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Letter of Transmittal To: Elizabeth Allebach, Student at Lebanon Valley College From: Elizabeth Allebach’s Portfolio Company Date: December 10, 2014 RE: Designing and creating a portfolio for Elizabeth Allebach
Thank you for asking me to submit a proposal to develop a portfolio. I have
been eager to get started on working on a portfolio. As we have discussed in
previous meetings, it is imperative for a college student to have an excellent
portfolio to show his or her peers and future employers. Having an excellent
portfolio will set you apart from the rest of the crowd, a dire need in a hectic job
market. With in the trends, simplistic and efficient design is something that we will
be focusing on for this portfolio.
Attached is a proposal that outlines how this portfolio project will come to
light. It also includes the methods that I will use to complete this portfolio, contents
of the portfolio, costs, schedules, and my qualifications for creating this portfolio.
Please call me at 215-‐208-‐1847 if you have any questions. Thanks so much, Elizabeth Allebach Attached: Proposal
Proposal to Create a Portfolio for Elizabeth Allebach Introduction
Being a Digital Communications student is a reward and a struggle at the
same time. Clients who come to us are having trouble labeling themselves as a
prospective candidate because of the nature of their education. Digital
Communications is a broad spectrum that has to be narrowed down into a field that
can be understood by every employer. Creating a versatile but specific portfolio will
help our clients get a step ahead in the job market. Digital Communications students
have skills in programming, graphic design, user experience, usability, videography,
and business. Creating a portfolio that compiles all these aspects into one efficient
portfolio is where my company specializes.
Problem Analysis
Recently, we have discovered that our clients require a portfolio that helps
exemplifies their skills as a Digital Communications student at Lebanon Valley
College. The job market requires candidates who can go above and beyond in
everything that they do. Workplaces are looking for candidates who can be
excellent in all areas of digital media to get their money’s worth out of a future
employer. The job market is a tough area for college graduates because employers
have to select less people, so they want to get the most versatile person possible.
The value of completing this portfolio project with professionals is indescribable
because of the rewards that will be reaped in the form of economic and professional
success. We are aware the job posting in interest. The Philadelphia Union wants a
graphic design intern for the spring of 2015. This proposal will base its’ examples
on the needs of the Philadelphia Union.
Audience Analysis Intro
Someone who is interested in hiring a Graphic Design Intern may consider
various elements during the hiring process. Employers may want the employee to sit still
and simply do work, or he or she may want the employee actively involved in the
company. It depends on the company atmosphere. Additionally, employers try to
understand the work of a student. Students may need a more flexible schedule and
instruction. A job application intended for a student, will show that the internship could
be remote, or in office with a flexible schedule. While the employer takes the time to
understand the applicant, they will expect an applicant to be a good communicator
through the application and in person. If an intern is not willing to communicate well,
they will not be looked at as highly. To look closer into these scenarios depicted in the
paragraphs above, personas will be made to show the inter-workings of hiring influences.
Below are personas that represent the audience of who will receive the application first,
second, and last.
Discussion Audiences have values, different ways for solving problems, and goals for the
newest employee. Below explains the concerns and important points that each audience
possesses.
The goal of the Primary Audience is to make sure the company, Philadelphia
Union, hire the correct person to help create and develop graphic designs. The Primary
Audience is focused on finding employees who meet the criteria of being a student and
willing to learn. The primary audience also wants responsible people who do not have a
criminal background because this idea corresponds to the Primary Audience’s values.
The Primary Audience will also be looking for an applicant that mastered the use of
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and converting images to different needs. The
primary audiences understand that stellar graphic designing is needed to present the
company in a positive light. Because employers need the cream of the crop to work with
their business, the Primary Audience may look into an applicant’s personal social media
accounts to see if they are considerable for an interview. Employers will look everywhere
they can to find out about a job applicant. Keeping cursing, religion, and alcohol
consumption out of personal social media will help tremendously in job search efforts.
When people are applying for jobs, the Primary or Secondary Audience tend to
look at applicant’s social media accounts. For some people, this helps them because it can
highlight their values of family and volunteer work, but for others it can show drinking
habits and other less than desirable traits. In some cases, it causes people to not receive a
job offer. Most people, when they are looking for a job, tend to clean up their social
media profiles, but some people think that this idea is unfair to applicants.
