My main goal is to build this portfolio website into something that I can show potential employers. Also, because of the importance of networking, I’d like to be able to show my portfolio to other students. The revised portfolio will highlight my abilities in design, writing, and video editing. In the following modules, I’ll explain how (and in what time frame) I plan to make that happen.
First, there are a few current issues with the site that need to be fixed as soon as possible. For example, the main navigation’s drop down menus don’t always show up, which makes it hard to find some of my work. I’ve also been told that my site takes a while to load, so I intend to do some research and find out why that might be. Another thing I’ve noticed is a random black bar that appears when my page is loading — I’d really like to get rid of that.
By February (but preferably sooner) I intend to to upload all of the work I’ve completed during the fall semester, as well as my resume. The samples will include two commercials I edited, seven design projects (brochures, posters, etc), and possibly one or two essays. I also hope to revise my Alice in Wonderland story source interrogation by February. I want to keep it online, but I think it could use more detail and better word choices.
Once my first round of uploads is done, the site will have several examples of design work, but it may need more writing samples. I plan to upload anything usable that I create during the spring semester. In addition, I will start and maintain a blog to showcase my writing abilities as well as the knowledge I’ve gained as a Comm major.
I think the site’s design itself should be an example of my abilities. However, I don’t plan to change the design much unless I can access the code. Therefore, the most ambitious thing I would like to do in the long term is download WordPress, create the site from scratch and figure out how to get it hosted. I know how to install WordPress locally using MAMP and I prefer doing that because the downloaded version of WordPress allows me more control over the code, but I’m not sure how to get it hosted publicly and I don’t know how feasible that is. Hopefully I can make it happen before I graduate in the spring.
So basically, by the time I graduate (this spring), I plan to create a portfolio site filled with samples that display a variety of communication-related skills. These will include essays, blog posts, design projects, videos, and my resume. Hopefully my design skills will also be showcased by the structure and design choices of the site itself, once I can work with the code. The end result should be professional and formal enough to show to potential employers, but also interesting enough to share with other students.