Articles: portfolio

A portfolio has one job: to show that you have already done something close to what the client is asking about. Everything else is a bonus. That is why a selection built for a particular meeting works better than a whole archive dropped into one folder.

A selection, not an archive

The first few minutes decide how the rest is viewed. If a client sees something from their own field early on, they carry on looking with real interest. The first move, then, is narrowing the selection rather than hunting for a smarter cover.

• A dozen or so projects instead of everything - a shorter set gets read to the end.
• A short note with each project - one sentence on the task, one on the outcome.
• A considered order - the strongest piece first, the second strongest at the close.
• Matched to the listener - one set of examples for a hotel, another for a workshop.
• Kept current - older work earns its place only while it still impresses.

What to leave behind

One thing usually stays with the client after a meeting, and that is the item still working for you. A branded memory stick holds good photographs, a presentation and documents, and it tends to stay on a desk. A printed catalogue or album can be looked through without switching anything on, and it gets passed around more readily. A folder of printed sheets gives the most freedom, since the inserts can be swapped for each client. Whatever the form, keep it tidy: clear folder names, one obvious file to open first and contact details somewhere visible.

Before ordering anything, choose the projects and write the notes that go with them. A format is easy to match to finished content, and it rarely works the other way round.