Portfolio
The portfolio is a Web site that shows a potential employer how good your Web skills are. It must be delivered in complete working condition on a CD (please, NOT a DVD) by the deadline. The portfolio counts for 30 percent of your grade.
Contents of the Portfolio
- A home page or introduction page that introduces the site and your work. This page needs to make a strong first impression.
- A brief biography of yourself.
- Your résumé, formatted with HTML and CSS.
- A contact page (separate from your résumé).
- At least six (6) examples of work you have done in this class. Each example must be on its own page.*
*These pages must NOT be pop-up windows. Furthermore, they must not be served up by Lightbox JS or any similar overlay technique. They must include all the normal navigation of your portfolio site.
For the CSS work, you may show screenshots that are LINKED to a new page (target="_blank") -- but that new page does NOT count as one of the seven example pages.
FIX YOUR ERRORS. For any classwork that you include in the portfolio, I expect you to repair or correct any problems that were identified in the grading.
You may also include a PDF of your résumé, but it is not required.
You may also include work you have done outside this course. Make sure it does not detract from your overall site.
TOTAL: At least 10 separate, individual HTML pages, each of which shows a consistent navigation scheme.
Requirements
- It cannot be an all-Flash portfolio.
- Portfolio pages must use only CSS for fonts, color and positioning. (You may use images for display type and backgrounds.)
- Navigation must use HTML/CSS, not Flash.
- Do not use JavaScript rollovers for navigation.
- GIFs or JPGs may be used, but NOT in place of body text. You may create a logo or nameplate that is a GIF or JPG.
- You may use GIFs or JPGs as backgrounds, including button backgrounds.
- Your design work MUST BE original. Copying someone else's page layouts is worthless (and earns zero points), because you're supposed to be demonstrating YOUR OWN design skills.
- Use folders intelligently in your site structure. At the very least, put all images inside a folder named images. Organize the site.
- Your pages MUST all work properly and look consistent on BOTH Firefox 3 and IE 7 and 8 -- on Windows (preferrably on the Mac OS also).
- The width of pages must NOT be greater than 1000 pixels. If I see a horizontal scrollbar at 1024 x 768, you are toast!
Grading Criteria
Total: 30 points
- 10 points -- Skillful use of color, typography, white space, positioning of elements; professional appearance
- 5 points -- "Wow!" factor: Will a potential employer be impressed? Is it original? Is it appealing?
- 10 points -- Correct (standards compliant) use of XHTML and CSS
- 5 points -- Writing and style, mechanics, grammar, spelling (errors can make someone decide not to hire you)
Meeting the deadline is necessary. Late assignments will be penalized as follows:
–25 percent if delivered after the deadline but less than 24 hours late.
–50 percent if delivered more than 24 hours but less than 48 hours late.
–75 percent if delivered more than 48 hours but less than 72 hours late.
–100 percent if delivered more than 72 hours late.
Examples of Portfolios
The examples do not meet all of your requirements, but they are original portfolios of Web design work, and they are not all-Flash sites.
A Very Helpful Article
Creating a Successful Online Portfolio (from Smashing Magazine): Includes "12 Principles of Effective Portfolio Design."
More Good Stuff
See my Delicious bookmarks for portfolio+examples. These include tutorials and how-to pages, as well as great-looking portfolio sites.