TIPOS DE REFRIGERANTES 6

A design pack is a complete professional delivery of your design concept. A classic design package would include mood, materials and color, illustrations, and Å ats or technical drawings. This is not necessarily the only way to present a design, but these are the recommended presentation ingredients. The package is presented either to your academic audience (with the focus on creativity) or to a manufacturer (with the focus on technical aspects and not so much on the mood).

A range plan with all the technical details leaves no questions unanswered, and provides a clear overview of the footwear in Michala Allen’s collection.

Start the design pack with a mood board to create a stage for your collection, such as this one by Michala Allen. This way you will lead the viewer to see the collection the way you intend it to be viewed.

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MOOD

This needs to be demonstrated, as discussed earlier, to explain to your audience the theme or the starting point of your collection.

Usually presented in the form of a mood board (see pp. 70–71), it can also be a Ä lm or a three-dimensional object that relates to your mood. It is perfectly acceptable to show something like this alongside your traditional mood board.

MATERIALS AND COLOR

The color references, with samples of the physical materials, give a good indication of the Ä nished collection. Materials, such as leathers and textiles, can be simply composed in relation to an inspirational color image, or they can be shown more creatively in collage or a similar format. It is helpful also to have relevant Pantone color swatches (see pp. 76–81 for how to compose a color and materials board).

ILLUSTRATIONS

The illustrations should evoke your mood. They should be inspirational and full of emotion. If you do not want to express your collection illustratively you need to Ä nd another way of doing so.

A well-illustrated presentation can sell your collection.

LINE DRAWINGS

Line drawings can be displayed on one page to present a good clear overall view of the collection. The drawings do not need to have technical details or multiple views, unless you want to send the information to a manufacturer or maker.

Always take a completed sketchbook to your presentation, whether it is an academic presentation, a presentation to a manufacturer, or even a job interview, just in case you need to show your research and design development.

Michala Allen’s illustrations, accompanied by technical details, will help the manufacturing process and provide a good visual representation of the end result.

Michala Allen’s fi nal shoe demonstrates the end result of her extensive research project, design development, illustration, and technical drawings.

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PORTFOLIO

A portfolio is about your work. It is about the way you think and design. It should clearly represent you as a designer and creative thinker. It also should show your thought process in different projects, and your approach to design. A well-presented collection of work is essential in order to get ahead in this highly competitive Ä eld. A poor presentation in cheap plastic covers is not

acceptable. Whoever is looking at your work will notice elements such as price tags left on materials or an inconsistent layout.

Your design can be creative, but your portfolio should avoid an overly theatrical style of presentation that could overwhelm and detract from the work you are showing. As we have seen earlier (p. 136), most of the top European fashion houses state that a

“hand-drawn portfolio is essential.” It is also important to include something in your portfolio that you can leave behind, such as a card and résumé. The three basic areas to consider when preparing your portfolio are size, content, and order.

SIZE

The standard portfolio size is 11 x 17 in., portrait. Owing to the horizontal nature of footwear it is sometimes easier to think of footwear in a landscape format, but a nice arrangement in a portrait format is recommended. Portrait is also easier to read with one hand standing up, if you need to present your work to someone quickly and without a table.

CONTENT

The content should show who you are as a designer. The focus should be footwear, but you can also show your strengths in other creative Ä elds. The most important issue is to show your drawing style. The portfolio should show freehand sketch styles, as well as clear line drawings. If you have computer drawing skills you can show these, too. The more skills you demonstrate, the better. The layout of pages is also very important.

Always use a consistent system of layout between your pages or spreads. You can add consistency by using the same font and title placement across the portfolio. This will make it clear and easy to follow. Always give your design work center stage.

ORDER

One common question often asked about a portfolio concerns the order in which you should show your work. The answer is that it really depends on your audience. If you show your portfolio for college entrance exams it is necessary to show progression, but when looking for a design job placing the best work at the front will give the best impression of your design ability. Some think that it is good to show the progression and development of the designer, but it is generally the Ä rst few pages and seconds that will form the opinion of the viewer. If you are showing the portfolio to a fashion house it is important to focus on creativity, but also demonstrate drawing styles and ideas expressed in sketch format.

If you are showing the portfolio to a more mainstream company then a focus on well-drawn, and perhaps more commercial, styles is important. It is good to show both in the very early stages, to demonstrate not only your creative ability but also to show that you can take this creativity to a commercial level. You should have a clear separation between different projects to avoid them blending into one another.

In summary:

• The simpler, the better.

• Do not add an overwhelming design to the cover of the portfolio. This can make the viewer form an instant opinion of you before even examining the contents.

• Take references such as manufacturers’ stickers off the cover or the spine of the portfolio.

• Remove all price tags.

• Cater the content to your viewer.

• Present your best work Ä rst if to a prospective employer.

• Use the same layout system throughout.

• Clearly separate projects with a title page or separator.

• Nonbound portfolios can work well, since the work can be spread around a table. Conversely, a bound portfolio can be viewed if you have to make an instant presentation standing up. Choose your portfolio according to the situation in which you are most likely to Ä nd yourself.

Keep all images in your portfolio in the same viewing direction; this will make them easier to handle and understand, as seen in this Michala Allen portfolio.

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Digital portfolios, like this one by Chris Van Middendorp, are more and more common and easy to send electronically.

The online recruitment professionals and colleges often display students’ work in an electronic portfolio format.

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