Portfolio Presentation @ Missouri Western State University
March 25, 2024
Big day yesterday getting to visit friends and present to Missouri Western State University portfolio class. Somehow, it’s already been 5 years!
If you missed the first part or the second part of my presentation or you’re curious to see the content, here is the presentation. (only 135 slides 😳)
Portfolio Presentation by Ashley N Cameron
Hello! I’m Ashley Cameron and I am a graphic designer and website developer at my business Ashley Cameron Design. I live in West Des Moines, IA and am originally from Bethany, MO. I adjunct teach at MWSU – Art 129 Design Software Applications (2nd year) & I taught Art 192 – Advanced Photoshop and Interactive Design years ago. Usually, once a year, I review portfolios at Drake University in Des Moines, so it’s interesting to see what they’re doing in comparison to MWSU.
I still feel that even after this many years, Teresa has done and is doing a fantastic job of preparing students for careers in graphic design with our program here and portfolio-building projects.
I have a BFA in Graphic Design from MWSU (2009). In college, I interned at 1st Street Graphics/Penn Street Signs and the Albrecht Kemper Museum. After I graduated, I moved to Lincoln, NE and worked at an advertising agency called the Minnow Project for 7 years. Some of that was full-time and some part-time until we moved to West Des Moines, IA in 2016. At the time, I was pregnant with our 2nd son and had to decide to either go back to an office full-time or freelance full-time. I had a few freelance clients at the time.
I interviewed at least a few different agencies in Des Moines. One offer I could have accepted was as an Art Director at Integer Group on the Michelin Tire account. I didn’t think that sounded very exciting and would have been an end to my diverse portfolio. However, I am still open to contract opportunities with local companies, if/when available.
I’ve been in the graphic design industry going on 15 years now, and essentially half of that has been as a full-time business owner. I make sure that company brands look consistent and professional across all of their marketing media and that they clearly communicate to their audience.
I have to think about who the audience is for each industry and their psychology, behavioral patterns, and lifestyles. And think about appropriate colors, styles, fonts, images, composition & other design principles. I often have to help come up with supporting placeholder text and stock images to express the design direction & strategies.
I love the opportunity to work with a variety of people and companies. And I love the creative freedom to continue learning and build upon my skills and hobbies. I work from home full-time and for the most part decide what client work to accept, especially for new clients. It’s a little harder to turn down work from existing clients.
I have a flexible schedule except for various deadlines, depending on the projects. With that creative freedom comes a lot of responsibility in running a business. I have to be very organized, clear and thorough in my communications, explain my creative decisions, and have a lot of technology and IT setup and coordination with the websites.
Most of my clients have been returning clients for the past several years. I do have new ones that filter in and out periodically. I also do 3D modeling and post informational and how-to videos on my YouTube channel which now has more than 30k subscribers.
The hardest part about being a freelancer is that it’s very unpredictable. I may receive requests from 5 different clients in one day. I have to be very high-functioning to handle multiple accounts and projects. One year I counted 30 different clients in 1 year. I’ve learned not to do that anymore.
I’ve had overlapping website projects which is incredibly stressful. It’s a juggling act the majority of the time. Surprisingly, February and part of March were unusually slow this year, so I worked on several personal projects and renovated my office. I’ve learned to make the most of my free time because everything usually hits at the same time. I’m thankful I can be home and available as needed for my two sons who are in elementary school.
As a freelancer, I have to ask for and make sure I get paid for my work doing invoicing and record keeping, and following up with clients. I must be able to transition from one project to another very quickly.
(Slide 2) Here’s an overview of topics I’ll be discussing– building a strong portfolio, agency experience, business basics for freelancers, client communications, and professional development.
"The art of living… is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive."