hey guys,
was just informed some of the links are troublesome, either use the

google page - http://abtreeson.googlepages.com/COMPENDIUMVERSION2.pdf

files front -
http://files.filefront.com/COMPENDIUM+VERSION+2pdf/;9125265;/fileinfo.html

media fire -
http://www.mediafire.com/upload_complete.php?id=xzyimxmllit

big file host - (have to enter number sequence near bottom)
http://www.bigfilehost.com/en/file/1280/COMPENDIUM-VERSION-2-pdf.html

ok start you engines. thanx guys, i appreciate and take into consideration every comment. Off to study for the GREs, i'm taking them in 45 hours!!! haha, wish me luck.

did anyone in the last thread say anything about consistency?

The font is bad. Try century gothic.

your text is still too big

your text is still too close to gutters and edges

the title sheets with the boxes and such are cheesy

on the contained space project, the gradiated grey background and then the black jaggedness aren't working

the tiny red model snapshots aren't working either

where'd your descriptions go?

I don't understand why the 'thinking inside the box' project is broken up into two sections. At all.

the way you've treated the images on that project is uniformly not so great. The first section, with the pullout, the thick dashed lines are bad. On the second section, the picture-in-picture thing isn't working for you, nor is the text on top of the picture-in-picture thing. See notes on text above.

on the pavilion project, the model isn't good enough craft-wise to warrant a full bleed image. When it's that big you can see every flaw.

I think on a whole the work is generally good which is why I'm not a fan of you're busy graphic layout.

There too much dead space followed immediately by crammed graphics on a single page, followed by more dead space, then followed by more crammed graphics. There is no real harmony or flow.

The best thing I can suggest is try and find a copy of El Croquis someplace, University Arch libraries are a good place to look. El C does a very good job of letting the work speak for itself.

For example, on your cover you have multiple images of the same project, first of all this gives away part of your game before the reviewer has even looked inside. A cover isn't necessarily a good place to show off your work, its a place to show off your graphic design skill. If you really like that project for the cover show only a small part of it, maybe by showing the top with its "hat" forming the bottom and right hand sides of the page and move the text COMPENDIUM to the upper left hand quarter.

To me there are two approaches to portfolio design, there's the minimalist route where you try to make your work do all the talking for you (which I think is the best route) or the fancy route. Only attempt the fancy route if you're really good at graphic design. One girl I know at GSD had a very fancy portfolio but it was also extremely well designed for how busy it was and I think reviewers like that approach because it can help you mask craft issues with your work. Not to mention she's the best draftsperson I've ever met.

my advise would be to look at some other peoples portfolios. you will learn a lot.

yup, I concur. It still feels like the work is being crammed into the pages.

Get that El Croquis or a good artist's monograph. You'll see that white space (literal white space) is the majority of the books. This allows for a nice frame to highlight the work.

To further Aqurimac's comments (which I completely agree with), stick with the minimalist portfolio. The 'fancy' one, like a Morphosis monograph, is a work of graphic art in itself. But that takes a tremendous amount of time and planning.

Stick to a minimalist approach. Try starting with one image and a sketch or two for each project, centered in a big white page (most schools want you to stick close to 8.5"x11", which is the most economical size). Make them, oh, say 3"x4".

Then add a little text, add a few supportive images, another sketch or two. Slowly start to add, if you think it is necessary. As you'll see in many monographs, most work can be told with one photograph and a short description. Don't stick things in just because you have them.


I also agree with evanc's comment - consistency. No need to have anything but white pages with the photo and text. I'd kill anything else unless there is a super strong reason why it is there.


Your work looks strong, let it stand on its own. Again, think about a single photo of one of your projects, hanging on the wall. It would look much better as a 5x7" in a large, matted frame than it would pinned on a cork board with 100 other random things.

Check out www.lulu.com Go to their search command and type in 'architecture portfolios'. You'll see some good (and bad) examples of portfolios. It's up to you, as a designer, to recognize what works graphically and what fails.

Good luck.

i just wanted to say, good luck - we're all counting on you.

xacto is xactly correct.

hey guys,
sorry i've been awol. took my gres last thursday, did quite well, and the last handful of days have been recovery and celebration. i really appreciate all your advice once again. i think i made some strides in this version but when view in context i just have yet to utilized the exepcted aesthetic in pleasing manner. i'm taking the portfolio back for another round of revision and refinement. but the conclusion i've come to over the last months is, i'm a canididate for a top tier school, i'm by no means a shoein, and if accepted to say columbia i would find it incredibly challenging. i instead want to go to CUDenver or UNM and be a good student in the state i love, making a social and vocational network where i want to set down my roots, and where i'll be able to live a well rounded life with more than my studies. from the general tone, i think with my portfolio, background, and gres i'll get into these schools. so once again i thank all you for your help in process. i wish all the other applicants the best of luck in getting into their school and above all, thank you to all those who have been through this process and have helped me and the rest of us out. if i create a third version that i feel i exceptionally different i'll post it. peace guys.