ISBN# 0393730956

If you want or are required to do a digital portfolio...
Designing a Digital Portfolio (Voices That Matter)
by Cynthia L. Baron
ISBN# 0735713944

Both are less than a year old. Linton's is pretty much the standard; it is in its third edition. You will also want to pick up a book on 'writing for professionals' if your English is not the greatest. One of the worst things in a portfolio, besides bad content, is bad grammar and spelling. Lastly, the topic of typography should be important. Though most readers of your portfolio may not notice, proper use of typographic standards -- and breaking the standards if you have a command of them -- can benefit the presentation of your work.

By the way, how hard is it to do an Amazon.com search for the word 'portfolio'? Now it just got easier... click here. Remember to read the user comments, as they help a bit in figuring out which books are best.

"By the way, how hard is it to do an Amazon.com search for the word 'portfolio'?" wow..how pleasant and unpatronizing.

mister confuseddaniel, if I might make a zennish suggestion. Perhaps your fear is the first thing to overcome. Maybe you imagine the portfolio is a monstrous thing. I just wrote a few points about portfolios and stuff..then thought..how stoopid of me,so I deleted. You are a graduate student, you would really know most of the things anyone here can tell you (especially within such a general scope). You should trust yourself and your abilities, after all others trusted enough in you to graduate you (well, soon).

I wanna smack virtual-architect.

"Remember to read the user comments, as they help a bit in figuring out which books are best." ....cry me a river baby.

un... Believe it or not, some programs (bachelor) -- this guy is not a grad student; he's undergrad -- are poor in portfolio development. Even then, there are students out there that need a helping hand. I've had a few interns work for me -- hired by the principal -- that really needed a big brother. Additionally, Archinect is becoming a popular resource for architecture students: high school, undergrad, graduate, post-graduate, and professionals. Given this range of intellect and experience, my comments are warranted. And to your disbelief, appreciated.

"By the way, how hard is it to do an Amazon.com search for the word 'portfolio'?"

ouch,
down for the count
8.....9........10

confusedariel:

I did not me to belittle you by my ending comments -- just to provoke you to think a little deeper, as unedited has suggested. His comment that "perhaps your fear is the first thing to overcome" is worth some thought.

Just do it. Start out by outlining your thoughts on paper, even thumbnail sketches, then format and add titles/descriptions in a consistant way.

As for unedited, ... To the 5 Boroughs | Track 07.

This isn't true for all schools. I know that my undergraduate program made me submit a portfolio to be admitted into the internship year and fifth year of the program. I am sure some 4 + 2 students have to go through this to.

All YOU grad students think you are better than us. haha. I am hoping to be a grad student soon. I think that was a bigger issue in school than failure to learn how to make portfolios. Failure of communication between undergrads and grads. A lot of the grads could learn from the under grads and visa versa. This is off topic. oops.

...the hubris of the undergrads...

sahar... well you know what... come up and introduce yourself. we don't bite. most of us have a tendency to be immersed in our work, though i will take your comments to heart when i start sci-arc this fall. just as we (grad students) want to be taken serious by our higher-ups, i understand you wanting open lines of communication.

places like archinect, except for the obvious stratas in vocabulary, help to open the lines. thanks paul et all.

This was exactly the issue at my school. Grads thought that undergrads were full of themselves, and undergrads thought grads were. There were few exceptions.

Some grads were doing interesting projects that I wanted to learn more about, or sometimes you need a peer desk crit. Plus, since you alreadly live in the architecture school, why limit your social/academic circle to 50% of the school. I know that grads live in their studios, especially the thesis students, but undergrads (well, maybe not freshman) are usually working there too.

I think the issue at my school was the undergrads were intimidated by the grads and the grads were intimidated by the undergrads. I appreciated the grads students because I didn't feel like there was so much competition between them, and they were coming from very different backgrounds. That just may be my grass is always greener mentality...

For most graduate students, the institution of the "university" is less important than it is to undergrads. They don't really want to be a part of the undergrad scene, they want to pursue their own goals and get on with their life.

I understand this statement, but if you just have this sort of tunnel vision you miss out on things going on in the school that you could learn from, bring to your work, etc

I don't know what undergraduate school you went to, but the school of architecture basically took away my ability to have a "scene," because of all the time we spent there. You were lucky if this didn't happen to you.

I understand what you're saying and you'll understand what I'm saying when you're a grad student. I know what happens in undergrad, so do most other grad students. After a few years away from school your outlook changes. You no longer look to the institution for a sense of identity - you've already accomplished things in the outside world.