Most Graphic Design Portfolios Are FORGOTTEN – Here’s How to Make Yours Unforgettable (& Get Hired)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Angry Designer - "Most Graphic Design Portfolios Are FORGOTTEN – Here’s How to Make Yours Unforgettable (& Get Hired)"

Release Date: May 13, 2025
Host/Author: A Graphic Design Podcast that cuts through the industry bull to help frustrated Designers charge what they're worth and build rewarding creative careers.

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Introduction to the Episode

In this insightful episode of The Angry Designer, hosts Simone and Sean delve into the often-overlooked aspects that make graphic design portfolios memorable and effective in securing job opportunities. Drawing from their recent experience at the CROP event in Austin, the duo shares actionable strategies to help designers craft portfolios that stand out in a crowded industry.

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Experiences at CROP Austin

The episode begins with Simone and Sean recounting their time at the CROP event in Austin. They highlight the vibrant creative energy of the city, contrasting it with other Texan cities they've visited. The hosts emphasize the unique atmosphere of the closing party held at an innovative advertising agency, featuring live music and creative displays.

Notable Quote:
Simone shares her excitement about the event:
"It was a perfect way to introduce ourselves to Austin because it was incredibly creative. There were murals everywhere, and it looked like a city that once thrived on the passion of low-end creatives who beautified it, making it all cool."
(Timestamp: 04:00)

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Unique Interactions and Insights

One of the standout moments was an unexpected Uber ride where Simone and Sean met a designer’s mother, leading to a heartfelt conversation about her son’s unconventional path in graphic design. This encounter underscored the importance of networking and storytelling in the design community.

Notable Quote:
Sean describes the encounter:
"It was like one of those fate moments because she was conflicted about her son going out without formal education. We reassured her that her son was doing everything right and was already on his way to success."
(Timestamp: 06:02)

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Portfolio Review Session

The core of the episode focuses on a portfolio review session conducted by Simone and Sean with four talented students. Despite the high quality of their work, the portfolios fell short in effectively presenting the designers themselves. This realization led the hosts to identify common pitfalls and develop strategies to overcome them.

Notable Quote:
Simone reflects on the students' presentations:
"The quality of their work was phenomenal, better than I would have expected from college students. However, their overall story and how they presented their work was lacking, making it difficult to remember them."
(Timestamp: 10:39)

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Identifying the Problems

The hosts pinpoint two main issues affecting the memorability of graphic design portfolios:

1. Lack of Personal Storytelling:
   Designers often dive straight into showcasing their work without introducing themselves, making it hard for reviewers to connect on a personal level.

2. Incoherent Presentation Flow:
   Portfolios frequently present projects in a chaotic manner without a logical narrative, hindering the audience's ability to follow and remember the designer's journey.

Notable Quote:
Seain emphasizes the importance of personal connection:
"People remember people first, not just the work. You need to introduce yourself and make a memorable connection."
(Timestamp: 16:18)

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Introducing the ECM Framework

To address these issues, Simone and Sean introduce the ECM Framework, a structured approach to portfolio presentations that ensures designers are memorable and their work is effectively showcased.

• Emotion:
  Convey passion and excitement about your work to create an emotional connection.

• Clarity:
  Maintain a clear and logical flow in your presentations to make it easy for others to follow your story.

• Memorable Moments:
  Incorporate unique elements or personal anecdotes that make your portfolio stand out.

Notable Quote:
Simone elaborates on ECM:
"People remember how you made them feel more than what they saw. Bringing passion and excitement to your presentation means you have a stake in your work, which employers value."
(Timestamp: 30:19)

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Actionable Steps for an Unforgettable Portfolio

The hosts outline a step-by-step strategy to revamp portfolio presentations:

1. Start with the Problem:
   Begin each project by highlighting the initial challenge or issue that needed solving.

2. Share the Exploration:
   Discuss your research, sketches, and thought processes that led to the final solution.

3. Present the Final Solution:
   Showcase the completed work and explain why the design effectively addresses the problem.

4. Support with Proof:
   Use mockups and real-world applications to demonstrate the functionality and impact of your design.

5. Outcome (Bonus Step):
   Whenever possible, share the results and successes achieved through your design solutions.

Notable Quote:
Sean summarizes the presentation flow:
"Good work gets you noticed, but being a good storyteller gets people to remember you and hire you."
(Timestamp: 34:39)

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Elevating Your Portfolio Presentation

Simone and Sean stress the importance of balancing quality work with compelling storytelling. They encourage designers to make themselves memorable through personal narratives, logical project flow, and emotional engagement.

Key Recommendations:

• Introduce Yourself First:
  Share a personal story or unique fact before diving into your portfolio pieces.

• Maintain Logical Flow:
  Ensure each project follows a coherent narrative, making it easy for reviewers to understand your design journey.

• Incorporate Emotion and Memorable Elements:
  Use personal anecdotes, humor, or unique presentation methods to leave a lasting impression.

