Pedagogy and Professional Development

Design Identity Formation and Self-Reflection Strategies in the Development of Students' Design ePortfolio

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Abstract

An apparel design portfolio is a purposeful collection of artifacts and serves as a communication tool that reflects a comprehensive skill set including visual, technical and analytical, through portfolio focus and presentation. In order for students to successfully market themselves to a professional audience, visual literacy is a key element of a portfolio which is achieved by communicating a consistent and strong visual brand aesthetic with respect to design elements (typeface, color etc.), design principles and individual style. Yet students are commonly challenged to articulate their personal aesthetic or design philosophy in order to create a holistic pattern of artifacts and a unifying visual identity for their portfolio. This paper shares some best practices on overcoming this challenge through student’s engagement in self-reflection and identity formation processes.

How to Cite:

Seifert, C. & Chattaraman, V., (2015) “Design Identity Formation and Self-Reflection Strategies in the Development of Students' Design ePortfolio”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 72(1).