What story does your CAD portfolio tell about your design philosophy and vision?

1 Know your audience

Before you start creating your CAD portfolio, you need to know who you are designing for and what they are looking for. Different types of fashion businesses and markets may have different expectations and preferences for CAD portfolios, so you need to do some research and tailor your portfolio accordingly. For example, if you are applying for a job at a high-end luxury brand, you may want to emphasize your attention to detail, craftsmanship, and quality. If you are pitching a project to a sustainable fashion company, you may want to highlight your eco-friendly materials, processes, and values.

2 Choose your best work

Your CAD portfolio should showcase your best work, but also your range of skills and abilities. You don't want to include too many or too few projects, as this may make your portfolio look either overwhelming or incomplete. A good rule of thumb is to select 10 to 15 projects that demonstrate your versatility, creativity, and innovation. You should also consider the relevance and currency of your work, and avoid including outdated or irrelevant projects that don't reflect your current design philosophy and vision.

3 Organize your projects

Once you have chosen your projects, you need to organize them in a logical and coherent way. You can use different criteria to group your projects, such as theme, style, category, season, or client. You should also decide on the order of your projects, and whether you want to start with your strongest or your most recent work. You should also include a brief introduction for each project, explaining the concept, inspiration, and objectives behind it.

4 Showcase your process

Your CAD portfolio should not only show the final outcomes of your projects, but also the steps and stages that led to them. This will help your audience understand your design thinking and problem-solving skills, and how you develop your ideas from sketches to samples to final products. You can use different types of CAD tools and techniques, such as mood boards, color palettes, fabric swatches, technical drawings, flats, draping, 3D modeling, and animations, to illustrate your process and showcase your technical proficiency.

5 Add your personality

Your CAD portfolio should not only be professional and polished, but also personal and authentic. You want your audience to get a sense of who you are as a designer, and what makes you stand out from the crowd. You can use different elements, such as fonts, colors, layouts, graphics, and photos, to create a visual identity and style for your portfolio that reflects your personality and brand. You should also include a short bio or statement that summarizes your design philosophy and vision, and what you are passionate about.

6 Review and update

Your CAD portfolio is not a static document, but a dynamic and evolving one. You should always review and update your portfolio regularly, and make sure it is relevant, accurate, and error-free. You should also seek feedback from peers, mentors, or professionals, and use it to improve your portfolio and your skills. You should also keep track of your achievements, awards, publications, and testimonials, and use them to enhance your portfolio and your resume.