The Secondary Audience is more driven to look at the specifications of the
applicant. They will be looking for someone who can create and produce responsible
postings and someone who can use certain software’s such as Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint, Excel, and the Adobe Creative Suite. Some of the tops skills needed are
listening skills, pattern recognition, visual thinking, statistical analysis, improvisation,
and a great sense of design. They will also be looking for someone who can produce
reputable material that can gain the Union’s awareness. The secondary audience will
want someone who agrees that effective designs are the key to an effective and
impressionable company.
The Tertiary Audience is mainly concerned with how the company looks from the
outside, with disregard to the finer details. They would be more focused on growing the
Philadelphia Union’s popularity. They value a job well done and will appreciate how
efficient and quickly the job can be completed. They do not understand the inner
workings of graphic design, but they will appreciate how it affects the Philadelphia
Union. The tertiary audience wants a team of employees who have respect to the idea of
being on a team. They want to see a staff that works together and has a fun time
completing the job, because of the nature of the team like mentality.
The goals of the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Audiences are all different.
The application and portfolio must reflect the values, goals, and possible concerns that
each of the audiences portray.
Project Description
This portfolio project will take place as a website. Because our client is a
graphic design concentration, we want to make a fun and upbeat website while
keeping the accessibility elements needed to create a functional website. We want to
create a site that is as bubbly as our client. The homepage will be a static page that
takes the user to different pages of the portfolio when clicked on. There will be a
feature for the user to filter through the designs with minimal effort. We want this
website to be functional before the aesthetic elements are met.
Research Plan Questions for Research:
1. Do they look for applicants who use different graphic design software? 2. Do they look for applicants with a design style? 3. Is this company looking for new ways to create graphic designs or updating
existing designs? 4. Did the company have an existing graphic design intern? 5. Does the company understand the importance of consistent graphic design? 6. What was the largest advertising campaign this company has done? 7. If the company has done one at all, was it a success or just something that
happened? 8. Do they hire people from small colleges or bigger colleges? 9. Do they require certain certifications for this job? 10. Is there any software that is required for the job? 11. Does this company look for a lot of experience? 12. What software does this company use already? 13. Does this company check personal social media accounts? 14. Will my personal social media account effect my life as an employee here? 15. Will this job be a 9-‐5 or have unexpected hours and commitments because of
the spontaneity of postings? 16. Does this company have a general marketing strategy with their graphic
designs? 17. Is this company looking for new ways to be innovative with their graphic
designs? 18. Is this company willing to hire interns? 19. Will this company consider someone without references? 20. Will this company support further learning about graphic design?
With these questions in mind, my research team and I will examine the
resources that the Philadelphia Union may have. After searching within the realms
of the Philadelphia Union, my team and I will look for outside influence. We will look
at similar, reputable companies and the information they provide. By doing this, we
are creating a basis of understanding for what these companies want in a person,
and consequently a portfolio. We will find out if we want to go with a creative route,
or a more cut and dry portfolio. The way an applicant presents their portfolio will
impact the hiring decisions. To be positive in our research and portfolio decisions,
my team and I will conduct usability tests to ensure a functional and effective
portfolio.
Qualifications
My team and I are eager and ready to take on this project because of the
skills we acquire. My team has business experience, people skills, and experience in
graphic design. Elizabeth Allebach, the company owner, has run her own Mary Kay
business for a year and understands how the business sector operates. Within her
Mary Kay business, she is in charge of her personal branding for her company. She
has an understanding that the first impression has to be the right impression for any
job. Our team will use this idea to make your first impression the only positive
impression a future employer will need.
Additionally, she has been a receptionist at a museum and understands how
to communicate with others to get answers to questions. She also has had two
graphic design internships and understands what the employer is looking for in a
candidate. Having a team with people skills and a desire to create beautiful and
effective work is the ideal scenario to any job, big or small.
