Soon to graduate University, portfolio advice please?

Besides what u/MikeOfTheBeast mentioned:

Lecturers aren't Hiring Managers. Professors aren't either. Ask the actual Hiring/Design Managers. Students are in a unique position: Anyone you interview with as a student would HAPPILY give you parting advice on their preferences as well (before and after). Always get that kind of feedback.

There is no consensus on what is best. So do both. Some managers appreciate getting a great book...others have to show it to their counterparts in the main office 500 miles away and would rather just email a link.

I would err on the side of starting with Web.

1) You will likely start with a phone interview - meaning...you can tell someone a link...but don't bank on them having the thing with them at the time.

2) There will probably be more than one person over the course of interviewing. Most people I've interviewed with just print off 5 copies of the PDF version and follow along.

There are literally dozens of great Wordpress templates specifically for this kind of thing. I would say from experience that less people mind clicking a link and everyone has a printer at work. Even us great designers just our design decks like it's a boring powerpoint. The showmanship is for external use.

Print a good portfolio off on paper/binding that Patrick Bateman would appreciate, but I wouldn't get hung up on the box that your content comes in. Bring this to every in-person interview. Bring one for each person you are talking to.

If they are going for the web...they probably want convenience: Keep the UI very clean and transition project to project very neatly. I like these guys: link 1, [link 2]{http://www.herbstprodukt.com/)

If you go for printed, decide if this is a teaser, a full portfolio of work for , a mail-away postcard...what? I like to look at leading design firms and companys to see how they do printed communication. Go to tradeshows (there was the HouseWares show in Chicago, free)...those businesses spend a LOT of money on their branding and portfolios. Take some cues from them...they are doing the exact same thing you are doing: Soliciting complete strangers to get them to buy into your brand.

/r/graphic_design Thread