Notable Quote:
Simone advises on making oneself unforgettable:
"Your portfolio is not just a display of work; it's a tool to make people remember you. Use storytelling to create an emotional connection and stand out."
(Timestamp: 33:05)

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Wrapping up the episode, Simone and Sean reflect on the positive experiences at CROP Austin and reaffirm the importance of their ECM Framework. They encourage designers to adopt these strategies to enhance their portfolios, ensuring they not only showcase their skills but also leave a memorable impression on potential employers and clients.

Notable Quote:
Simone concludes with encouragement:
"Good work gets you noticed, but being a good storyteller gets people remembering you and gets you hired. That's the difference."
(Timestamp: 34:37)

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Key Takeaways

• Personal Connection Matters: Introduce yourself and share personal stories to create a memorable presence.

• Structured Presentation: Follow a logical flow in your portfolio to make your design journey easy to follow.

• Emotion and Memorability: Engage your audience emotionally and incorporate unique elements to stand out.

By implementing these strategies, graphic designers can transform their portfolios from forgotten collections into unforgettable showcases that effectively communicate their value and secure rewarding career opportunities.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. You're listening to the Angry Designer podcast, where we help frustrated graphic designers crush the industry.

[B]

Bull.

[A]

And share what it takes to charge what you're worth and build badass, rewarding careers. All right, so, yeah, we actually made it back. We made it back in one piece from Austin, which was just awesome. You see what I did there?

[B]

They both start with a.

[A]

You're right. And I thought, oh, because it was so inspiring.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Honestly, like, that was such a. I've never been to Austin.

[B]

Nope. Me either.

[A]

And going to Tech War Crop was such a perfect way to introduce ourselves.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To Austin.

[B]

Yeah. No, no, definitely. You've been. You've been to Texas, though.

[A]

I've been to Texas.

[B]

Is it really different?

[A]

Austin was completely different. Like, I think, because it was. Where was I? San Antonio. San Antonio.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

And it was not like. And then I've been to Houston.

[B]

Houston.

[A]

Not like Austin, Really? Everybody. They all have their. Texas is a big state. And. And so there's something about Austin where we stayed. Right. It was a creative space.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

There was creative energy everywhere. Right. Everywhere you went. It's just people were like, oh, are you here for crop? Are you here for Crop? I mean, again, I don't like, hat, beard, black T shirt. I don't know what the giveaways were.

[B]

But every dude looked the same. Yeah.

[A]

Apparently they saw us coming a mile away. And this.

[B]

Don't anybody ever take the beanie? Look, that's mine.

[A]

They never said it to you?

[B]

They never did. No. I look totally different.

[A]

But I mean, again, this event was. I had. I had no idea what to expect going into. Right, right.

[B]

Because. Exactly.

[A]

You know, like, we. Okay, we we spent a lot of time at other events. And again, fantastic. And this is not a compare and contrast by any means, because know, one is not better than the other.

[B]

Apples and oranges.

[A]

They are so different.

[B]

Very much so.

[A]

You know, where, you know, other events. I'm not even going to say what they were like, but this one felt like punk rock to me. Okay. And again, you. You know, you want to hear about. You know, us go on about all these other amazing events we go to. You can check it back, but. And they were all fantastic. But if I had to describe this one, it was like rock and roll, man. It was like punk rock. It was gritty. Gritty. It was edgy.

[B]

Edgy. Yeah.

[A]

And. And it sounds ridiculous to say it this way, but it was. It was. It had to do with the events. Right.

[B]

Our.

[A]

Our freaking closing party was in an advertising agency. Okay. And this Agency was ridiculous.

[B]

Holy.

[A]

Like the main floor was like half gallery. We had like live music, like awesome bands merch shop in. In a agency.

[B]

In an agency.

[A]

I thought Lincoln was the only ones who did something like this crazy, but these guys did some and it was pretty freaking cool.

[B]

It was great, you know, venue.

[A]

It's just. I don't know. I, I mean, I, I have nothing but incredible things to say about this event.

[B]

It was, it was, it was absolutely incredible. And it's funny because talking to people before about, you know, the differences between the two and a lot of people would be saying, I can't really describe crop and I understand and I'm kind of like, I get that now. I get it. It's just such a strange thing.

[A]

Like, and, and, and the funny thing is there was a lot of crossover people that we've seen before, but it just felt different and it was just. And again, there's. There's so much love between, you know, you know, Matt, who, who founded this, and of course other conferences that it's like they both just promote each other and, and, and there's just nothing but an admiration and respect for one another.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And now I get it. It's because they're so damn different.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And again, I don't know, it was a perfect way to introduce. Get introduced to Austin because was incredibly, like, creative. There were murals everywhere.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

It. It looked like it was a city that used to be our area. You know, it used to be run by, you know, low end, poor creatives who, you know, then beautified it, you know, made it all cool, came up, you know, created murals and this and that. And now everybody's moving in and charging twice as much.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

I kind of see this as a trend happening, but, you know, our coffee shop that we went to was pretty damn cool. Yeah, we went for a ride in an urban driverless Uber, but I don't think that had anything to do with crop so much Austin. Okay.

