The morning was devoted to student portfolio review, and since I am one of those students who managed to graduate without an internship and without showing anyone a portfolio, I took the plunge as well. In fact, today is my first time showing my work to anyone outside of Pratt. Many of the students here today are pros at the review process and hustle to see as many people as possible off the schedule. The level of composure and focus is very high, as is the quality of the work.

When I show my work, this is what I worry about: drawing drawing drawing.

But here's what the reviewers are interested in:
*thought process from initial thumbnails through to finished product— "don't be afraid to show the rough initial sketches where the design began"
*describing the problem—what is the market, what are the tech/human constraints, what are the project parameters? This can illustrate project management skills in addition to the creative design aspect
*showing some business savvy—not expertise, but research showing consideration of the user and the environment
*and yes, hand skills

This is not earth-shattering stuff, but it helped me break out of my overwhelming concern about not being a top-tier artist and really focus on what I do well. It is a mistake to work on your portfolio alone until it is perfected—feedback at every step is absolutely vital and certainly not anything to fear.

The IDSA conference is a great opportunity to get feedback and non-academic perspectives. The rooms were packed and the discussions extremely constructive. It's a true exchange—the reviewers are providing a service to the students, but they also have strong motives to seek out creative new work and look outside their own companies and fields.

Thanks to Bill Bickford of Estee Lauder, Jessica Lynn of Rita Sue Seigel Recruiters, Richard Snow of Lighting Services Inc. and Heather Reavey of Continuum for giving me the reviewer's perspective.

If any of the participating students read this, I hope you will leave a comment with your impressions.

Heather Reavey of Continuum smiling as she gives me the hard, cold facts. Post pictures of my own portfolio? Not this time.