Designing Impact

Just ran across a quick, great, comprehensive run-down of a mash up of Google Apps used for eportfolios shared by @Sociallearning. Although this overview uses eportfolios as a means for education, I thought is useful to share here as a potential framework from which to learn.

The tweet was timely as I was just completing the first version of my own eportfolio. I’m using this in context of an online location from which to share one’s professional work. I searched common providers who tout easy-to-create portfolio packages. None worked for me. Then, I realized, as I was blissfully working in Posterous, that I could easily modify one of their standard templates into a sleek, easy to navigate, easy on the eye portfolio that highlighted my work. Yes, I used a blog template. I tweaked some of the code so it doesn’t look like a blog but has all the navigation features, included password protection and privacy controls. Thinking about a blog as a container of blocks of content, I realized this framework was exactly what I needed. I wanted to create an online portfolio that I could easily send a link to those interested but not have it be searchable on Google AND I wanted it to be tremendously EASY to update. Posterous is amazingly easy to use. I turned off options for posts or comments (but could turn it back on in future if needed. I also leveraged the easy to use tag feature so clients can search my work via topic. Works like a charm.

Steps:

1–Email post@posterous.com to setup your blog. No setup needed. Yes–it’s that simple.
2–Go to your Posterous blog and rollover Posterous tab on top of browser. Click Settings.
3–Click Theme and Customize My Site button.
4–Click Theme tab on left top and choose a theme (recommend Clean Sheet by Posterous).
5–For Advanced Folks: Go to advanced tab and view CSS template and change code as needed.

Here’s a shot of my beta portfolio’s front page:

Who do you use for your portfolio? What presentation approaches have you found that works?