Is it a good idea to add my designer (UX/UI) portfolio and artist portfolio to the same site in the separate tab?  

Don’t know if it’s a good idea, but I’m comfortable doing it:

My Usability Portfolio

… is arranged and presented appropriately (I feel). It’s in the form of a chronological Index of Case Studies which map directly to my resume. Each case study offers

an introductory Overview

the Value Proposition of usability to the engagement

Challenges

Solutions

Screenshots

Recommendations

 a list of relevant Tasks (which are described on in the Tasks section of the Craft

My agenda in designing this portion of my online presence focused on:

  • seamless integration with my resume
  • identify tasks (and process) in the engagement
  • address perceived needs of recruiter/hiring manager audience

The visual Screenshots

… in each case study are valuable as ‘attractor’ eyeCandy and establish some dirt-under-the-fingernails credibility, but they are primarily intended to be supportive of the argument that I can deliver usability.

Usability and ‘user experience’ both have strong visual attributes … because we’re visual beings:

“I see” is our metaphor for understanding.

However, good usability transcends the coat of paint.

Views & Clues

I also maintain a ‘keyword showcase’ of Domain Experience so that recruiters and hiring managers can easily find the engagements that most interest them.

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My thoughts and justifications for what/how/why are captured in WordPress ‘blog’ articles (they used to be part of my portfolio site, but it eventually became too unwieldy). I developed these because I know that theDiscussion about work eventually focuses on these topics:

My portfolio is designed to speak to people who might hire me – with information which will convince them.

My ‘Artist Portfolio’

… is less concerned with trying to convince you of anything.  It’s a fairly neutral showcase of images which are loosely grouped by style, technique or theme, but largely stand on their own.

I was drawing looooong before I ever got involved with the interactive usability arena. I like my oldStuff, I’m proud of it, and I’m happy to include the Gallery as part of The Big Picture of me&myProfession.

There’s a lot of stuff there (Visitors Welcome!):

Admittedly, the collection of work is kind of random.  As a first step, I’ve identified a few of the great artists who inspired me (Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the gallery pages for links to their far superior work).

Even so:  I believe there’s more to it than that.

Design Thinking

Perhaps the next step is to riff a little further on the how & why in my own creative process – to try to tie it into my current career.  Could it be * gasp * … a form of Design Thinking?

Writing in addition to doing.  hmmmm….

In any case:

My ‘artist portfolio’ a dandy touchpoint, but I don’t kid myself that it’s of immediate interest to recruiters or hiring managers.

 

The Value Proposition

imo: Presenting both a personal and a professional visual portfolio in same site is of value when you can somehow make the connection between them.

Which brings us back around to one of my first insights about the whole interactive arena:

“It’s not the Size of your database – It’s the Quality of your connections.”

 

 

© The Communication Studio LLC