Work Plan and Schedule Creating a portfolio will be a three-‐month process with important milestones. Audience Analysis
Preliminary Wireframes
Mockup Wireframes
Approval Website Development
Testing Approval
1/20 2/7 2/15 2/17 3/5 3/10 3/20 Resources Required to Complete Project
This project will not require a lot to be completed, but listed are necessities
for appropriate work. My team and I will need Mac laptops, Adobe Dreamweaver,
and access to printing.
Budget
My team and I work off an hourly pay scale. We charge 10 dollars an hour
and expect to work 10 hours a week on this project. Over a three-‐month period, that
would be 9 weeks. The total of the 9 weeks would be 900 initially. We ask for an
additional 10% for overage charges.
Works Cited "Internship | Spring 2015-‐ Graphic Design Intern." InternMatch. Philadelphia Union,
18 Aug. 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. Closing Thank you for considering my business for this project. I hope that you approve my
proposal and consider beginning this project as soon as possible. You can reach me
anytime at 215-‐208-‐1847.
Appendix: 1. Client Needs Analysis
Appendix
Elizabeth Allebach Client Needs Analysis Elizabeth Allebach
Dr. Pettice DCOM 280 Technical Communications
October 17, 2014
To: Portfolio Design Team
From: Elizabeth Allebach
Subject: Client Need Analysis for Portfolio Creation
Date: October 17, 2014 Intro:
The purpose of this memo is to explain the needs of my client and the advantages of
her competitors. With this information, we will be able to create our client the best portfolio
possible. In order for her to get the internship with the Philadelphia Union as their Graphic
Designer, we will have to work efficiently to create a master website based portfolio.
Discussion: This analysis looks at the needs of our client, the objectives and goals the portfolio
has to accomplish, a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses our client and her
future portfolio has, an analysis of our client’s competitors, and a rationale on which
medium our client should host her portfolio. Our client expressed her needs when looking
for an internship. The Philadelphia Union makes some of the requirements our client needs
and the Philadelphia Union lacks in some areas as well. However, the research concluded
that the Philadelphia Union is looking for an applicant who can deliver designs while
working as a team. Additional research looking into the strengths and weaknesses of our
client found that she has a lot of experience in graphic design, but needs work on deciding
what is ideal for the portfolio. Finally, our client has decided that the best medium for the
portfolio would be a website because of being accessible by majority of people. The rest of
the analysis discovers how our client and I have found these ideas.
Client Needs Assessment Intro: This Client Needs Assessment will be an internal document between my client and I
explaining the needs of my client to her preferred internship preferences. The internship is
with the Philadelphia Union in Chester PA. This document will look into what my client
needs, what the company needs from my client, how well the internship fits with me client,
and how my client’s resume is sufficient for this position. The internship posting is
attached.
Discussion My client has specific goals when it comes to her internship preferences. These
preferences involve aspects of professional and personal life. My client needs an internship
because of needing it to graduate, gain experience, and help narrow down her field of
choice. An internship is required for graduation at Lebanon Valley College so my client
would like to find the perfect fit for her needs. Getting an internship will help my client gain
valuable experiences that come with this new responsibility. She will gain skills that she can
add to her resume after her internship. My client will also be able to tell if Graphic Design is
something she wants to commit her concentration on. Along with all of these positives, my
client has some requirements for choosing an internship. She needs less than a half hour
commute, minimum wage or higher to cover travel expenses and work attire, hands on
experience that does not require fetching coffee, and work schedule that can be worked
from home and in office.
Along with my client’s needs, the company also requires certain things from their
interns. The Philadelphia Union requires their employees to have knowledge in graphic
design, be able to create layouts for various programs, complete assigned projects, work
nights and weekends, and work all home Union games. A graphic design intern needs to be
able to use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. According to Joel Reyes of Design
Reviver, he believes that graphic designers need to be able to have a design style, be
organized in project management skills, understand the importance of effective typography,
understand the printing process of created documents, have sufficient skills in web design
and understand the process of creating a website, social media marketing, and an overall
sense of creativity. Graphic designers understand that clients do not know how to make
something, but clients know what they want to see. A graphic designer needs to translate
thoughts between client and project goals.
After reviewing what my client wants and what the Philadelphia Union wants, I will
analyze how well this internship will fit for my client. The percent’s represent the
effectiveness of the internship compared to the needs of the client.
