Whether you have an artist portfolio site that needs a few tweaks or you’ve never ventured into the digital realm, this hands-on workshop will help you evaluate your portfolio website needs and reimagine a new presence for your creative practice online.

Drawing on her experience as a visual artist working in graphic, digital, and print media as well as painting, Margot Harrington will guide us through her essential tips for creating a compelling digital home base for your work. She will introduce design tips for optimizing the functionality of websites for visitors and strategies for regularly maintaining a simple, up-to-date portfolio site. In addition, Margot will share her assessment of the pros and cons of various subscription-based website platforms and how to determine which one is best for you.

Prior web design experience or existing website is not necessary to participate in this workshop. Use of a laptop or tablet may be useful for this workshop, but is not required. Artists who are interested in receiving feedback on an existing website via group critique will be able to indicate that during registration.

Learning Objectives

• Best practices for designing artist portfolio websites and optimizing it for search engines
• Insights into what writers, curators, clients, and collectors are looking for when they visit portfolio sites
• Organizational strategies for creating an easy-to-navigate site
• Hands-on exercise in creating a site map for a new or existing portfolio site
• Personalized feedback of portfolio website design (optional)

Guest Speaker

Margot Harrington is an independent designer and artist whose work focuses on collaborations with cultural and progressive organizations. Projects include website design, editorial design, art direction, branding, painting, printmaking, collage, and illustration. Margot is also an Art Director with Bitch Media and an adjunct professor of design with DePaul University. pitchdesignunion.com

Location

2130 W. Fulton Street (look for our dedicated entrance at 2132 W. Fulton Street!)

Tuition

$20 General Public | $10 CAC Artist Members | FREE for BOLT, FIELD/WORK, HATCH, and LAUNCH Residents

Register Here