When Andrew Herzog selected projects for his portfolio, he focused on the pieces he felt were representative of his personality.
“I try to pick work that I have a personal connection with,” Herzog says. “If I was able to truly invest myself and enjoy working on it, I know it’s a true reflection of me. I also choose thought-provoking and multifaceted pieces that spark conversation. Overall, I make sure the pieces work together and flow from one project to the next—the composition of the portfolio as a whole is just as important as the composition of each individual piece.”
It was this passion for his work that caught the attention of judge Debbie Millman, who was also intrigued by Herzog’s varied skills across mediums and disciplines. Millman recommends all designers construct their portfolios based on similar priorities. “Don’t include anything in your portfolio you don’t love. Love,” she says. “Don’t include pieces that you think you should include just to show that you can do something. A bad book cover or a poster or a package design will only deter people from hiring you for anything. You must feel passionate about everything in your portfolio. That energy will be palpable to anyone who looks through it.”
One piece Herzog felt especially connected to was the branding work he completed for Republic of Pizza. The project appealed to him on a number of levels, including his love of pizza. “The brand I was creating had to speak to me—I was the customer,” Herzog says. “I had a unique perspective for how I wanted the ordering experience to feel from website to app. Creating a system that worked cohesively from the printed posters to an interactive ordering system was rewarding.”