[B]

It's crazy though, right?

[A]

Yeah. And yeah, that was nuts.

[B]

It's a bizarre feeling to, to have a steering wheel in an empty seat.

[A]

That was actually kind of scary, to be honest.

[B]

It was. But it was a great driver.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Contrast that with the driver we had before. Oh my God.

[A]

The driver we had before this. She was the most amazing Uber. You want to talk about a crazy Uber experience? Okay, let me share this. So we, we. We had to go buy a camera last minute.

[B]

We, we.

[A]

We ubered out into the other side of town and, you know, we waited for this Uber. This, this, this girl, this woman, Bara, Beautiful woman. Okay. Comes out and she's, you know, picks us up in her Tesla. She's got these long fancy nails. She's, you know, like, nice hair, nice makeup. She's just, and just so much energy. And she's like, so what are you guys doing here? What are you doing here? And, and we're like, well, we're, we're here for a conference. Well, what kind. This was not going to be a quiet Uber ride. And it was okay because I love these kind of rides. And she's like, so what do you do? We're like, well, we're here for graphic design conference. We have a graphic design podcast. And as she's driving, she's pulling out her phone. She's like, what's your podcast? What, what is it? What is it? Tell me about your pod. And she's typing it in as she's driving, finds us. And she's like, so what do you talk about? I'm like, you know, we're podcast, we're graphic designers and this and that. So you're a graphic designer? My son is a graphic designer. Will you say hi? Say something to him on this. And she starts recording us in the backseat as she's driving. Bar, I love you. It was scary, though.

[B]

Yeah, that was scary.

[A]

And, and so then we, we sent a message. We're like, yeah, you know, like in our usual angry designer style, she sends it to him and like, and then we're talking to her and like 30 seconds later, I guess he acknowledges that he got it, he harded it. Right. And it was cool. So she's like insisting we get on the phone with him. This is all happening in like a 10 minute conversation. And again, the concern that was, of course, and bear hope you don't mind me saying this, you know, her son, very talented graphic designer. Okay. Young, he's just, you know, 20 years old. Okay. Already is doing enough work that he's, he's full time and he is not going to school. And her concern, of course, is she was brought up with the mindset that you have to go to school.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right. And, and it's like. But he's already working. So she is torn. And, and we're having a great conversation with him. Qualifying the kid. Right. The kid was legit. He found a niche right now. It was serving him well. He was gaining all this experience. Yeah. You know, and then of course, you know, we, we send him off. Right. Because the kid's gonna go to Bali for three months and work remotely. You know, one of the perks of the job. Yes. It's kind of freelancer. And she. This was like one of those fate moments.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because she was conflicted with this whole idea about, you know, like, can you be successful out going school? Because her just like, you know, my family, of course, you know, were of the old school belief.

[B]

Yes. They. You have to do this sort of thing. Yes. Right.

[A]

You need these stages. You need to go to school or whatever. Right. And we were reassuring her that, you know, her son is doing everything right. He's well on his way. You know, it was. It was like we were meant to take that Uber and it was meant that it was us. It was us. Right. Had it been other designers, they could have said, no, you shouldn't do school. Blah, blah, blah. We're proof. And a lot of you are proof that you didn't have to do this.

[B]

Nope. He was already working. He'd already had a good grasp of his programs.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I think he was in Photoshop and illustrated all that.

[A]

He was using everything. Yeah.

[B]

Why would you take four, three or four years off?

[A]

Incur debt.

[B]

Yeah. Incur all that debt. Yes. When you might as well just ride it out. Keep going, See where you go.

[A]

Right. So needless to say, you know, we were meant to take that ride. And again, that was an incredible way to start, you know, the crop experience for us, because it was like we were meant to be there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and then our awesome friend, Mr. Nick Longo from the Deeply Graphic Design Cast, which is another podcast that you guys just don't listen to.

[B]

Don't listen to it. Don't listen. You know.

[A]

You know.

[B]

No, we're kidding.

[A]

We love Nick. He's very. That's what. You can't listen to it because you might go, listen. But regardless. Regardless. I love, love you, Nick, man. And he asked us to participate in a portfolio review.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That was happening on the first day. So, you know, it was happening in between workshops and such. Had a whole bunch of students show up with their portfol portfolios, and it was just like, why. Absolutely. We would love, like, you know, we would be honored.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To jump into this. And. And I mean, and. And this was fantastic. Right? Like, this whole portfolio review experience was awesome. Four students we interviewed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We didn't make any of them cry. And so we didn't try hard enough. And they were. They. They were amazing.

[B]

They were.

