Your Portfolio Repels Jobs.

[Level_Designer]

Hello,

I found this on another forum and someone here might find it useful.

http://www.jonjones.us/2005/10/your-portfolio-repels-jobs.html

-Paul.

[Tertsi]

Personally I don't give a damn about the quality of the portfolio website (unless it is so horrible that I don't want to check out the portfolio) or the education when I'm hiring an artist. Only about the portfolio's content itself and I think many other indie developers act about the same way so this applies more to other types of employers I think.

[Anthony Flack]

The word "smARTIST" repels me...

[Robert Cummings]

What a shit website. That guy sucks and is full of it.

[Savant]

Game developers get TONS of demo reel and URL submissions every week. They cull through them using the quickest possible methods available. Stupid looking font? Next! Web site looks like a 12 year old designed it? Next! No cover letter? Next!

It's what is necessary to maintain any kind of order and sanity.

As for the author, well, Jon Jones is a highly talented guy working in the games industry. You'd do well to listen to him.

[svero]

Well I donno about the article itself.. seemed kinda ok.. But I would agree generally that most artist portfolio sites I've visited haven't been very good from a business perspective. Too much emphasis on arsty and cute and not enough on practical and relevant.

[Anthony Flack]

I agree too, actually, but
Jon Jones is a highly talented guy working in the games industry. You'd do well to listen to him.
I just can't, because he calls himself the smARTIST. Next!

[Jason Chong]

Actually, I get extremely cheesed off by websites that are 100 percent flash only.

It does not matter how impressive that website is visually, but when they do it 100 percent flash, it is an instant turn off for me.

A balanced mix and use flash only where necessary and that's how I judge one's work.

100 percent flash only websites, are totally like, lame.

[Ricardo C]

"smArtist" may be the dumbest name since "Wii", but that's a great article. Excellent advice all around.

[Level_Designer]

I like the idea of branding your Website link on your Portfolio Images. You never know what Producer or Publisher might download your images and without any branding on them.... They might lose Track on where they came from. I also remember reading elsewhere you only have 8-10 seconds to catch your viewer interest. If your site is some complex flash animations that take 2-3 minutes to load they will bypass your site to another.

If the Producer or Publisher has only one hour to look at 30-40 websites their time is limited.

-Paul.

[Gary Preston]

Actually, I get extremely cheesed off by websites that are 100 percent flash only.

It does not matter how impressive that website is visually, but when they do it 100 percent flash, it is an instant turn off for me.


I actually dislike websites that contain pretty much any flash (unless its just the odd advert in the corner that I can ignore). Any website where the main navigation bar is flash I just close and move on.

I was recently looking to buy several chips for a project I'm working on, the first website I came across was for a local company but I just couldn't bring myself to navigate their website. Although because of the limited number of other companies selling the same product, I did actually allow the website to load (which I usually don't), but then I get assaulted by stupid background music that restarts every time you click a link. Annoying website that basically lost them a customer.

In contrast I found another local company whos website looked poor artistically, it was nothing more than a set of tables with pictures/prices and an order cart system. But it was likewise quick to load, easy to use and thus got my custom.

Ok, so what I've mentioned above is a different area, but in both portfolio and products you're trying to sell something, be it yourself or a product. Anything you can do to avoid annoying your "customer" is a good thing.

[Game Submit]

Our Game Submit Art Services web site is the perfect model. You should really study it because it is exemplary.

Visit www.gamesubmit.com. My entire portfolio is visible on one page.

Secondly, Game Submit Art Services is clean and easy to navigate.

Finally, Writing Us is the only available action.

That's it! The end result: a perfect web site. The entire portfolio is one artwork. Contacting us is what we want. Therefore, one page gets the job done. This is called design.

Most other designers do not understand usability. As a developer, I do. Other designers have seven pages of filler. This is their greatest mistake. I understand only one page is needed with one artwork! Genius!

Design follows function and is re-evaluated every time. As circumstances change, a different marketing strategy is needed. Web design is just architecture, billboards, TV ads, whatever, supporting your marketing strategy and how you want to present yourself. Colleges want to look smart, so they have buildings that don't look like amusement parks. Their literature and letterhead does not look like something you find in an amusement parks. It is not cheaper or more expensive to design a college campus versus a huge amusement park. Instead, it is the exact way the college wants to market itself. It is the exact way an amusement park wants to market itself.

For each of us, web design is your office for your clients to sit in. Make sure your designer understands this. Then, hire me. ;)

[GBGames]

For the people who think that Jon Jones is full of himself, I've actually found his blog to be pretty informative.

[amaranth]

A great online portfolio may not be needed, but I'm sure it will help you if you are in close competition for a job with someone else who has a similar skill set.

[Greg Squire]

I think Jon Jones has some good advice there, but the term "smArtist" made me cringe. My first thought about what it meant was "Smart A** Artist". :D (are smileys turned off now?)