Check out the work of 17 year old Sydney based photographer and filmmaker Jack Toohey.

Via Australian INfront.

There’s some truly awesome web design featured among these single page portfolio websites.

It is almost like the single page frees the designer to create something more unique then a traditional multi page site. Perhaps it is because you only have to make it work on one page.

An ironically rather long scrolling piece itself, Jason A. Tselentis dissects the one page layout design portfolio. Good idea? Bad idea?

And perhaps this is the problem we face today: search engines. Are web designers creating with search engines in mind? With so much emphasis being placed on Search Engine Optimization – getting top placement in Google – it may be all about findability. Does having everything in one place, in one content area from the top to bottom help Google, even though it strains my index finger?

Strange Fruits

I was having a “web designers using Linkedin to promote themselves rather than a website portfolio, what fun is that?” exchange on Twitter last week, and now I stumble upon Strange Fruits at Design is Kinky this week.

Have you noticed how people don’t really highlight web design any more? Seems the interest is in the work rather than the site itself these days. It was different back in the day. Oh, the memories.

Portfolios That Accomplish Goals

Kyle Meyer critiques some design portfolios, and offers a few pointers for making great work really stand out.

Last, but not least, Proud Creative. They’re damn proud of their work, how do I know? Because the rest of the portfolio is as minimal as possible. The fixed position left column is great for keeping contact and other information in view while browsing the portfolio. Not much to complain about here, just get rid of that blinding yellow circle that keeps distracting me from all the awesome work.

Dmitry Utkin makes great use of WordPress and a three column theme layout, and the result is Design You Trust™.

Design You Trust™ is a daily design magazine, blog and small community, full of new design trends, news and events, great design portfolios, young design bloods, design articles, photography and hand-picked design stuff from all over the globe.

Those interested in seeing more design blogs should check out the growing list on this Australian INfront discussion thread.

Creating The Perfect Portfolio

Or how to make your online portfolio stand out from the other two thousand it is competing for attention with.

People with not much to do may enjoy exploring a portfolio and clicking on hard to find links to see tiny thumbnails of your work, but a busy potential employer will not. Make your portfolio fast, accessible and simple. If you want to show your interactive creativity, it’s best to do it in the portfolio, not on it.

Collis Ta’eed has been on both sides of the process, producing a portfolio to win work with, and evaluating the portfolios of those looking to work with him.

Qube Konstrukt’s Consort.

As seen at Lost At E Minor.

…it was with real excitement that I recently browsed their first self-published book – Consort – a portfolio of sorts that displays excerpts of work from their lengthening catalog of finely executed projects.

British designer John Walsh also recently published his portfolio in book format.

• Web Directions North is on from 30 to 31 January 2008 in Vancouver, Canada, and Jeffrey Zeldman will deliver the opening key note speech. The WD team have also compiled an executive summary of the conference, should your boss need to be “convinced” your attendance is worthwhile!
• Why Accessibility? Because It’s Our Job! “We should make an effort to create accessible content, because it’s part of our job. And frankly, it doesn’t take much effort; it’s not difficult.”
• Message on a Napkin: love notes, lyrics, business plans, financial plans, and legally binding contracts, and a whole lot more, have all been penned on the humble napkin. Send your message inscribed napkins to Janet and she will feature them on her new blog.
• Going the way of the dinosaurs, are we? (PDF file 1.20Mb) Bloggers you have 16 years to achieve your ambitions as blogging will apparently die out in 2023. (Hmm, yes, I think that should be enough time…) I also see current Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, is slated for “extinction” in 2011… does someone know something the rest of us don’t?
• Top 10 Blogs for Web Designers: A great list of blogs for web designers to keep tabs on, including Freelance Switch and the Sitepoint Design Blog. “I prefer these over printed magazines as they’re quicker with the latest information and the quality is as good if not better than traditional mags.”
• WordCamp Melbourne 2007: another conference/blogging event! WordCamp Melbourne is on Saturday 17 November, and presentations and round tables will feature absolutely anything to do with WordPress!
• Building a Bulletproof Contact Form with PHP: by Matthew Pennell at Digital Web Magazine. Contact forms are great way to foil spammers but it is still possible for hackers to manipulate them. Matthew’s article demonstrates how to create safe and secure mail forms.
• Getting started in the Web Industry: if you’re planning to pursue a career in the web industry you need to read this. Tips and advice from Miles Burke, Managing Director of Perth’s Bam Creative design studio.
• Letitia Buchan is a Perth born, Melbourne based illustrator and graphic designer, whose portfolio features a rather up tempo backing track. I found the site worked a little better with Internet Explorer than Firefox… (link pinched from the Australian INfront)
• Australian artist Sidney Nolan, who died in 1992, will be the subject of a Retrospective running from 2 November 2007 through to 3 February 2008, at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney.

• Ali K. Photoblog: Ali Karagoz is a Turkish born computer science student now residing in Paris, who has quite the photographer’s eye. Spotted at coolstop the online aggregator of all things cool!
• Shutterbug: as you may have guessed from the title, is also a collection of photos, belonging to Tracey, a Sydney web developer. Also check out her stunning Flickr photos!
• Paul Barbera: is an interior and fashion photographer from Melbourne, who has worked for a number of global fashion magazines.
• Neil Fenelon Photography: I don’t just sit around the house, surfing the net, looking for photographer’s portfolios to link up here… I discovered Neil Fenelon’s website via his nearby studio when I was wandering around recently!
• Elli Ioannou: ok, might as well go for five in a row here… Elli is a Melbourne based photographer who specialises in contemporary fashion and lifestyle photography.