• Internship for graduation: 100% • Minimum wage or higher: 100%
• Gaining experience: 95% • Narrow Down field of choice: 80%
• Hands on experience: 75% • Less than a 1/2 hour away: 25% • Work from home and office: 10%
There are a lot of positive aspects for this job, but also some drawbacks in relation
to the criteria of my client. This internship will count for credit through Lebanon Valley
College, so it received a 100% on the scale. This is also a paid internship so it received a
100% on the scale as well. However, some aspects are not as direct. Gaining experience is at
a 95% because my client will be gaining a lot of experience in commercial graphic design.
The 5% that is missing will be the lack of complexity in the work my client could be
designing. The Philadelphia Union wants advertisements and roster cards created. These
are very important to the Union, but they do not require a lot of creativity. Another minor
drawback to Interning with the Philadelphia Union is it may or may not narrow down the
field of choice. It received an 80% because a lot of work could be focused on other areas of
sports production, such as marketing or public relations, not just graphic design. The
atmosphere of this employer may take away some of the graphic design elements and force
my client to work on other aspects as well. This is not a bad thing; it just may not narrow
down her future employment wishes. This job also requires my client to work Union soccer
games on the nights and weekends. This could mean working a concession stand or
collecting tickets. This breaks away from graphic design and focuses on other logistical
necessities for the Philadelphia Union. That is why I gave hands on experience a 75%. This
job does not allow my client to work from home and the drive is around an hour from my
client’s home. These are two important factors when considering this internship because
they can take away from the experience of the internship in a negative light. My client will
need to evaluate if she can forgo those two requirements in order to take this internship.
The goal of my client’s portfolio will be getting an internship from the layout and
content of the portfolio. Her resume will help get her a first and second interview, but the
portfolio will help exemplify the skills of my client. My client’s portfolio will need to have
example of advertisements that she created, content that shows simplicity because of the
growing trends of simplicity, and a functional portfolio layout to show organizational skills
to the Philadelphia Union.
Objectives/Goals Statement Intro:
The objective and goal of this client needs analysis is to look at what my client has to
offer, and with what the Philadelphia Union has to offer. My goal is to combine those needs
to make sense. The goals of my client and the Philadelphia Union have conditions, a specific
audience, behavior, and a degree in which the audience will perform the behavior. With the
current job posting in mind, my client needs a portfolio to reflect the requirements of the
Philadelphia Union to result in an internship offer after the second interview.
Discussion: The goal of getting an internship with the Philadelphia Union after the second
interview has to do with the conditions of my client. My client is a sophomore at Lebanon
Valley College studying Digital Communications and hopes to pursue a concentration in
graphic design. A sophomore’s portfolio will look a lot different than a portfolio of a senior
or late junior. There will be less advanced work. There will be more reflecting the ability to
use different programs rather than being advanced in one area of design. A college
sophomore may also have work that my client has done for free to add to her portfolio.
These could be small aspect such as business cards or wedding invitations. Because this is a
spring and summer internship, my client will be interested in getting paid because it will
not be remote. These conditions need to be introduced to the Philadelphia Union and made
apparent in the portfolio of my client.
The person who would be looking at my client’s portfolio would be the Human
Resources Director for the Philadelphia Union. Because the Philadelphia Union wants an
intern who is up-‐to-‐date on software, understands the importance of typography and
creativity, has a creative yet practical mind, and someone who can time manage efficiently,
my client’s portfolio has to reflect these ideas directly. Because my client is a sophomore,
who is younger but is more familiar with the finer details of programs, that work has to be
presented. My client’s portfolio has to have booklets to prove knowledge of InDesign, vector
images to demonstrate knowledge of Illustrator, and edited photos to show proficiency in
Photoshop. Along with the art showing knowledge of software, it also has to be esthetically
pleasing to the eye. A portfolio has to be purposeful so the employer understands the
intensity of the intern about the position. To show effective time management skills, the
resume has to prove an intense course load while trying to gain experience in a related field.