[A]

All four of them were so different. One, you know, like, you know, strong, you know, art background. You know, she went to Florence for, you know, quite a few months, for like four or five months. Right. Great story there. Great work. You know, another one, you know, hunting passion.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Passion in hunting, which I thought was incredible. I mean, her work showed this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, we had, we had one listener, you know, sure enough, on being asked that we were going to be there or not. His logo was just. It was so beautiful. I. I almost felt like I was, I was, I was so touched. I was like, this is the beautiful logo I've ever seen. I don't know why. I don't know if it was col.

[B]

Board, the fonts, everything about it was.

[A]

It was, it was amazing. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then the last girl, you know, who. I think she was from Texas. She's from Houston, I think.

[B]

I think so. Yeah.

[A]

And again, like, layout, like layout artists, like, just all grades, created a magazine, actual book there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Us, a physical book to touch, to feel, to flip. Like, it was.

[B]

Wow, that was great.

[A]

So again, it was, it was awesome. Okay. And I mean, you know, the quality of their work was phenomenal. Right. No complaints there. And I think, I think we both agree to this part, right?

[B]

Oh, yeah, definitely.

[A]

Like, I mean, the quality of stuff, it didn't look like they were juniors. They definitely didn't look like they were high school kids. They were, they were four very talented designers who, who've got a great future ahead of them. Okay.

[B]

Yep, yep.

[A]

What was interesting, however, okay, what we noticed between all four of these, okay. They all had the same issues. Okay. It wasn't a matter of work.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

That was the problem here, because the work was fine and it was standard. It was better than I would have expected. Yeah. You know, for college kids. But it was, I guess, their overall story, the pitch, how we presented, and that was what all four of them kind of lacked, unfortunately. Right.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Because I guess school will teach you design principles. School teaches you all these, these, these high level, you know, what to consider this and, and balance that, and they'll teach you all the design that you need to know. But I guess they're really not knew how to pitch, how to present. And then we participated in a panel afterwards with all the students and there was a few of us on stage. There was like eight of us on stage, I think.

[B]

So. Yeah.

[A]

Turns out we weren't the only ones who were experiencing this.

[B]

Yeah. It turned out across the board, it.

[A]

Was a topic that came up and it was, it was across the board, everybody was feeling this. So, you know, that's. That led Me to think that, you know, that was, that's a perfect topic of conversation for this. Okay, obviously we're back from crop. You know, we have nothing but incredible things to, you know, talk about crop. And, and I would recommend this to anybody who is, who's considering an event. And now a word from our sponsor. All right, designers, let's cut the bowl. How many times have you had a killer website designed only to watch it fall apart because of code or developer telling you no, no, no. Or maybe you've held back from web design altogether, thinking it's just too complicated and too technical or totally out of your wheelhouse. Either way, it's time for a change. WIX Studio is designed for designers removing the barriers that limits your designs. Whether you're tired of developers watering down your ideas or too intimidating by the technical side of web, wix Studio puts the creative power back in your hands. No code required. With a drag and drop interface that feels designer intuitive, plus no code, animations and even AI powered tools, you can create fully custom websites that match your vision. Every pixel, every detail. And if you're worried about the learning curve, don't be. Wix Studio is designed to feel as intuitive as your favorite design tools. Some designers here even say more. So that means you can jump right in and focus on what you do best. Designing badass brand aligned websites that'll take your business to the next level. So whether you've had enough of developers holding you back or you're ready to finally step into web design, check out wix studio.com and take control. That's wix studio.com go and take back web design for graphic designers. Let's get into what we discovered and how we helped for this. Right. And. And this was helping students. Okay. And even more so, this pitch would work even thereafter as agency owners and such pitching clients. Okay. The proper way to pitch. Okay, nice. So you know what we've done? Pulled the three basic problems here, right? Well, two problems and maybe kind of like a bonus thing to think about. Okay, gotcha. You know, that, that, you know, was something that we recommended to all of them. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So problem number one. As amazing as all four of these, these kids were, right. They just jumped in and started talking about the work.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

None of them talked about themselves, introduced themselves. None of them made themselves memorable to us. Okay. And you know, and again, this, this.

[B]

Like they just dove straight right into the work. Yeah. I don't know. Who are you? Why are you, why are you here?

[A]

The names and I get it. I Get it. They're probably a little bit nervous, I think. Get that. I get that. But again, they didn't. They didn't give us a reason to connect with them first. Right. You know, again, you know, the. The one girl was a fine arts major, and, you know, her work was just phenomenal. Her experiences in Florence, you know what I mean? It was. It was like breathtaking. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I want to hear that kind of stuff. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because again, it's like, you know, this way, this kind of sets the stage of who you're actually talking to. Right. It kind of sets. You know, we had the other girl, you know, her hunting. She was into hunting. And again, if you looked at her. And again, I'm not. I don't know what female hunters look like other than on. On Instagram. But I mean, I. She could have told me that she was into fashion or she, you know, came from, you know, I don't know. Yeah, but when she was saying, you know, she. She came from a hunting background, it was something that happened. I was just like, yeah, you. That's amazing.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[A]

