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[Simon Andersson]

So, I've noticed there's a place to post your portfolio in the Business section, if you want to find a job, that is, but I haven't found a single thread where you could post your portfolio to get general feedback on the design and content.

I though about posting this in feedback in the art section, but I then realised this wasn't just about art. It's about showing your best side, both with art, but also with text and the general way you present yourself.


So I'll kick this thread of by asking for advice regarding my collection of work at:


I made a pretty huge overhaul of my portfolio recently and I'm currently trying to make it more code related somehow, since I'm actually a programmer and just a graphic hobbyist. Somehow the entire thing kinda looks like an art portfolio though (albeit maybe not the best one). I just don't know how to make a website in any other way, and I would love tips to better imply my profession.
I also don't know if it's good to fill out the site like I've done, with a news section to see what I'm currently up to (not every post is relevant to programming), and an art section, even though I don't really believe my art skills would ever be sufficient for a job position. Would you like these sort of things if you were looking at a portfolio, or are they just being irrelevant and messy?

Do you like the colour scheme, yellow and pink/purple, original or annoying?

[iffi]

There isn't a single thread for portfolios, but rather it's a subforum within the Business section. Also, your link is broken because of the quotes within the URL.

That said, here's what I have to say after a brief look at your portfolio:

1. It'd be better if the top navigation bar weren't Flash-based. Not every computer/phone/etc. that accesses the page is going to have Flash, and in Opera (though not in Chrome or IE), it takes two clicks to use any of the buttons, one to give the Flash element focus and the second to click the button itself.

2. You should probably put some margin between the left edge of each of the boxes surrounding the posts and the text.

[ANtY]

Hi there, Simon.

I agree that you should get rid off that flash in top menu, it's annoying to have to click once to give it focus.
On the other hand I think that you should put the page About me as a default starting page, not news. It's a portfolio after all, not a blog, right?
Second thing is that the colors are a little too intensive IMO (background especially I mean) and that face on the right looks kinda not aesthetic.


I'll join the thread and ask if you think that portfolio like this http://anty.digartfolio.pl/ is enough or should I make a real website (i.e. ask someone to do it).

[randomnine]

If it's a portfolio site to accompany job applications, make the Games page the main page. The News page isn't really relevant.

Run spellcheck on everything. Also be more careful with grammar. The very first game listing has two errors - "Developement" and the space between "hours" and the following period. This may seem petty, but people will notice attention to detail and ability to communicate clearly.

Why are game screenshots colourised/desaturated until you mouse over them? It certainly isn't tying them into your page's colour scheme. Use the full colour version of the image all the time.

Some of these were team projects and some of them were individual projects, right? You need to say how many people worked on each and what your role was.

The second button to the right of "Hero Battle Arena" - what the heck is that? A button that says "Images" would be a great deal clearer.

It's not at all obvious that you need to click on the image to get information about a project. Add an explicit "more information" link or button for each project. I'd also suggest putting a one- or two-line summary for each on that page detailing what it is exactly and what you did on it.

What are your most important and impressive projects? Put them at the top. I'd also suggest removing any project which you aren't willing to show off yet with a playable version, trailer or similar.

The "Play" link for "Sand is Everywhere" leads to a page where the game doesn't load.

Given that your portfolio site is in English, the "Play" link for "Viskan" should lead somewhere where you can start it running without having to be able to read Swedish, even if the game itself requires Swedish language skills.

[Simon Andersson]

Wow! Really awesome feedback everybody! Now I suddenly got alot of stuff to do!

Do you really need to have to click once to give the meny focus ANtY, just to get the hoverover and buttonpress effects? What browser are you using? I'll change it to something not flash though, just curious.

The yellow button is just a ripoff from the windows imageviewer logo. But I agree that's just stupid when I think about it again, I'll change that. And the summary thing is great! Might even try to squeeze it into the game page, instead of the kinda boring developement time etc;

I thought the full color versions of the games made everything look kinda bland colorwise, I guess that's why I used different desaturated color versions, to make it abit more fitting on the page. But with an info button, I guess I kinda have to remove that effect either way. Might go full desaturated using just one color, with no hoverover effect, does that sound better?

I'll maybe change the order of the games somewhat. Though I will be adding video links to all the projects later and probably screenshots too, to make it as easy as possible to just watch the things I've done, without need to download anything.

Everything said will be taken into consideration. Oh, and I fixed the link

[ANtY]

Newest Opera

Also, check out what info I put in my game's descriptions some time ago: http://anty.pigames.pl/games.html

[green]

You already got a lot of info. And I must say I agree with all of them. Here's a quick visual to help you with your further endeavors.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s315/greensoft/Help_Simon.png

A nice color scheme, and good fonts will make it look much more professional.

[Simon Andersson]

Haha, thanks for taking the time, but I just can't agree with that color scheme at all. Especially that yellow, it's like that yellow really old white computers get But the design is pretty slick!

Thinking about how one should approach professionality vs fun, we're still doing games, so I don't think a bit of fun would hurt, but I guess need to work on doing that while still looking professional. Kinda fond my cartoonish fonts, but I'll see what I'll do.

Thanks all!

[HyperNexus]

Every item in your portfolio ideally should have a play, download, image gallery or video link besides it(or there should be an information page with a few of these things on it). About a third of the pieces in your portfolio don't have any of these.

For tools or libraries it might be better to include a video that just demonstrates the most interesting features. As you'll have people who want to see what you've done yet don't have any intent to download and use the actual tools.