Stand Out: Design A Personal Brand. Build A Killer .

STAND OUT: DESIGN A PERSONAL BRAND.BUILD A KILLER PORTFOLIO.FIND A GREAT DESIGN JOB.Denise AndersonPEACHPIT PRESSFind us on the Web at www.peachpit.com.To report errors, please send a note toerrata@peachpit.com.Peachpit is a division of Pearson Education.Copyright 2016 by Denise AndersonACQUISITIONS EDITOR: Nikki Echler McDonaldPRODUCTION EDITORS: Tracey Croom, Becky WinterDEVELOPMENT EDITOR: Jennifer BohananCOPY EDITOR: Cathy LanePROOFER: Kim WimpsettART DIRECTOR: Denise AndersonCOMPOSITORS: Margaret Grzymkowski, Kristin LeuINDEXER: Valerie Haynes PerryCOVER DESIGN: Stephen SepulvedaINTERIOR DESIGN: Denise Anderson, Margaret GrzymkowskiPRODUCTION ARTISTS: Laura Menza, Kristin LeuILLUSTRATOR: Margaret GrzymkowskiDESIGN ASSISTANTS: John Weigele, Stephen Sepulveda,Brooke RoderickNOTICE OF RIGHTSAll rights reserved. No part of this book may bereproduced or transmitted in any form by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, orotherwise, without the prior written permission of thepublisher. For information on getting permission forreprints and excerpts, contact permissions@peachpit.com.NOTICE OF LIABILITYThe information in this book is distributed on an “AsIs” basis without warranty. While every precaution hasbeen taken in the preparation of the book, neither theauthor nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any personor entity with respect to any loss or damage causedor alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by theinstructions contained in this book or by the computersoftware and hardware products described in it.TRADEMARKSMany of the designations used by manufacturers andsellers to distinguish their products are claimed astrademarks. Where those designations appear in thisbook, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim,the designations appear as requested by the owner ofthe trademark. All other product names and servicesidentified throughout this book are used in editorialfashion only and for the benefit of such companies withno intention of infringement of the trademark. No suchuse, or the use of any trade name, is intended to conveyendorsement or other affiliation with this book.ISBN 13: 978-0-13-413408-6ISBN 10: 0-13-413408-7987654321Printed and bound in the United States of America

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIf you were stranded on a deserted island, you would want my Stand Out teamalong with you on the adventure. Jennifer Bohanan would develop and articulatean “SOS” message so compelling that you would be rescued straightaway. LauraMenza and Kristin Leu would harness their instincts and clarity to design a flawlessplan of escape. Margaret Grzymkowski would use illustration to shape and beautifyyour shelter. John Weigele and Stephen Sepulveda, your “special missions” team,would create a set of aesthetically pleasing and highly functional survival tools.Brooke Roderick would organize and reassure you regularly that “everything willbe all right.” Thank you all for your time and devotion to the adventure that hasbeen Stand Out. I could not have survived it without you.STAND OUT TEAMRBSD FAMILYFOR THEIR SUPPORTJennifer BohananRobin LandaMargaret GrzymkowskiRose GonnellaDr. Dawood FarahiPresident, Kean UniversityLaura MenzaAlan RobbinsKristin LeuEd JohnstonJohn WeigeleChris NavettaStephen SepulvedaLiz BlazerBrooke RoderickJeff WitchelTHANK YOURSBD students,colleagues, and alumniFamily and friendsNikki McDonaldGail AndersonCathy LaneRobin Landa andRose GonnellaBecky WinterGreg LeshéJeff WitchelSimon PanivPEACHPIT PRESS TEAMSPECIAL THANKSTracey CroomKim WimpsettValerie Haynes PerryDr. Jeffrey ToneyProvost, Kean UniversityDavid MohneyDean, Michael GravesCollege, Kean UniversityRose GonnellaExecutive Director,Robert Busch School ofDesign, Michael GravesCollege, Kean University

Stand Out is dedicated to:MY PARENTS, MAUREEN AND FRANK ANDERSON,who gave me the core valuesat the heart of my true andauthentic self, and the foundationfor my personal brand; andMY FAMILY, PAULA AND DYLAN,who inspire me to stay true tomy brand promise, live my values,and improve myself every day.

FOREWORDby: Gail AndersonviI teach at the School of VisualArts in New York City, a schoolthat graduates hundreds ofamazing designers every year.Denise Anderson (a fellowAnderson, but no relation)teaches at the Robert BuschSchool of Design at KeanUniversity. From what I’ve seenover the years, her designers arepretty swell, too. So are EllenLupton’s at Maryland InstituteCollege of Art (MICA), andAndrew Byrom’s at CaliforniaState University, Long Branch(CSULB), not to mention thosefrom Art Center College ofDesign, Rhode Island Schoolof Design (RISD), PortfolioCenter, Yale, and so many others.Not surprisingly, competitionfor the best jobs is fierce, andwhile you may assume thatsuccessfully landing a job is allabout your work or where youwent to school, it’s really aboutyou and the brand you createfor yourself.“Branding” is an overused wordin our culture today—almostan eye-roller at this point. Whatdoes it mean to brand yourself,particularly when you don’thave much professional experience to hang your hat on? Andhow does a person with littleto-no professional experienceeven have a brand? How canyou create a portfolio that willmake you the most memorablejob candidate? The answers tothese questions are here—youjust have to keep reading.You’ve taken the first importantsteps by cracking open this book,by challenging yourself to takeit up a notch, and by seekingassistance from resources thatcan offer the help you need.You’ve already demonstratedthat you have an open mindand a willingness to take a goodhard look at yourself and yourwork—essential qualificationsfor a successful design professional. Well done!

