Portfolio Tips for Video Game Designers
June 18th, 2019 by Anna Ortiz
Pursuing a career as a video game designer can be challenging. Competition is stiff, and it’s essential that you understand what you need to do, to stand out, and ultimately land that coveted opportunity. There may be setbacks along the way, and it’s important that you stay positive – if successful, this experience will be both educational and rewarding.
In order land job, you must understand how to market yourself to potential employers effectively. If you are unsure about what needs to go into a game design portfolio, you are not alone. We will explore how to create a winning video game design portfolio in this article.
How Do I Get Started? Portfolio vs. Demo Reel
Not everybody has the luxury of developing a portfolio and a demo reel. Demo reels are short videos that compile your best and most relevant work (to the job). They are an excellent way to demonstrate various pieces of work in motion, in an interesting way. Give employers an opportunity to play your levels first hand. Just be mindful that they are extremely time-consuming to create and can be slow to load. If the demo reel quality is poor, it can work against you.
A portfolio is a compilation of your work which typically consists of still images hosted on some platforms. It quickly demonstrates who you are as a designer, gives others insight into your process and information. Employers love to see how you came up with the rules, and how you overcame design or technical issues. Portfolios are also much easier to design. The downside is portfolio is less engaging because they consist of primarily still images.
Bear in mind that you do not really need to choose one. Consider publishing your demo reel within your portfolio to provide the best of both worlds!
Five Components of a Great Portfolio
Now that we have discussed different mediums to present yourself to employers, let’s dissect 5 essential components of a great portfolio.
1. Keep It Clean & Simple
Much like a good resume, your portfolio should be easy to understand. Use an appealing and straightforward layout and avoid over-clutter. Use suitable techniques and designs that are up to date. Most importantly – convey your artistic voice, it's what makes you unique!
2. Include Your Best Work
Showcase the work you are most proud of, or that is most relevant to the opportunity you are seeking. You can use platforms like Behance or Coroflot to showcase your work and even get noticed by other professionals and potential employers. If you're still unsure, seek out other artist and get their opinion. You can share on forums where game developers interact – be open to feedback!
3. Demonstrate Your Process
Creation begins with a progression of thought, and potential employers want to know how you think. They want to understand how you travel towards your creative destinations and what steps are integral to final results. So show them!
It’s okay to include work you did not create on your own (it’s common) since the industry relies on teamwork. Just be sure to include credits to your team members. Also, include the software that you utilized and provide descriptions of your work.
4. Personalize
If you want to blow away a potential client, you can create personalized links that highlight the relevant work that applies to the job or project. Showcase who you are as an artist; you can include personal projects if they are of interest to the job.
5. Test
When finished, make sure your portfolio loads correctly on multiple browsers and devices. Not doing so can cost you the job.
The propensity for electronics to malfunction in high-stress situations is unfairly gargantuan. Whenever possible, have an alternate method of presentation handy for quick substitution. In fact, doing this will demonstrate your resourcefulness, savvy, and preparedness; all of which are qualities coveted by employers and human resource departments.
In Conclusion
In some ways, an unemployed video game designer is only as good as their portfolio content. A portfolio provides you an opportunity to capture the attention of employers who see large numbers of applications. Use these tips to craete the best possible portfolio, get called into an interview and land that coveted job. Good luck!
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