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microdesign · 29-03-2008, 09:03

Hi guys, im just about to think of some change in my business, think of a new site, new strategie and such.
i have some kind of case here and i really would like to know how you guys think of it and what your opinion is.

We at MicroDesign create a lot of middle and small websites, we are now building a portfolio on our site for like 6 to 8 months now and we didnt even post everything. watch Microdesign | Recent werk
and we get a lot of new clients on and on. but we are stocked with small projects. i was thinking why not ask 3 or 4 times as much for a website but deliver more of full-service, with our experiance we can deliver more consultancy, creating strategies, investigate in client target and simple deliver more quality and spend more time with 1 client.

so thats the first case, but what about the portfolio itself. you can have a huge portfolio, like we are building now (not all sites are included yet) but like 80% of the sites are ugly becuase the client wants it this way or its a verry low budget site. isent it better to make a small selection and only place your best work on it?

im curious of your opinions!

steveb · 29-03-2008, 10:37

Just put your best work there. Also work you made which you really like, but which the stupid client rejected.
A portfolio just needs five or six good examples. You have that!

microdesign · 29-03-2008, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveb

Just put your best work there. Also work you made which you really like, but which the stupid client rejected.
A portfolio just needs five or six good examples. You have that!

yeah i think so as well. but also we like to show people how experienced we are and such.
what about 3 parts
1. Portfolio (6 to 10 best examples, with descriptions and small business cases)
2. Clients page (maybe under portfolio, with logos of famous and good clients)
3. some kind of work archive where you can put all crap, becuase there are still cients who love shitty ugly web0.3 sites :P
what u think?

steveb · 29-03-2008, 14:08

Take a look at your competitors' sites to see if they put all their ugly shitty crap on display. That should answer your question!

Clever Mind · 29-03-2008, 15:33

Sometimes a large portfolio can be almost overwhelming to a client. If they get in there and start seeing a lot of examples they might think your just trying to show off. Its a good idea to only use your best work and like steveb said the work that you loved but the stupid client hated. Also your site its self is a portfolio piece. So the look of your site is going to way on your clients decision as well. I think it would be a better idea to keep them on your site rather than sending them to all the work you have done. Just my thoughts.

elementdesign · 01-04-2008, 08:12

I would have to agree with keeping it small. Have 5-10 total pieces and a couple good case studies. It also helps to state though that you can provide additional pieces to potential clients wanting to see something related to their business. A lot of times a list of clients helps convey that you've done a lot more than what's shown.

Keep taking the small projects because those are typically the ones that fill in the money gaps between the big projects. Then just show your best work.

dreamtenstudios · 31-05-2008, 23:42

I concur with having only your best work up there, although I've read other designers who believe quantity speaks louder than quality. imo it depends on your target market... are you cranking out as many websites as you can for a quick $? or are you looking to establish yourself as someone who goes above and beyond for each job?

Hinkle · 04-06-2008, 15:52

yep agreed, its better to have 3 really good projects to show off , than 7 good ones, 3 okay ones and 2 bad ones... the bad ones will pull the overal quality of your work down.

Justinskie · 06-07-2008, 06:06

Yeah totally agree about the best work, but not so sure about the limitation on how many.

If you got it flaunt it, it shows experience, longevity, reliability etc. where as in my mind a visitor will usually simply assume that the three sites on a portfolio are all that you have ever done... creating doubt.

A client testimonial's page is a great asset, follow it up ion conjunction with the portfolio most definitely.

29-03-2008, 09:03	#1 (permalink)
microdesign Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 170	Your opinion on a large portfolio Hi guys, im just about to think of some change in my business, think of a new site, new strategie and such. i have some kind of case here and i really would like to know how you guys think of it and what your opinion is. We at MicroDesign create a lot of middle and small websites, we are now building a portfolio on our site for like 6 to 8 months now and we didnt even post everything. watch Microdesign \| Recent werk and we get a lot of new clients on and on. but we are stocked with small projects. i was thinking why not ask 3 or 4 times as much for a website but deliver more of full-service, with our experiance we can deliver more consultancy, creating strategies, investigate in client target and simple deliver more quality and spend more time with 1 client. so thats the first case, but what about the portfolio itself. you can have a huge portfolio, like we are building now (not all sites are included yet) but like 80% of the sites are ugly becuase the client wants it this way or its a verry low budget site. isent it better to make a small selection and only place your best work on it? im curious of your opinions! __________________ Webdesign Rotterdam, Webdesign den haag,Webdesign Leiden, Webdesign Zoetermeer My personal blog

29-03-2008, 10:37	#2 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 4,032	Just put your best work there. Also work you made which you really like, but which the stupid client rejected. A portfolio just needs five or six good examples. You have that! __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

29-03-2008, 14:08	#4 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 4,032	Take a look at your competitors' sites to see if they put all their ugly shitty crap on display. That should answer your question! __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

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29-03-2008, 15:33	#5 (permalink)
Clever Mind design with a purpose Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Diego, Ca Posts: 37	Sometimes a large portfolio can be almost overwhelming to a client. If they get in there and start seeing a lot of examples they might think your just trying to show off. Its a good idea to only use your best work and like steveb said the work that you loved but the stupid client hated. Also your site its self is a portfolio piece. So the look of your site is going to way on your clients decision as well. I think it would be a better idea to keep them on your site rather than sending them to all the work you have done. Just my thoughts.

01-04-2008, 08:12	#6 (permalink)
elementdesign Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20	I would have to agree with keeping it small. Have 5-10 total pieces and a couple good case studies. It also helps to state though that you can provide additional pieces to potential clients wanting to see something related to their business. A lot of times a list of clients helps convey that you've done a lot more than what's shown. Keep taking the small projects because those are typically the ones that fill in the money gaps between the big projects. Then just show your best work.

31-05-2008, 23:42	#7 (permalink)
dreamtenstudios www.dreamten.com Join Date: May 2008 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 18	I concur with having only your best work up there, although I've read other designers who believe quantity speaks louder than quality. imo it depends on your target market... are you cranking out as many websites as you can for a quick $? or are you looking to establish yourself as someone who goes above and beyond for each job?

04-06-2008, 15:52	#8 (permalink)
Hinkle Pixelpoodle.com Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Leuven, Belgium Posts: 55	yep agreed, its better to have 3 really good projects to show off , than 7 good ones, 3 okay ones and 2 bad ones... the bad ones will pull the overal quality of your work down.

06-07-2008, 06:06	#9 (permalink)
Justinskie Paddy Power Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Marbella Posts: 17	Yeah totally agree about the best work, but not so sure about the limitation on how many. If you got it flaunt it, it shows experience, longevity, reliability etc. where as in my mind a visitor will usually simply assume that the three sites on a portfolio are all that you have ever done... creating doubt. A client testimonial's page is a great asset, follow it up ion conjunction with the portfolio most definitely.

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