These are the kind of conversations that you almost want to lead with. Okay.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And. And again, because before you, you know, you introduce, you know, your work, you've got to introduce yourself. Right. Whether it's a quick, fun origin story about. About who you are and what you do, you know, fun first, personal facts, travel history. Right. You know, anything, even an icebreaker, you know, something that happened on your way there just to kind conversation. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The reason why this matters. Okay. Is because people remember people first. Okay. Not the work.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. And I think that was something that we even said on the panel afterwards. You know, after a long day of interviewing 10, 20 people looking at portfolios, let's face it, it all becomes a freaking blur. It really does. I'm sorry, it becomes a complete blur. And, you know, you're grasping at what parts to remember. And what you tend to remember are people that resonated with you most.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so you guys, first and foremost, whether it's an agency, whether you're a freelancer pitching a brand new customer, or whether you're a student, you know, who's interviewing, you know, a prospect, a company, or what have you, you've got to lead with your story and make yourself memorable because people hire people here. Zen factor.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. We actually hire personality first.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Portfolio is actually second. Like, what do we say?

[B]

I don't know. Somebody said it was. Was it Dan, maybe 50. 50. He was like, you know, if you can't get a beer with this person, and that's exactly. I don't want you on the team.

[A]

I don't want you.

[B]

Dan, the talent will come. You can. You can encourage that. But if an is always an, you know.

[A]

Absolutely. Right. Look at the last person we hired you. Yeah, she had zero experience, but just from, you know, sounds creepy, but, you know, found out who she was from her school, checked her out on her Instagram, you know, like, checking her Facebook. I was like, I think this girl has got the kind of personality that we want here. No experience. Yeah, not at all. Right. Like, not in our field, but, you know, she's become a great part of. Because she had the zed factor.

[B]

Right?

[A]

She had that personality. Right. And. And again, everybody there pretty much agreed. I mean, check this out. Okay. So, you know the kind of people that were at crop. This dude came up to us, okay? Anthem Design Company. Check this out. I. He handed me, you know, this. So stickers are a pretty big deal over there. This guy went one step further, and this is not stickers he created. These are like, I don't know, like sealed cards, like collector cards. Like, you see hockey cards, Pokemon cards. Right. And. And he's got like, obviously, this is so he didn't just hand over business card. Yeah, okay. Didn't hand over just stickers. Even though stickers are the hot thing right now. This is cellophane wrapped cards in here. It is so beautiful. I don't even want to open this because I'm amazed. It's creative codes. I've got a QR code, a guide for designers and creatives alike. Follow the codes. Carry the fire. Like, dude, this is so memorable. This is good thing. This is incredible. I'm actually not going to open mine. Do you want to open yours? I want to keep mine like this.

[B]

Okay. Yeah.

[A]

I'm curious to see what this is.

[B]

Pardon me. Well, I used my sheep.

[A]

He's just biting it like an animal.

[B]

Yeah. So tearing in, staring at him.

[A]

They are like cards, magic cards.

[B]

If I could drop some knowledge on my younger self, it'd be this. These tips I picked up throughout my career are more than just less. They are a road map. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro in need of a reset, they'll help you stay inspired and true to your vision. Carry the fire.

[A]

This is freaking incredible.

[B]

And just what we were talking about. Oh, how perfect is that?

[A]

Look at this. Greg Jackson, my friend. Dude, you have outdone yourself. This is the coolest. These are like playing cards. And look at this little devil here. Don't be an. That's one of your first tips.

[B]

Make work you love.

[A]

Make work you love.

[B]

This one.

[A]

Sweat and tears.

[B]

This one rings true.

[A]

Work with kick ass people. And he's got like, he's got like these, these bloody brass knuckles, man. Dude. Anyway, this, this is what I'm talking about. Stay weird with a little. Look at that.

[B]

Look at that. Oh, this is a really good one.

[A]

Incredible.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Burn steady, not out like again.

[B]

These are.

[A]

Wow. Wow again. That's really nice. Keep freaking learning. I added the freaking in there, people. But anyway, this dude, in order to stand out, he created this incredible set of cards. I've never seen anything like it. I'm very jealous.

[B]

And speaking of memorable, like, I mean, these are things that you could, you could kind of keep in a drawer and all of a sudden pull out once in a while.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

I remember that dude, right? And he handed me these things and.