A good portfolio tells a prospective employer important thingsabout you—not just that youcan choose great typefaces orhave technical chops, but thatyou are adept at solving problems. A good portfolio revealsyour curiosity and sometimessome humor. It tells your story—the story that is unique toyou. Remember, in the end,it’s all about finding a good fit.An employer wants to hire agreat designer, of course, but isalso looking for someone whobrings something interesting tothe table. How you craft yourbrand—your personal identity—will make you stand out, andit will make people want tohire you.Do you have an online personato share? A blog, vlog, Tumblr,or Instagram account we canperuse? Who you are out thereon the interwebs counts thesedays, and you want to makesure that version of you is some-one an employer wants to hire.Keep it smart, and keep it clean.But you knew that, and if youdidn’t, Denise will tell you howto bring it all together and createa truly stand-out portfolio.Finally, let me remind you aboutone other thing your mothertaught you. Send a thank-younote. After. Every. Interview.An email is okay, but an honestto-goodness, handwrittenmessage in an envelope affixedwith something they call a postage stamp is thoughtful and willbe greatly appreciated. It’s yetanother thing, like your goodwork and like your interestingpersonal brand, that makesyou stand out.Read on, take notes, and hopefully one day, you’ll be the onehiring me.vii

INTRODUCTIONby: Denise AndersonStudents tell me that my GraphicDesign Portfolio course is likeboot camp without the mud.They’re right. The process I putthem through requires discipline,hard work, and perseverance.It closely resembles the designindustry experience and preparesthem for their transition intothe professional world.In 16 short weeks, my“designers” assess who theyare and what they want fromtheir future. They define theirpersonal brand and create avisual identity. They developa portfolio, tailoring the projectsthey created for their classes,professional internships, or dayjobs to the type of industryand company where they wantto work. They develop a jobplan and learn how to lookfor a job in the design fieldand their specialty, create jobspecific resumes and coverletters, and produce the touchpoints they’ll need to promoteviiithemselves. Every semesterwithout fail, my studentsembrace the process, take a deepbreath, and make the leap intothe next phase of their lives.In the field of professionaldesign, your portfolio is thesingle most important apparatusyou have for demonstratingyour talents, skills, and bodyof work. Designed to buildyour confidence as you enter ahighly competitive marketplace,the Stand Out methodology ispractical and proven. Informedby my 25 years as a designpractitioner and formulated overmy 17-plus-year teaching career,this approach is logical andholistic, and it works.Stand Out’s step-by-step processincludes hands-on exercises anduser-friendly worksheets tohelp you sharpen your visionof where you want to go. Youwill identify the environmentwhere you’re likely to shinemost brightly and be recognized

for the things you are mostpassionate about by the peoplewho can truly appreciate whatyou have to offer. It includesstories of my own experiences,examples from others who haveundergone the process, andlinks to Pinterest boards withwork samples from young,talented designers who havemade their own journey.You don’t have to be a studentto benefit from the Stand Outapproach. If you’re a professional designer in search of yournext job or restarting a designcareer, the methodology Idescribe will work for you, too.In addition to straightforwardand actionable instruction fordesign job seekers at any stagein their career, Stand Outprovides support materials thatcan be used by professors whoteach a portfolio course.Making the transition fromlearner to professional is aformidable undertaking, butit is absolutely necessary.Understanding its importance,my students consistently movetoward their destinies withpassion and purpose. I like tothink I inspire them, but the truthis, they inspire me. As I witnessand support their efforts, I amreminded what a privilege it isto mentor and teach the nextgeneration of design leaders.Stand Out is a testament to theirtalent and commitment, andI hope they will inspire yours.Let’s get started.ix

FOREWORD viSECTION ONEby: Gail AndersonDESIGN A PERSONAL BRANDINTRODUCTION viiiCreate a visual identity that reveals your trueand authentic brand. 2by: Denise Anderson1. Get Personal with Your BrandIdentifying your brand, its purpose, and the attributesthat make it your own. 42. Develop Your Brand StoryFinding key insights and forming the core of yourbrand and visual identity. 183. Design Your Brand IdentityTranslating your brand story into a visual identity. 284. Promote Your BrandCreating an integrated brand campaign. 465. Case Studies: Brand IdentityExploring student brands that stand out. 66SECTION TWOBUILD A KILLER PORTFOLIOBuild a body of work that represents the style, type,and industry-specific work you want to do. 786. Prepare to Build Your PortfolioEleven things to know before creating your book of work. 807. Select Killer Work for Your BookChoosing projects that reveal your skills, talents, and passions. 908. Create New ProjectsAdding work to complete your book. 106x