I’ve been following Rob Haggart’s instagram for years. He’s been posting new photography promos every week. They’re awesome. Not just the calibre of the work, but how they’re showcased. Some are folded posters, others are hard-bound art books. Each photographer collected the images and presented them as a portfolio. And that got me thinking about the portfolio critique process of review and feedback.

My first illustration portfolio was a black, faux leather hard case with a zipper. Opening it wide on an art director's desk felt impressive—pulling out gouache illustrations mounted on black artboard and magazine samples of a couple of lucky breaks. I remember one art director flipped through my work, closed my portfolio case and said, “We’ll let you know if something comes up.” That was it. I was devastated.

A year later, I had an illustration rep. We’d sit and review my portfolio together. She would ask, “What kind of work do you want?” At the time, I would answer, “Anything that pays!” Looking back, I don’t think I understood the question. She knew that my portfolio wasn’t attracting my ideal client. She gave great feedback on what she thought I should be including and what I should leave out. It was a mix of client work and personal work. Even though the work was varied, you could see my personality come through. It had consistency. My work got better and I gained a handful of repeat clients who I loved working with. This is what I wanted and my rep helped me get there.

Just over a week ago, I was reviewing photographers' portfolios at the Ace Hotel hosted by Issues Magazine Shop. I talked to seasoned professionals and early career photographers showing everything from national campaigns to personal work. As I look back over the past 20 years—I’ve reviewed hundreds of portfolios as a magazine art director, creative director and graphic design instructor—I am amazed by the power of peer review. Here is what I’ve learned:

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Know Your Audience

Audience is key to any marketing initiative. Think of your portfolio as a marketing exercise and the art directors as your customers. Seth Godin says, “everyone is not your customer.” He could easily be talking about your portfolio. Build a portfolio that showcases your strengths and interests. And show it to people hiring for those kinds of projects.

Find the Balance

An easy way to answer this question is to show it to someone outside your community. Someone who knows nothing about what you do. If they get bored after only five images or want to see more, ask them why.

ABC: Always Be Critiquing

You don’t have to take everyone’s suggestions. Only the ones that resonate with you. But getting lots of feedback can help confirm what you’re already thinking.

Trust your gut

When it feels right, it probably is. Get outside your comfort zone but always check back in with your gut.

Never give up! Never surrender.

If you haven’t seen Galaxy Quest, go watch it now. It’s awesome. Where was I? Oh yeah. It takes time to build relationships. And honestly, you’ll do your best work with people who you’ve built strong relationships with. So keep trying to find those connections. You never know where they’ll be.

At Made by Emblem, we constantly review and critique our work and challenge our design decisions. We know that every review and critique makes us better designers, better creatives and better humans. We’re always learning—keeping an open mind and trying not to take it personally.