[A]

And even more interviewed the one girl with her portfolio when she was talking about her hunting game. Right, Right. We said, you know what, you need to bring a pack of these every single portfolio interview you do from here on in, because people are going to keep it and remember you based on it. So. So you know what, where we're going in a long winded way is. Okay, problem number one, okay, that, that unfortunately was across the board with all the people that we interviewed, portfolio interviewed, plus everybody else is first and foremost, we make yourself memorable.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Be known. Make sure, you know, you make yourself known because again, that goes. That speaks almost equally as important as your portfolio. Because graphic design, okay, is something that can be learned. It can be something that can be, you know, matured, honed. Okay. We can grow that. Okay. Oftentimes a personality, you can't.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

You can't mesh with the personality. Okay. Then unfortunately, sometimes you're dead in the world. Water. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. So that was problem number one. Okay, nice. Now problem number two, which was another part that everybody was talking about, is all four of our people started very similarly at the end.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Which, you know, is not bad. But the problem is, you know, as they were going through their portfolio and their presentations, right. They would talk about a case study. It would jump around. It would jump around. It was really difficult to follow along. Right. So what we're saying is they didn't tell a story with their work. Okay. You know, once they, it was, it was kind of like, it was, it Was a fun chaos.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But it would be like, well, here's the final product. I'm like, whoa, that's fucking great.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

How did you get there? Yeah, back it up, back it up. Well, then I did this, and then I did this, and then, you know, and then again, show me the final product. And then here's the problem. Here's this. It was just very hard to follow. Okay. And the whole problem with this is designs, you know, in a presentation without any sort of context feels very chaotic.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I've talked about this before. Your mind is. It seeks logic. It's a logic seeking mechanism. Okay. It's looking for ways to connect data points in order to follow a story. Story. Okay. I always. I always use this example, and it's the stupidest example in the world. And I'm sorry for anybody who's already heard it, but, you know, my. My example is if I was to throw crazy words, right? Like, booth, you know, glasses, a suit, briefcase, explosion, flying, you'd be like, what, what? What? And I'm. Okay, repeat that back to me. Right?

[B]

Yeah. It's just a jumble of. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

If I was to say there was a dude in a suit, suit, wearing glasses, one day walking down the street with a briefcase, heard an explosion, jumped into a telephone booth and flew out of there as Superman, now you would remember because all those same elements that I mentioned there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They're in a story.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And it's a logical flow. Well, logical for people who know Superman, But I mean, the idea is, is that, you know, like. Like tying together items in a logical format helps your mind, helps the comprehension on so many levels. Right. It helps connect the dots to a story so people can remember easier. You know, stories stick in people's minds longer than isolated facts do.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Cavemen didn't have facts back then. Right? They didn't, Right.

[A]

It was all stories. Right, Exactly. These stories keep people engaged and interested. Okay. It helps people relate to things a little better.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like, we're like, oh, yeah, I get.

[B]

It happened to me.

[A]

I had a customer like that. What a disaster that was. Right? You know, it adds a little bit of credibility to, you know, your story.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Where then they can start getting trust, you know? And again, when you start helping people make emotional connections to a story, it makes you become unforgettable.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

There's so many reasons that, you know, like, people need to create a story to. When they start talking about their products in their. In their portfolio or, sorry, their portfolio pages themselves. Right. So many benefits to this. So this was. You know, every one of the people that we interviewed, you know, we reviewed their portfolios, pretty much got the exact same thing. It was like, your work is great, but I need to see the flow. I need to see the story.

[B]

The one guy was. Was awesome. His stuff was so good, but he led with the. The great logo.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Right. And it was just. And then. Then he came around, like, three or four pages later, and there's the first logo, the shitty one, the one that he was improving.

[A]

And it was just like, oh, right.

[B]

And then we were kind of like, dude, you have to lead with the shitty one. This is your problem.

[A]

So shitty.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Every single person you would show that logo to would be like, what a disaster.

[B]

Exactly. And that right there says, here's my problem. This is what I have to deal with.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

This is where I'm gonna end up.

[A]

And this is the story how he. Absolutely. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So again, you know, so much more benefit, you know, to telling that story. So. And I get it. Where do you start? What do you follow? Okay. Our recommendation. And this is only our recommendation. We recommend it to everybody we talk to that day. And this is what we recommend to people who come here to this agency and present us not. Not the only way to do it. But this way seems to work for us. Okay. Is. Is number one okay for this. This project storytelling flow. And this is a repeatable framework that you guys can use, regardless who you're pitching. This will work. Change it up. But this is how we recommend it for our agency. Seems to work well.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So step one, start with the problem. Okay. Just like you said.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

The logo was horrible.

[B]

It was bad. Both of them. Both cases.

[A]

That logo just told the whole story. Like, you. You pretty much didn't even have to go into detail. It was just, like, bad logo, which means they got everything else right. You need to talk about, you know, what was broken in that situation. Okay. And then it allows you to quickly explain what. What kind of problem you need to solve.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And again, whatever's bad, start with it. That logo was bad. Okay. And so, again, you know, it's just. It's like it can only go up from here.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And then step number two. Okay. Share the exploration.

[B]

Oh, yes.

[A]

We ask that for everybody. We're like, well, how did you get to this solution? Okay.

[B]

Right.

[A]

What options did you, you know, did you try to go to? What did your sketches look like? You know, what did you discover in the research part?

[B]

We.

