “anti trends”, but I think this portfolio website format is great for several reasons and I will give you tips on how to create your own one page graphic design portfolio and how you can market it for free.

Benefits of a One Page Graphic Design Portfolio

- Easy to code since it is usually minimalistic in appearance

- Simplicity of the graphic design portfolio allows your designs to shine

- Very easy and quick for potential employers to navigate

Tips for Creating a One Page Graphic Design Portfolio

1. Register your own domain and get a paid hosting plan, don’t try and use any free services

2. Keep the layout of the site simple, but don’t be afraid to let some of your personal design style out

3. Find the right balance between low file size and quality for your images

4. Make your contact information easy to find at the top of the site

5. Write a brief 2-3 sentence bio about yourself to personalize the site

6. Link to a downloadable PDF version of your resume that is under 2mb in size

7. Don’t add an excessive number of items to your graphic design portfolios, twelve or so pieces should be fine, but you could go a little higher or lower

8. Add a case study (brief description) under each project

9. Validate your websites CSS and XHTML

10. Do not put any Google ads or other advertisements on your portfolio site

Tips for Promoting Your One Page Graphic Design Portfolio

- Submit your portfolio to design inspiration sites. This can result in tons of traffic if you design is top notch and gets rated well by people on the site. So make sure your website is in perfect shape before submitting.

- If you participate in graphic design forums, showcase your site in threads dedicated to showing portfolio work and you can also add a link to your portfolio in your signature. If you are an active member people will be more likely to visit the links in your signature

- Tell all your friends about your site. Word of mouth is an underestimated method of website promotion

- Read this book on search engine optimization. It is a priceless investment and will help you get tons of natural and free traffic to your website by tweaking minor things on your site

- Exchange links with other designer’s sites

- Create and attach a blog to your website so you can post articles related to design on your site. This will help bring in traffic and will help establish you as a knowledgeable professional in your field.

- Submit your portfolio to onepagefolios.com

- Submit your website to quality business directories

- Submit your website to logo design inspiration sites mentioned in our article Design a Logo – The Ultimate Guide

Graphic Design Portfolio Resources

WordPress – Can work as a great CMS (Content Management System) for your graphic design portfolio.

One Page Folios - Nice collection of over 800 one page folios that you can browse through for inspiration.
Most Inspired – A collection of all the popular CSS and design gallery website that you can submit your portfolio site too.
SEO Book – The best search engine optimization book on the market. It will teach you everything you need to know about getting natural free search engine traffic to your website.

Some Great One Page Graphic Design Portfolios

I hope you found this post helpful and informative and if you

I had to take this from you the designer, it is amazing, I can’t say more. Read it…

Doing in-depth research on the career you are interested is vital to success and this research includes knowing how much room for growth a certain career has. Most careers have different levels of employment and room for growth, but the design career ladder is extremely complex with many levels, paths and salary types.

I recently finished reading a great book called “Becoming a graphic designer – A Guide to careers in design” by Steven Heller and Teresa Fernandes. One of the early topics of the book is going over common terminology for a career in design.

The book explains there are basically two paths you you can take, the in-house path or the freelance path, and most designers will do both in their lifetime. Below are some important terms mentioned in the book that will help you when you are searching for a job as a graphic designer.

Graphic Design Career Terminology

In-House Design Department Terms

Art Department, Art and Design Department, Art Services Department, Design Department, Design Services Department, Creative Services Department, Creative Group

Design Management Job Titles

Creative Director, Design Director, Corporate Art Director, Creative Services Manager, Design Manager

Creative/Design Level Job Titles

Senior Designer, Designer, Senior Art Director, Art Director, Graphics Editor

Support Level Job Titles

Junior Designer, Assistant Designer, Deputy Art Director, Associate, Art Director, Assistant Art Director, Production Artist, Art Associate

Entry Level Design Job Titles

Assistant Designer, Junior Designer, Intern

They Want Super Designers!

I would also recommend that designers keep and eye on design job boards such as (Coroflot, Krop, and even Cragislist) so you can get an idea of the requirements employers are looking for nowadays. Management positions will obviously require more years of experience then entry level positions, but you would be surprised at the amount of qualifications some employers expecting from entry level designers.

This is mainly a lot of businesses do not have the money for an entire design staff so they are looking for “do it all super designers” designers who are not only graphic designers, but experienced web designers and animators as well.

Many areas of design are crossing paths now a days due to advances in technology and easier access to software, which is a second reason why the amount of technical skill required for jobs is growing rapidly! Knowing Illustrator, Photoshop and Indesign still might be enough for most jobs, but having other skills such as knowing how to code valid XHTML and CSS are becoming much more sought after and can help you land a job much easier.

Build a Foundation First

While I do think its good to have experience in a multitude of areas, I believe it is important to have a strong foundation in one area first and then branch off into other areas. For example my main focus is graphic design and I spend most of my time bettering myself as a graphic designer, but I have begun to branch off into other areas as well such as blogging, web design, search engine optimization and marketing so I can pursue my long term goals, including working full time from home.

So to sum all this up, do your research on the career you are interested, keep an eye on the ever-changing requirements for jobs, build a strong foundation for yourself and then look into branching off into other areas!

Always right down and draw everything that comes to mind. You might not need it at the moment but when you need a design most, and you can’t think those drawings and scribbles will be your best friend!