When any designer is starting out, the body of work they would normally show off to potential clients to woo and wow them, isn’t exactly there yet. So what’s the poor designer to do? How does one work up a sizable and stunning collection of work? Some say the answer is padding.

Now most people are familiar with some version or another of padding. Some folks pad their paychecks by clocking in too early or waiting to clock out, and letting the time build up while they do nothing. Some people pad their resume by exaggerating minor details here and there, or by flat out lying in places (like special skills : I have the uncanny ability to defuse any explosive or potentially volatile situation with the subtle sound of my voice carrying a note for a brief period of time. Oddly enough, they never called. Apparently the UN wasn’t looking for that particular ability in an applicant. But I digress.). Another form of padding most people are familiar with has to do with cushioning of sorts in clothing or furniture. We will mostly be dealing with the first two kinds of padding, as they are more relevant with our topic. In fact, the above mentioning of cushioning, will be the only place we bring up that kind of padding (well, and in this sentence also).

This kind of padding, in relation to a designer’s portfolio, occurs when a noob creates several pieces, not for clients, but only for building up their body of work. This is often times the most recommended option for making this happen. Afterall, the only other method for procuring a portfolio is to do spec work (cue horrid cat hiss), or favors for friends and family to create a gallery to show potential paying clients. No thank you. In fact, piss off please. Not that doing friends and family favors is necessarily a ‘piss-off’-able offense, but it can be an epic nightmare from which you will never awaken. So generally, members of the design community turn to padding, and if that is the chosen route, then there are some things that the designer needs to take into consideration.

Be Diverse

Padding can have it’s down sides as well, though grant it, this is seemingly the better one of the other options that appear on the table. Potential clients, afterall, generally will only go with an established enough designer that can provide them with enough of a sampling to peruse so they can become comfortable with it. Getting a sense of the designer’s style and tone is important for the client in the beginning, so you want to truly express yourself in a wide range when going for padding. Though some designer’s have a problem when working for themselves, and not a client, in being varied and reaching across the spectrum to examine and play in different areas and aspects. This can be one of the problems with padding. Being diverse in your voice.

Challenge Yourself

This daring and sometimes daunting task is not a favorite of some designers. Just as clients want to be comfortable with the designer’s work, so do designers when they are creating. And finding comfort in exploring new techniques and areas is not easy for some. Therefore, when not being forced to by clients, some designers refuse to launch themselves into unfamiliar territories or challenge themselves in any way. Patrons can often times offer inspiration towards ideas a designer might not come up with on their own, helping to keep things fresh. So without this when those designers are padding, they stagnate and their style appears stale from the display they have amassed, and alas, they will have a hard time landing any new work.

Avoid The Lazy Linger

Another problem area some designers may stumble into when padding, is a lazy linger. By that, we mean, that even though some client’s constantly are having you revise a piece time and again because they feel something is not quite there, and this can be a pain, it makes the designer strive harder to satisfy the customer. Without that pressure to perform, some get lazy as they critique and correct their work into a refined piece worthy of the portfolio. As a result, they settle on a finished product that is not necessarily as polished as it could be and the selection of samples may fall flat and hard without a cushion (We felt like we needed to mention the other padding just once more. Apologies.).

Second Set Of Eyes

Working on designs for others does often times give other perspectives and an opinion not so close to the design. Let’s be honest. Each and every critique and cut we make at our client’s request, hurts us on a personal level. So making those cuts without request, for some, is pretty impossible. Therefore, it may be important, when padding the portfolio, to have an alternate perspective on the piece before deciding on it’s finality. So you may need to have a second set of eyes. We don’t mean like in a jar or anything, we’re not accusing you. All kidding aside though, a second set of eyes on the design can help to recognize some superfluous elements to the piece that the designer won’t see (Naturally this person should have some sort of qualification or background that gives them a discerning eye when it comes to creative works.).

So to sum up, if you do decide to pad, try to remember these four things, and keep them in practice as you begin to piece together a portfolio you can not only be proud of, but that should help land you some clients as well.

1. 1) Be diverse
2. 2) Challenge yourself
3. 3) Avoid the lazy linger
4. 4) Get a second set of eyes

This will grant you a display demonstrable to potential clients that you are the flourishing designer that can meet all their needs.