[A]

We want to Know your thought process. And this doesn't matter whether you're a student or whether you're applying for a job. Right. We desperately want to know your thought process, because that's what this is all about. Okay. What, what other ways did. What other things did you consider when you did this? What did you discover while you were doing this? Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Share that, because again, it's how you work is. Is more valuable than that final product.

[B]

Big time.

[A]

Big time. Then number three, after you do those two, then you present your final solution. There we go. So here you go. Shitty logo.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

This is all the problems. This is what I discovered about the marketplace. Boom. Here is my revised logo, which is incredible. Right?

[B]

Right.

[A]

This is where you can talk about why did you land on this design? How did you land on it? Right. What made this right for that client or for the product or the. The project?

[B]

Right. Yeah.

[A]

So that's step number three. Step number four, open. Okay. This is where you support everything that you thought of with proof. So this is where I want to see the mockups. Okay. At this stage, you've showed me the logo, you showed me. You've. How you've improved. You know the problem now you're outlining this in real form, and you're showing it to me in real scenarios. You're putting in the side of vehicles on a business card in their office. This is the stage to show this because you're building this up for me. Okay. And then, of course, if you have the option number five, you want to share that out to outcome, if there is one. Right. So again, lessons you learned, if you. If you have them, if. If you have actual stats, increased sales this much, you know, they loved it so much, they rolled it out across their whole chain. Right. This is your final. The outcome of that's probably past the student stage, and that's more in the final stage, when you're actually dealing with real jobs, real customers, and you've got a little bit of experience.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But the. The story flow for this presentation works exactly the same whether you're a student or whether you're a professional. Five, ten years in, and you're teaching this. Exactly. Right. Absolutely. So that is a project story flow that we recommend. I'm sure there's other ones out there, but this is so easy and it's so logical. It's easy for anybody to follow along. Right. So that was the number two. Okay. And then, you know, number three, which, you know, we didn't recommend this to our people because our people were great. We talk to our people. Right. But if I'm going to throw something in there, Right. You want to anchor everything thing with ecm.

[B]

Ecm.

[A]

Ecm, Right. I know, I know. I'm not. It doesn't sound very sexy.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I guess I wish it did in my mind, but it's really not. But you know what? Somebody did it. James did it. Right. He did an acronym, and I was like, whoa. My acronym is not as cool as his, but ecm, Emotion, Clarity and Memorable. Okay, so emotion, okay. Again, you have to remember. People remember more how you made them feel.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Than what it is that they saw. Okay? So whatever you end up doing, you know, how you present, you want to bring passion behind it. You want to bring excitement. You want them to realize that this isn't just another job for you, but that you genuinely are interested in what you're showing them. And you loved the process. Okay. Because this bringing this kind of excitement and passion, you know, means that you have stake in what you're doing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And employers, you know, want that.

[B]

They like that. Yeah, absolutely. They want to see you get jacked about your work.

[A]

So, you know what I mean?

[B]

Like, if you're absolutely. If, if you're just kind of, you know, going through the motions, blah, blah, blah, people are not going to be, you know, that's not, that's not. You're, you're selling your work.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

You should be just like, exactly. Flying around the room, basically.

[A]

Right. You need to share that. This is, this is what you want to do.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Not just love this. I, I, I. After this, I'm job interview at Starbucks. Because, you know, serving coffee is kind of cool too. Like. No, no, no. Give it. Okay. Number two, the C part, that clarity part. Okay. Keep your story simple to follow. Okay. Now again, you can easily get excited. And I'm, I'm horrible for this. I am, I am. But I get so excited with stuff, I tend to jump around. Don't. Okay. Don't do like Moss does. Okay. Like, seriously, one clear journey is so much more powerful than like, 10 separate awesome projects that are just like bangers off the page. Try to keep the story simple, try to keep it logical, and try to keep it in order so it's easy to follow.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. And this whole memorable part, memorable moments, you know, give them something to, you know, surprise them with something you want to add, something that's going to, you know, surprise them that they're not going to be expecting. Okay. Whether it's a personal story. Okay. Something that happened, you know, A funny twist. Okay. But it's like, here you can talk about all this. If you have something that you can just put the cherry on top. Okay. Of that sundae. It makes such a difference.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

To the overall experience. It's just like the creme de la creme. If you can do that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So honestly, you want to leave it on a high note.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And this is where it's like, you want to be able to add, you know, just something unique about the whole thing. Right. A good joke or a twist or a smart ass comment or just something to, to kind of leave on a high note. And I think that's kind of like the goal in that last part.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

So I think these three things, these actionable takeaways for when you're presenting your portfolio. Okay. Your portfolio presentation checklist will work for students, but then it works if you, you already got years experience and you're trying to figure out how to make your portfolio rock, how to make it sing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Because again, that's your profit that you need to present to people. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So tell your personal story first. Okay. Why you? Why, why now? You know, what makes you better than everybody else that they're interviewing and what makes you more memorable? Okay. So that's number one. Number two, tell a logical story for every single project that you have present that you're presenting in your portfolio. Okay. Make it logical, make it easy to follow. And then last but not least, anchor everything with emotion, with clarity, with memorable moments.

