Advice on portfolio reviews for RGD Associate Membership

To become a Associate RGD Member, new Members have a portfolio review. Below some of our Reviewers share insights on the Portfolio Reviews!

Advice for Reviewees

"State clearly want you're looking for out of the review, what industry are you in and where you see yourself in 5 years. The more specific you can be for areas of feedback the more constructive the review can be."

- Patryk Adamczyk RGD, Senior Product Design Manager, McAfee

"Share unforseen hurdles or speed bumps and how you overcame them for some applicable key pieces."

- Trevor Ingall RGD, Founder & Creative Director, Brand Builder Studio

"It helps to know that you're taking in the feedback if you echo what I said instead of nodding and blindly agreeing. Having a dialogue is the goal and shows that you're engaged in a discussion."

- Victor Szeto RGD, Creative Director, Green Living Enterprises 

"This is the other side of the coin, so to speak, so I'm cheating a little bit. Go in with a sense of what it is you are looking to accomplish with your portfolio and portfolio interview. If you're looking for a job, what fields interest you most? (Agency, in-house, product, etc.) Communicating your needs will help your reviewer apply the correct lens to your work." 

- Vincent Galante RGD, Principal, Vincent Galante Strategy + Design

"Be prepared to talk about much more than the technical aspects of what you're presenting. Explain what your inspiration was and how you progressed from the concept through to the finished work."

- Robin Honey RGD, Senior Freelance & Brand Strategist

"Only put your best work in your portfolio. Less is often more. If there is a project you aren’t 100% proud of or you aren’t confident in your answers, it will be obvious to your reviewer. Projects you are passionate about will leave the best impression. Your best work is not just the most impressive concepts on the page or screen, but the explanation you can give as to how you got there, what drove the design, the results of the project and most importantly - why you are proud of it and why you chose to include it in your portfolio."

- Michelle Wilkin RGD, Creative Director & Co-owner, Pilot Coffee Roasters

Questions you may be asked:

"If you had to redo this project and had half the time, what would you do differently?"

- Robin Honey RGD, Senior Freelance & Brand Strategist 

"What do you absolutely love designing? This is a question that usually elicits a positive response, which also helps me hone in on what type of work they want to pursue and where they want to focus." 

- Victor Szeto RGD, Creative Director, Green Living Enterprises

"What area do you feel like you'd like to improve or learn more about?" 

- Evelyn Csiszar RGD, UX/UI Designer, Strategist & Consultant, Collective Experience Inc. 

"What did you learn from this project? How did it change the way you work?" - 

Gil Martinez RGD, Art Director, Newcom Media Inc. 

"What was the primary challenge the design needed to meet? Followed-up with: On a scale from 1-10 how effectively do you believe you met the challenge and in your opinion, how?"

- Trevor Ingall RGD, Founder & Creative Director, Brand Builder Studio

"What drove you to this profession?"

- Simone St. Aimee RGD, Art Director at TANK Worldwide

"What area do you feel like you'd like to improve or learn more about?" 

- Evelyn Csiszar RGD, UX/UI Designer, Strategist & Consultant, Collective Experience Inc.