Adding projects from work to my online and physical portfolio...

[MikeTheVike]

Not really sure how I should do this...Is it ok to bring home jpg's so I can upload them to my portfolio website? What about the layered files, if I ever want to print a piece for my physial portfolio? Thanks

[chalsema]

I always brought home files for my portfolio. They actually encouraged it. I guess you could ask your employer, but I don't think it would be a problem.

[mac.FINN]

I'm pretty sure if it's work you did for a company it's still classified as your design. There are some issues as to who has ownership/copyright but you should be able to claim it as your work (as long as it is your work).

[Bear]

nah, anything that a company pays you to do as an employee belongs to them. It may be a different kettle of fish in the UK, but i know for certain a handful of companies that would want to vet what you did and didn't take home, as well as check how it's represented in your portfolio, and how they're credited, if at all.

They're even less likely to allow you to put it on your own portfolio site, not only because it could be breach of copyright with their client, as well as for protecting their image. Also, imagine you get ranked higher in google for your portfolio where you happen to talk about this great peace you did for mega inc. and off the back of that, people start coming to you for work, you're effectively creating competition for your own company.

Also (sorry, not going on a rant), if you're asking to put it in your portfolio, then you're effectively saying i'm thinking of moving on, and if you're going to go show your stuff off, then you're going to be showing it to companies who are in direct competition with your own.

Bottomline is your company owns your work, same as your college owns any work you did there. If they don't want you to use something in your portfolio, they can tell you so.

With regards to flat files vs. layered artwork, it's more commonplace to be allowed flat files. At least you're not gonna pull them apart and use elements of their work at the next place you work.

[PrintDriver]

^yup^
There is nothing that says you can't ask first, though.
It's common for a designer to want to put pieces into a personal portfolio.
Posting online is a whole different can o' worms. The client who commissioned the piece has final say, especially if they supplied copy and images. The images are the sticking point because usually for high-end stuff they pay a royalty based on use and 'web-use' has a different pay schedule than 'print-use' which is different from 'multi-media'. If the image house sees your site, they will fine your client.

Some companies don't even let us use their name in a searchable fashion. We can use images from our jobs but can't mention the name in text or in image file name. We also have to put a 'no bot' on our site image folder to avoid swipage.

[MikeTheVike]

nah, anything that a company pays you to do as an employee belongs to them. It may be a different kettle of fish in the UK, but i know for certain a handful of companies that would want to vet what you did and didn't take home, as well as check how it's represented in your portfolio, and how they're credited, if at all.

They're even less likely to allow you to put it on your own portfolio site, not only because it could be breach of copyright with their client, as well as for protecting their image. Also, imagine you get ranked higher in google for your portfolio where you happen to talk about this great peace you did for mega inc. and off the back of that, people start coming to you for work, you're effectively creating competition for your own company.

Also (sorry, not going on a rant), if you're asking to put it in your portfolio, then you're effectively saying i'm thinking of moving on, and if you're going to go show your stuff off, then you're going to be showing it to companies who are in direct competition with your own.

Bottomline is your company owns your work, same as your college owns any work you did there. If they don't want you to use something in your portfolio, they can tell you so.

With regards to flat files vs. layered artwork, it's more commonplace to be allowed flat files. At least you're not gonna pull them apart and use elements of their work at the next place you work.

i totally understand everything you say, and it does make sense. I don't plan on leaving, but lets just say, 5 years down the road the company goes under, or something. What am I suppsoed to do when looking for a new job if I have nothing to show for the last 5 years? Thanks

[Bear]

Bugger, ain't it.

Don't get me wrong, most companies are perfectly accepting of you taking work with you, as long as you speak with them about it. It's amazing how interconnected companies are and all it takes is for you to show something in a meeting with someone that happens to be mates with the boss at your place or whatever and you land yourself in a heap of trouble. There was a guy i knew who got blacklisted in london for passing off another companies work as his own.

It's more the web thing i think that causes problems, and the work which hasn't been officially released. I do alot of consultancy and design explorations for companies, some of which are not going to see the light of day for months, and despite having spent months working on them, i cannot show them to a sole.
or i could, but then i'd have to kill them.

good luck!

[Drorain]

i was told outright by bossy, it's fine, but don't really mention it to the pres. Lol I'm working on a lot, and I'll put it in my hardcopy portfolio, but the online on I'll be more careful with. I might have a password accessable portfoio for special clients or have something that is hidden and not a direct link from my site.

either way I will show work, except for things they've licensed like Disney stuff