Portfolio is one of the most vital requirement in finding a job, especially in the creative field. One must leave a mark to stand out. Let's look at the World's Smallest Portfolio by Graphic Designer and Illustrator - Michael Lester.
As part of a brief set by Jelly London for the D&AD New Blood Festival, I was asked to get people talking about myself and my work. Before trying to achieve that, I wanted to ask a deeper question - What was it about my work that I wanted people to talk about? I wanted to get people engaged with the conceptual side of my illustrations so I came up with the idea of shrinking my portfolio, in size and content, leaving just a tiny book of ideas.
-Michael Lester
The design came about seeing how small I could get it while still communicating the ideas. The rainbow-esque strip on the right hand side of the mini portfolio was actually an accident where the pages poked out a little bit due to the card thickness. I originally planned to crop this but in the end it became a memorable part of the design.
-Michael Lester
If I could give advice to aspiring artists/ illustrators/ designers I would say do something different, but give it reasoning. Why are you doing it differently? So for this, making a mini portfolio was my way of communicating that I am ideas driven, so I guess try to think about the wider purpose of your work, how it will shape the way people view your work.
-Michael Lester
About Michael Lseter
Michael Lester is a freelance illustrator and designer currently based in London. He graduated from the University of Westminster two years ago and just after graduating spent a year in Paris working for ad agency, Ogilvy & Mather. See more of his work at Behance or his website.