W05. Bio/About Page

Your bio should paint a clear picture, or story, of you. Your story needs to be engaging. If you find this challenging, try working with friend or family member to loosen things up. Often it helps if they interview you and ask you questions about your life – then you can build your story from the answers.

The Bio page may also be called an About page. It should be short and sweet. 2-3 paragraphs telling viewers a little about who you are. For designers, you’re not a robot: hopefully you’ve got a life, hobbies, a proud spouse or parent. Let people know that. A human touch can set the foundation for the personal attention you will give your clients. For artists, keep it relevant: avoid personal details that don’t contribute to your art-making. Make sure to include links to your professional social profiles (Etsy, RedBubble, etc) somewhere on your site (never link to your personal Facebook profile), whether it be a footer or header widget or a sidebar on your About page.

If you’ve ever been published in design books or magazines let that be known. If you’ve been a guest speaker, taught a class/workshop, or been nominated or won an award it’s ok to brag a little. Maybe you’re the type of person who wants to downplay their achievements, but it’s important to display your credibility.

The important question your bio needs to answer is simply, “What was the journey that led this person to create this amazing art/design work – and where are they heading now?” That’s it! We don’t need to hear every detail of your life – just the answer to that question.

Examples of Bios

Phil McCollam is a designer:

My name is Phil McCollam and I am a multi-faceted thought leader in the field of design.

My background in graphic production, brand development and marketing, and 5 years working within higher education, has given me a wide range of expertise including:

creative direction collaboration and team leadership a solid foundation in HTML / CSS front-end web development responsive design WordPress / CMS integration structural SEO web accessibility prototyping print production presentations / lectures education and training

Believe it or not, I thrive on my ability to bridge gaps between creatives and the rest of the organization.

Kazuki Takizawa is an artist:

Born and raised in the urban setting of Hong Kong and attending high school in Bangkok, Thailand gave Kazuki Takizawa an appreciation for nature from an early age. His work and process reflects the concept of order from chaos, and is influenced by the aesthetics of the natural world.

Kazuki graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in glass art. His work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions locally and nationally. He was the teacher’s assistant for Shunji Omura’s glass workshop held at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2007. He received scholarships to attend Pilchuck Glass School and Glass Art Society Conference in 2008. He is currently working as a glassblowing assistant for a local artist.

Kazuki’s bio is simple, clean, and very much in harmony with the style of his work.

GRADING

Bio posted on your website by 5pm (5 pts) – graded on quality of writing as outlined above

AutoFail: Bio not posted on time

Credit: http://designvscancer.org/2014/07/04/freelancing-guide-week-4-portfolio-websites-social-media/