Preparation is Key
When undertaking large projects, the most crucial step is thorough preparation. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." That in itself shows the importance of preparation. If you don't have the proper tools or knowledge to do a specific task, you are either not going to succeed or struggle altogether.
A big piece of preparation is research. In every class I've taken and every professional I have talked to, they always start with research. This is very useful as it helps you dive right into what you are trying to do and see the proper way to do it. I know for myself, I find research very useful. Outside of school, I use research every single day. Whenever I am making a graphic for work, I always take a look at my peers and professionals to see what they are doing. This is a great form of inspiration and helps me get ideas for designs. One of my favorite websites to do this in the design space is Behance. I have found so many different designers on there that I really am inspired by. A few of my favorites in the hockey space are Matthew McElroy, Brady Hackmeister, and Jack Ridenour. Those three and many others are great inspirations, and through research, I was able to find their terrific work.
When it comes to designing a portfolio, it is a rather large project. That is why it is important to get all your ducks in a row and prepare for it. When going through the mind map and content strategy, it really opened my eyes to what I have been doing and what I really need to do. Over the past three years alone, I have done so many projects, both big and small. Going through and organizing them is very useful, especially when a majority of them can be displayed. This will be helpful when trying to look for projects and just being able to go through everything simply. Organizing all these projects is definitely smart and will make it easier when actually designing the portfolio.
Another great part of preparation is coming up with a plan. Having a to-do list you can look back at and a list of goals could be very useful. Having a planner or a note sheet with what you need to get done keeps you on task and makes sure everything is done on time and correctly. I know personally, I go back to my to-do list multiple times a day as it is a good way to make sure I am on task. Of course, this can change, and projects you don't expect can be added, but having a hard list is very useful.
Once you have done your research, organized everything that needs to be organized, and created a gameplan, you can actually jump into the project you are doing. In my case, building a portfolio, but this really translates to many projects. Getting prepared is ridiculously important and will make doing a task a good amount easier.
