Portfolio Interface Process

Portfolio Interface:
The process of a portfolio interface is important, according to the author of "Designing a Digital Portfolio." Going from "concept to implementation" should be organized carefully or else your interface can end up being disastrous and not very good looking not to mention give you a headache. "To build an exceptional interface, you must study user interaction, have a special talent for organizing data, and be a good visualizer.

The pages of your site have multiple entryways and therefore your interface shouldn't have to be viewed linearly. Keep in mind that certain pages can be more valuable or interesting to one person over another. Also, remember that you can't be in control of certain design decision aspects like your audience's computer resolution, system, or browser.

Four steps to the process that the book mentions are group, map, schematic, look-and-feel. Starting with grouping, this step is one you need to think about carefully. It's basically a step asking, "How do I want to group my pieces?" The book mentions a few options like Medium (traditional, computer, 2D, 3D) or Process (sketches, modeling, character animation, or maybe, like the way I chose for mine, Technology (print, interactive, moving image).

The next step is Map. Not exactly my favorite step...but a necessary one. How do you want your site to be set up? When you arrive at your site, do you go straight to your work or maybe a little a paragraph about you as a designer? By creating a site map, which is "a flow chart representing every page in your portfolio, you can organize your thoughts and in the end, keep your visitors from getting mixed up in navigation. Looking for a program to layout your site? The book recommends the software Inspiration and can make your organizing easier. Once you've gotten your layout complete, don't be afraid to move pages around until you find the perfect site layout.

A schematic is a design layout of your page. Create one for each level of your site, just to see how it is going to look. Some design choices you need to make are the page size, a grid layout, how your content will fit within the layout, links, and navigation. All of these are very important to your site's usability and a schematic with dummy text and place holders is a great way of figuring it all out before you start putting a great deal of effort into it.

The last step is the look-and-feel. Take a look at your content then start to sketch some ideas of how you want your site to look visually. Some things you need to consider is the size of your navigation elements and their placement, and what's your theme? Remember: you don't want your website design to take away from any of your work. Your portfolio pieces should be the focal point!

Simplicity is best. How do you keep it simple you ask? Well, the book mentions a few suggestions. Don't spend a lot of time working on buttons because they probably will end up too distracting. If you animate something, don't make it too distracting. Limit your color palette to maybe two colors and black and white. Don't use a background. Don't fill up the page with too much junk. Try to keep your viewer from having to scroll down to see more on the page. Keep everything organized together like navigation or captions, and keep your piece in the same area on the page. It seems like there are a lot of things to keep track of, but in reality, you'll probably end up thinking more and getting frustrated when you think too elaborate. Start with the basics and work your way up.