[B]

Memorable moments.

[A]

You want people to remember not your work, but you want them to remember you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And it's that feeling that you want to tie into. Okay. At the end, at the end of the day. Like, I mean, portfolios, they're not just showing your work. Okay. And I mean, okay, the physical portfolio is okay, but you know, it's just a prop to make people, people care enough to actually remember you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's the thing that ultimately we want to remember. We remember. I remember something about every one of our four, you know, students that we interviewed.

[B]

Okay. Yeah.

[A]

But that was because we were asking them and we were pulling it out of them.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I would have loved it if they.

[B]

Just came out and said all that.

[A]

Sold us on all this.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Because then I, you know, again, we could have had better conversations.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

Right. And that's, that's kind of what this is about, honestly. See, good work gets you noticed. Okay. But being a good storyteller, okay. Gets people remembering you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And gets you hired. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's the difference.

[B]

Yeah. That's what we do, after all.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Right. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

So I, you know, I have no qualms. I mean, you know, this is all learned stuff. Okay. And I don't think anybody that. That we did the portfolio review was heading out in the job world tomorrow. No, I think they all had another year to go. I think one was close.

[B]

I think.

[A]

Were they?

[B]

Yeah, sorry. I think. Yeah. I can't remember.

[A]

But I mean, again, you know, going back to this all, they were great. What? Like, their work was fantastic. So good on the college or university for helping them get to this point. All they got to do is just work on their pitch and their presentation, which obviously the college wasn't teaching them yet, but obviously should.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Send them this course. Send me this. This podcast.

[B]

Ecm. Come on.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Let's make ECM work.

[B]

Yeah, I like that. I like. You need a hat.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Ecm. Yeah, baby.

[A]

Dude, this was just one of awesome experiences at crop.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

You know, and. And it was. It was flattering that, you know, we've got an open invite to go back, which could be really fun. I. Again, I would love to just kind of staple ourselves to some of these conferences because it was great to go out and meet people, meet angry designers, you know, connect with other designers, connect with some of the talent that was there. It was just such a memorable experience that I don't want this to end.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Every. I know. To be honest, it was really good.

[B]

Met a lot of cool people. People just come and talk to us. Everybody wants us to look really angry, though. For some reason, I feel like we're really letting the side down, you know?

[A]

I know, right?

[B]

Yeah. We have to pose for pictures that we're angry, but really not. We're all having a good time.

[A]

They'd always see us smiling, like, okay, and now let's do one angry.

[B]

Do an angry one.

[A]

That was so crazy. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Anyway, next year, when you guys start hearing about CROP Come Around, I highly recommend that you guys all, you know, pay attention to it, because I can't imagine anyone being disappointed. I saw people on the first night by themselves. Okay. I was like, oh, shit, I'm gonna go talk to them. I'm gonna go talk to them. Right? We had a buddy there. We met Mason, right? That was James Martin, was. It was his friend that he brought along. And, you know, initially I saw the guy, he was by himself, right. And. And I was like, oh, gotta go talk to that guy.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Next thing I know, James like, hey, this is my buddy, you know, like, I brought him along. You know what? He was with us that first night. Talked to him the second night. He was with people throughout, you know, and I saw that throughout the weekend. A lot of people came by themselves, but they. They left as part of a group, part of an awesome family. And it's just that whole experience was so different than. Than any of the other conferences we went to that the community part was the same.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I love and appreciate that more than anything. But, you know, the vibe of this was definitely. It. It had something special to its own. It did.

[B]

It certainly did. Yeah. Yeah. It was very cool.

[A]

Cool.

[B]

Yes. It was awesome. Oh, my God. I am like, total. I don't know about you, but I was, like, totally jacked yesterday.

[A]

Yeah, I know, I know. Yeah, I haven't even unpacked my yet because I was like, so happy and I was like, no, I want to leave it all in there because when I unpack it, I technically over. Listen, I hope you guys got some really valuable stuff out of here. Like I said, we didn't find any faults in anybody or in the event itself, but what. This is just recommendations moving forward that you can use as students or you can use even as a full time freelancer or even pitching as an agency. Right. This works for the agency. This is what we would do when we pitch customers. Totally. And so I know it works on all levels and I know it's a lot of the things that we look for. So, you know, if you guys have any questions, hit us up on our Instagram, you know, and again, hit us up on YouTube. We've had quite a lot of conversations lately, but otherwise, guys, I. I'm glad to be home. And I miss Austin and I missed Rop, but it gives me something to look forward to next.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely.

[B]

Totally. Totally. Oh, yeah. All right.

[A]

My name is Simone.

[B]

And my name is Sean.

[A]

Stay creative and stay angry, period. Sam La. Sam.