After the Human Resources Director looks at the portfolio, he or she will have to
decide if my client is worthy of an interview. Because my client is a sophomore applicant,
the Human Resources Director may have some questions about the work my client did, or
my client’s work experience. This is where my client’s references will help boast what she
can do. After more information is gathered, an interview will be conducted to hear my
client’s explanations of her work. To meet my client and my objective, we need a second
interview. The second interview would used to make sure my client is a correct fit for the
Philadelphia Union.
The objectives that my client and myself have set for the Human Resource Director
for the Philadelphia Union are nudged by my client’s portfolio. The explanation above is to
show how the thought process of an interviewer and my client and myself creating content
to match the thought process of the Philadelphia Union’s interviewer.
SWOT Analysis
The purpose of this SWOT analysis is to look at the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats that my client may have during her interview process. This will
help my client assess the needs of her competitors during the interview process.
Strengths
For the position of Graphic Design intern with the Philadelphia Union, my client has
excellent skills to help the Philadelphia Union thrive. The objective of my client is to get the
job of being the Graphic Design intern, with this; her biggest skill would be her
communications skills along with her graphic design skills. A lot of candidates will have the
same graphic design skills as my client, but they will not have her ability to communicate
and distribute a message like my client is able to. My client has her own small business
selling Mary Kay products. This is an advantage because she knows how to network, deliver
a message, create customer satisfaction, and be professional. Additional skills my client has
are her organizational skills, positivity, and desire to do complete a job with perfection.
Weaknesses Everyone has weaknesses and of course my client has some as well. Her biggest
weakness would be over working in order to get a job done. My client will not break from
work until a job is done. This is troublesome because when a person continually works on
something, the result could be less than fabulous. My client could use better time
management skills while at work to make the most productive day possible. Another
weakness my client has is saying, “yes” too often. My client loves to help people and wants
to do every project she can get her hands on. This could be a bad thing because my client
could over-‐extend herself and not give as excellent work. These personal weaknesses could
be seen in the portfolio unintentionally. My client has a lot of outside graphic design
experience, which means a lot of images for her portfolio. It would be better to have quality
over quantity. My client has to work on selecting the graphic design work that reflects her
abilities best.
Opportunities There are many opportunities for my client to meet her objective of getting the
Graphic Design Internship with the Philadelphia Union. Opportunities are external
conditions that help achieve the wanted objective. My client has fellow students, continuing
classwork, and projects that can volunteer for. Fellow students help the objective because
she can bounce ideas off of her fellow graphic design peers to get helpful feedback to give
the best design possible. My client also still has classes to go to and learn from. This is
perfect for an internship because the Philadelphia Union would benefit from what my client
is learning, and it helps my client because she can continually grow herself. Additionally, my
client has the ability to volunteer for projects to help grow her portfolio. This goes with the
saying, “practice makes progress” and the Philadelphia Union would benefit from my
client’s bettering her skills.
Threats Threats are external conditions that could possibly damage the end result of getting
the Graphic Design internship with the Philadelphia Union. Two very important threats
came to my mind, failing a class and the failing economy. If my client does not excel in her
classes, employers will be less likely to hire her. The Philadelphia Union wants the best
people possible for their jobs. This means having great grades and the ability to get teacher
recommendations. Another threat is the standstill economy the United States is in currently.
This is a problem because it limits the amount of jobs in circulation. There is a higher
demand for skilled and credible workers, so employers are interested in a strenuous
interview process to find the best candidate. Getting a job is not as easy as it used to be; so
hard work and skill need to be on forefront on my client’s mind.
Competitive Analysis
A client analysis is an internal document that assesses the competition between my
client and her direct competition. This information will help my client have the best
interview possible because she will understand what her competition is focusing on.
People who are direct competition with my client would be her classmates at
Lebanon Valley College. This is good competition because it forces my client to work hard
in order to keep up with the status quo. At Lebanon Valley College, the Digital
Communication department is all friendly with each other. These connections and lines of
communications are beneficial to everybody in the major because people can confide in
each other for help. However, it builds a competition base because everyone wants to be at
the top of his or her class. My client and I believe this is a good and healthy competition for
everyone to raise the bar and work harder.
