HIRE ME?!

54
COVER pAgE/pROBLEM STATEMENT
It’s really important to explain your problem! Einstein once said “If I
had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about
the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” A cover page
or problem statement can set the tone of your project and hook
your reader. Use this as an opportunity to intrigue your potential
employers. It’s your fi rst chance to introduce the story of your
project, show how you think, and interest them in your solution.
Whether you state a problem, introduce a character, introduce an
important challenge, or even give the reader a visual sneak-peak of your
design, it’s up to you to decide what is most important.
Since ID portfolios are notorious for using rhetorical questions (and a
lot of employers have seen the same projects), make sure your problem
statement is unique. Hopefully you asked questions that are more
meaningful than “what could a bowling ball box look like?” One example
could be, “Using minimal cardboard, how can a box support the weight
of a bowling ball?” You could also introduce your problem by using
inspirational forms as criteria to inspire a bowling ball box.
SIMpLE ILLUSTRATIONS
This is an example of using
hierarchy to present a design
problem. The simple illustration
has the most visual presence on
the page, while the pink text
provides a greater understanding
of the topic without becoming
overwhelming. As a result, you
continue through this problem
statement with a clear takeaway.
STORY WITH STEpS
Renée does a really good job of
spreading the problem out and
presenting it in a clear, concise way.
The viewer gets a very clear picture
of the problem that he is trying to
solve through the use of very simple,
easily recognizable icons. There is
a hierarchy of text to support the
visual components.