Portfolio Analysis
I found Mike Kus’s portfolio to be interesting to study and depict how and what makes this an exceptionally good example to base my own portfolio off in the future.
The website straight away draws attention to the variety of projects that Mike Kus has had the chance to work on, the feature pictures in the gride format allows for the employer to have a glimpse of his career in one page scroll. This peaks one’s interest very quickly and encourages the viewer to venture into more detail on each project.
Mike Kus, portfolio page
Kus is using a website layout in combination of a split screen and columns of their work using feature images to click on, that then leads to the project’s description and information.
You can tell that Kus’s median is based on the style of photography. He has also included this on top of the page bar, where a link can redirect you to his other platforms such as his Instagram, Dribble account and Twitter.
In modern times, this industry benefits from public forums and platforms as it gives the artist a chance to interact with their audience. This is useful for employers to view the reactions of the public towards their work and see how the potential employee reacts and manages this. Seeing the author interact with the community can also display a good sense of interpersonal skills. Many companies have their own social media as well, providing an opportunity for the employer's company to follow you increases the chances of working on future projects, even if you were to not get the job you are applying for straight off the bait.
On Kus’s page each icon on a feature image presents the company that the project is associated with, and when you hover the mouse over the image there is a micro transition to show the title of the company in a simplified black and white text format. The overall flow and fragments of animation on this website makes it quite easy and interactive for viewers, giving the portfolio more depth in the experience of exploring each section of Kus’s career. The Author has enough projects to make the gride system work for them. Every time you click on a project, a leaflet style page pops up, with the original page of projects still being present in the background, this reminds the employer of the diverse range of projects the Author has done whilst reading one of them.
A geometric theme is commonly used within Mike’s projects, allowing for block colour to make the layouts noticeably clear and simple for the clients and can provide a clear contrast that is able to separate each section neatly. The projects look very well tied together by how Kus has studied a colour scheme and found diverse ways to use it on the project page. The author has also made sure to include the date, client, and their role in the project at the top of each project’s profile, this is very important for employers during the recruitment process to have a very clear and quick view of what the project is about, as they may have to view many other portfolios that day. Something that I would personally add to this would be an estimated time or hours spent on that particular project, also at the top summary, giving a sense of how much detail was added during the complete process. Many of the elements I have mentioned in this blog I would like to incorporate into my own portfolio using my own style, since he has a noticeably clear brand identity to his name.
Link to his Portfolio - https://www.mikekus.com/