A different type of competition would be people from different academic programs
from different schools. Different schools have different forms of technology and teachers,
and therefore different skills are taught. At Lebanon Valley College, the school has a lack of
technology but makes up for it with the professors the school employs. My client and I
cannot speak for other professors but other school’s programs speak for themselves.
Lebanon Valley College set the bar for other schools that there needs to be a Digital
Communications major. Lebanon Valley College was one of the firsts schools to offer this
rewarding program. Other colleges, such as Messiah College, have imitated Lebanon Valley
College’s program to offer at their school. This is great for Lebanon Valley College because it
proves there is something amazing happening at Lebanon Valley. It builds competition
because others are getting taught the same skills. However, my client has the advantage
because she goes to the school that initiated the program.
It is great that my client goes to a school known for their Digital Communications
program; however what the Philadelphia Union thinks of my client is the most important
opinion. The Philadelphia Union will be looking for someone who can deliver content, is
hardworking, professional, and willing to work as one of a team. The Philadelphia Union is a
team-‐oriented organization by nature. A soccer team has to work on a field to make the
dream happen, a person who works for the Philadelphia Union will have to believe in
bettering the organization before bettering themselves. My client will have an advantage in
the hiring process because she will know what the Philadelphia Union will be searching for
an can tailor her portfolio accordingly. Since there are no common practices for submitting
a portfolio to the Philadelphia Union, my client can make her portfolio her own.
Differentiating my client will be the key to her success in the job market. She is different
because of selling Mary Kay, her volunteer graphic design work, and previous internship
experience. Employers don’t want to have to train an intern on the basics of working for a
company. Having someone with internship experience is extremely beneficial to the
Philadelphia Union’s hiring process.
Media Rationale
To: Client
From: Elizabeth Allebach
Subject: Media Rational for Website Portfolio
Date: October 17, 2014 Intro
My client and I have decided that creating a website would be the best choice for my
client’s future profession as a graphic designer. Because of the audience’s expectations of
updated designs, a medium where my client can update quickly is ideal. The objective is for
my client to receive the position of Graphic Design Intern for the Philadelphia Union;
therefore an infallible portfolio is necessary.
Discussion
There are many positive aspects for why a graphic designer should choose to have
an online portfolio. An online portfolio can be designed and redesigned as many times as
need be. My client will be able to perfect the vision she has for her portfolio, without
spending a lot of money. The world of graphic design is constantly changing; designers have
to keep up with the demand of new techniques and styles. Additionally, my client’s work
will have to change with the different trends in graphic design. A website can also show my
client’s abilities of web design, user experience, and information architecture. This is
important because my client could be seen as a multi-‐functional employee, instead of just a
graphic design intern.
In order to make the best portfolio possible, my client will go through a series of
steps and procedures to choose the best layout, content, and information architecture.
When choosing a layout, my client will have to keep in mind the trends of graphic design.
Simple design is key in layout, but the portfolio must be strong in content. The layout must
be simple because a wide variety of people will be looking at this portfolio. Anyone ranging
from peers, future employers, and aspiring graphic designers may be interested in looking
at the concept. The content must be up to date and specific to the skills my client has. My
client’s portfolio is not a collection of every work done, just the best work done. My client
will also be doing a card sort to arrange and decide on the labeling of the headings. This will
help make the design user-‐friendly and effective by reaching the objective of Graphic Design
Intern.
Along with the positive aspects for an online portfolio, there are some obvious
drawbacks. A website can only be accessed when a person has Internet access. This could
be problematic for the audience because if they have a weak signal or their servers are
down on a particular day, the application and portfolio could easily be ignored. That would
greatly hinder the objective of getting the Graphic Design Internship. Another problem is
that the audience may not be as comfortable using the Internet as a platform to view their
candidates. A lot of people enjoy the feeling of a piece of paper in their hands, instead of just
the visual aspect the screen gives. The older generation, above 50 years old, fall into this
category because using a website as an introduction is something older individuals are not
used to. It may create a negative effect on my client if another applicant submitted a paper
portfolio and the older generation creates a preference to that specific applicant. To help aid
this predicament, having a printed version of my client’s website would be ideal. This way,
my client can take her portfolio with her and have options. People who prefer a digital
version would have one while people who prefer paper could view the portfolio as well.