Portfolio's

I recently got a new letters from design contest, about how we can all have our own portfolio .. but then do Ch's ever bother to look up your portfolios!?

I can bet my life either they dont or dont care - else why would they be picking up the kind of designs they do

If I was CH I'd look at designer's portfolios. You never know the fact they don't. Also, I noticed that DC's thumbnail pop-up window design has been changed. Now CH can't see the author's ratings, medals, etc. I understand the purpose of this: ch will not be distracted by the designer's status and this puts all designers in the same conditions. On other side of this, I don't see the point of earning rating points anymore and the overall idea with medals. I think good designers deserve the right to show their achievements. Otherwise this whole rating thing works only for the top 7 designers which are promoted on the main page. Even this, I'm sure, doesn't work for them. In my opinion the designer's profile snapshot on the pop-up preview window should be displayed again. I'm sure when Ch sees the designer's achievements he will click to see his portolio. This gives an extra stimulus to designers to work harder.

They seem to mostly just look at the entries they have. I have only seen CH look at portfolios when someone submits a design - sometimes they click it and say "you know i like the logo you did for company y, can you do something like that"

You have some really clean designs btw, nice work

Edited by cyanyde, 26 April 2011 - 06:08 PM.

There is no way you will no if the ch looks at the portfolios, cyanyde gave an example that does show the ch looks at portfolios. Other than that you as a designer will have no way of knowing.

I know for a fact the contest holders look at the portfolios. I have been on the phone with many when they were going through portfoilos. The contestholders also use the portfolios when they are looking for a specific style to open a one on one project with a designer. So I would suggest put your best work in your personal portfolio and a variety of examples . The portfolio is yours, it is free it is another way to show off your work so why not use it?

Dear Sharie,

Back to my last comment in this thread about Designer's stats on Thumbnail Preview, can we all hear the official point of you why stats were removed? I really don't see a point of Rating System now. Is it just for self-evaluation purposes? ) Recently you held a community t-shirt contest and winner got 10000 rating points. Why does he need them? )

potential and returning clients browse our designer list. Our list is based on those designer points. The home page features our top 7 designers, so the designer points are important for that as well. I send clients to the designers list all the time to search for a designer to work a one on one project or browse the styles and entries from our designers.

Why the stats were removed......why do "you" as a designer need to see the stats on an entry, the stats have no bearing on the contest entry you as a designer are viewing. You, as a designer hover your mouse over the entry to get a better look at the design, not see the designers stats. Not showing the stats also makes the contest a little more fair, the ch can not see the stats on the entry and will not rate a design high because the design came from a designer with very hi stats. Yes, we viewed this happening. You have a client that is unsure of what they want, very unfamiliar with design all together, they hover over an entry, the designer stats show, they are high so that means this must be a good design, now reverse it to hover over a designer with no stats, brand new. The ch has the idea since no stats this designer is not as good. yes, this has happened. Removing the stats just makes for fair play in the contest

I think that what you wrote in the first paragraph works very seldom
"the designer stats show, they are high so that means this must be a good design" - usually, it is true
I agree, that without ratings contests are a bit fair, but personally, showing ratings has more positive things rather than negative: 1st - you encourage good designers for their hard work and loyalty for community, 2st - gives an extra chance to look at designer's portfolio, 3d - shows that designer is experienced and sometimes CH has to rely on him (because sometimes the winning designs are just awful, really)

Anyway, thanks for the reply!

I disagree, we have many one on one projects. this happens all the time and clients do use the designer list.

I do agree that most of the time high points/high rated means the designer is better, but you have to look at like this, the client is unfamiliar with design, can sometimes be swayed one direction or another by looking at the high points. The other thing to consider is many do not look at the total number of entries, how long the designer has been on the site compared to a designer been here a few months (that may very well be a better designer) So I agree and disagree at the same time : )

In my opinion if I may, any options provided for the CH or designer is helpful. Although it may or may not get used, having those option's such as a portfolio available when needed rather than not available when needed is a plus.

On the second point, I was/am a new designer here at DesignContest, and I can say that since I was/am new I felt like their may be a disadvantage in contest's because of this. So, I am glad DesignContest chose to not show designer ratings in contest's. Everyone who sign's up here isn't always new to Graphic Art's. I myself had background knowledge of Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and Flash but mainly Photoshop. I do believe since I've joined I progressed, but, it's not always the case.

I have seen some design's that are not to my taste that have won contest's, but it's our opinion. What we see in a design may be different to others, shapes, symbols, colors can all take on a different meaning to someone else and have a different affect. Prices for some of these winning design's may be high, but then again the CH had the option to choose and that design is what they chose. They're paying for it and not us, although as a designer you feel it's your duty for the CH to get what they pay for (quality wise.)

,
Just my two cents.

Edited by ThtKidRyan, 03 August 2011 - 03:25 PM.
Puncuation, Spelling, etc.

@Sharie I think the most common 1-on-1 contests open after the normal contest is ended. CH want's extra details afterwards, etc. And I don't think that you host too much 1-one-1 contests comparing to the normal contests Maybe I wrong Even from consumer point of view, CH always want to get more designs from various designers, so he sure he gets the greater number of designs and options.

@ThtKidRyan I joined DC in Feb 2011. That time we still had these ratings shown in thumbnails. Maybe, that time I thought a bit the way you think now, that maybe it is not fair for newbies, but I realized that I am new here and I just have to concentrate on my work, my designs and don't pay attention to the ratings. Hard and good work will be always appreciated. But now, when the long way has been passed, and I have relatively good ratings, I think they might help me (and other designers). Why not? I was newbie here, like you Good luck!

eximius we have VERY few one on one projects for the reason you mention. You have no way of knowing how many one on one projects are running at any given time. You are correct though the number of one on one project are not as high as the number of running contests.

as far as designer ratings and stats, they are easy enough to see and find.

I would like to see more designers taking advantage of the personal portfolios. I refer clients to designers portfolios all the time

@eximius I understand that too. I believe their should be a new rank for "Senior Designer's". Or some kind of perk because some people come here and win a couple contest's then leave. I have seen many site's like that. I for one, am not going to leave DesignContest because if it wasn't for this website I would still be doing design's for myself without any profit from it. I used to do design's for myself and stopped one day and thought if I am going to spend this much time on this I want to get paid for doing it. I would also like to share my design's because in my head I think of (in my opinion) better designs than other people. Not to mention the recognition. I am going off topic, but thanks eximius. It's always better to have more than one view on a topic.

Just thought of this, the site makes revenue. Although I am sure they want to thank their senior members for being loyal, they also want to make sure it is somewhat easier for new members to come in and "do their thing." It's probably less likely, but senior members leave as well as newer one's. Their has to be a balance between new members coming and old members leaving because either way if we stay or go, their will be more companies needing work. And the main goal of the website is for us to provide these companies with our work. So in a way you have to think it's more about the company and not as much the designers.

Edited by ThtKidRyan, 03 August 2011 - 04:50 PM.