6 replies to this topic

[kuramayoko10]

Hey guys,

I've searched a bit on the GameDev forums for a similar topic, but the ones I found were about people asking feedback on specific portfolios.

I am starting my online portfolio and I am worried about how should I design the website and how should I present my games and prototypes.
I want to present the games I made and in a kind of blog style present my current developments.

I am hoping that this topic will become a compilation of ideas and examples of existing portfolios that portraits well our field.

Edited by kuramayoko10, 01 October 2012 - 09:42 AM.

[theflamingskunk]

I too am interested in what people have to say on this topic.
I am working on a portfolio right now so I will post a link to it when I finish it up.

The basic structure I am working with is that when you first open the link, it brings the viewer to a landing page with just the normal nav bar at the top, and then a scrolling panel in the middle, with a panel for each game/project I am working on (Similar to steamstore kind of thing). Beyond that, each project has a page giving a quick summary, what was involved in creating it, and for some of them download executable and example code. And of course lots of pictures and video where relevant. And of course an About me, contact page and resume link, All easily accessible at the top from any page.

I believe that portfolios should be clean, simple to navigate, and no fancy bells and whistles, just elegance.

I have not seen many programming portfolios so I think it would be great if people started to share their own or any that they are aware of.

[Rld_]

The thing I try to follow is to give them the information they need and present it to them in a meaningful way, as in, what is useful for them to know.

Writing a full blog on a game/piece of tech is not something you should present them with initially, it should be an option if you want to, but give them a structures, pinpoint overview of the keys of interest that are also relevant to what you did. So if you made something like a raytracer or something, pinpoint key features of it.

People will generally skim through your site so a page long story will mostly not be read.

Also keep it straight to the point, don't let people search for content, shove it in their face, make it obvious as to where it is.

[frob]

Employers are interested in only two things:

1. Will you do the job well?
2. Will you fit in to their work environment?

Everything about the web site needs to answer those questions.

Do you have your own personal life blog on the site? Did you include pictures of your latest family vacation? Hosting school and personal learning projects on the site? All of those need to come down or get moved elsewhere. They don't give good answers to the first and second question.

Start a timer, give yourself sixty seconds, and review your web site as though you were looking at it the first time through. Better yet, have a friend sit by you, and you control the timer and watch what they look at.

If your friend isn't convinced that you will be the world's greatest <job title> by the end of those sixty seconds, your web site isn't good enough. That is the answer to the first question.

These days it often includes video clips and still shots, in addition to links to executables. But it can include whatever you think will make good content. Whatever you decide to include -- and decide to exclude -- helps answer the second question.

[kuramayoko10]

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, I am trying to build something very clean and clear, so that the possible employer will be able to spot my keypoints easily.

The thing is, I don't do well on designing websites.
You know all that study that people do about which part of the design attracts the eye of the viewer, what direction the mouse pointer takes, etc? I can't achieve this. That is why I would like to know if anyone have a model out there or some templates that I can look at.

When I google "Portfolio Templates" I can't find one that has the feel of a programmers/developer website.

A major thing on Designing Websites is that everything is too fast on the web. If the viewer is not attracted to your website, they will open a new page and go to facebook or whatever and probably will never come back.

Edited by kuramayoko10, 05 October 2012 - 01:06 PM.

[frob]

A major thing on Designing Websites is that everything is too fast on the web. If the viewer is not attracted to your website, they will open a new page and go to facebook or whatever and probably will never come back.

Every web site should have a purpose.

Your purpose is not to attract a crowd or keep visitors on the site.

Your purpose is to convince an employer to hire you. If they have taken the time to click on the link you have got about sixty seconds to convince them. They are a captive audience for that time, so make the best of it.

[kuramayoko10]

Okay.
What do you guys think about the originality of the portfolio?

I mean, I just found a cool clean portfolio for developers. It is featured on a website for free, so there may be a bunch of websites out there that are currently using it.
I will get it and teak it to my needs (and post here the results ), but will it be uniteresting because there are other websites following that design?