Fake Work in your portfolio - is it really a good idea??

[Toon]

I just got asked if a logo in my portfolio was for a real client or made up? At first I wasn't quite sure what was meant by it, now I'm not sure if I'm offended or shocked that this is the norm for people to have portfolio's full of work they have just made up?

Creating briefs when you're starting out is acceptable in my eyes but you can't be offering professional bespoke design services to clients when really you only have 1 piece you've actually designed to a brief.

There is surely a massive gap between playing with a shape and thinking...

"That would be a good logo for an X company"

and actually working to a brief or format set out by a company who may already have an established brand you have to improve on?

It's making me wonder how many people do have portfolio's full of made up work?

This was the logo in question....

Emovino Logo Design - Wine Distributor, Paris | UK Logo Design

Is it common to think that because the company don't have a website they must not exist? Do people really go to the effort of writing out the brief and design process as I have on this even for fake clients?

I've also found that with the massive amount of web companies being set up and going out of business very often the brand you've created either never get's used or get's used for a very short period of time.

I did logo, print and web work for a firm a while back...

Akamai Smart Home Logo Design | UK Logo Design
Business Stationery Designs for Akamai | UK Logo Design
Akamai, Washington - Web Design | UK Logo Design

and it seems their site has gone offline already, it was a really enjoyable project and looked nice when finished but I'm not sure if they've changed the name, re-located etc. But I don't feel the need to remove it from my portfolio as the work is still there in to show what I accomplished.

I'd love to hear some feedback on this as it seems this is the normal working practice and I'm quite stunned that so much of it is around for someone to ask if my briefs are made up?

[Jamie Lucky]

Sad to say but many logo, print and web designers portfolio's are probably made up briefs or work they did in college and you make a great point in being a big gap between making something up and working to a brief. Not all businesses appear on the internet, infact some of the biggest print jobs I've completed (value wise) are companies that don't use the internet for marketing.

[thebluefox]

Its a fair point, there is a huge gap between designing something you like, and designing something your client will like.

But, everyone has to start somewhere!

[eziemac]

what idiot asked such a question

Its not so much making up briefs that people do, its more of an idea that comes to ones head when they are going about their business. Maybe when reading they see a word and are hit with a concept for a logo, its happened to me plenty of times but i just dont have the time to make it (or i just cant be bothered!). It is very common though. Over at logopond there are so many logos that are just made up concepts which i think is perfectly acceptable if used for logo inspiration websites.

If a new designer is trying to get thier portfolio up and running, i think that is perfectly fine too, it shows thier creative skills, however i don't think it is right for an established designer to have made up logos in thier portfolio. Making up a concept and drawing it up and working with a client in a project are completely different things.

[strev]

If one wants to showcase hypothetical design projects, they could be titled as such to avoid confusion. You could call them concepts or proposed designs or brand work in development or something to that effect. Who's going to have a problem with that?

As toon has experienced, I've also had websites that have changed since I designed them. That's usually due to cost-cutting and someone internally "who knows how to update sites." They don't know how to code correctly so they revert the site to what they know.

For those looking to build your portfolio;
I redesigned an existing logo, advertising and packaging line (that was truly awful) redesigned it and included it in my portfolio as concept design. It worked out well and got me a job. Note: Choose a popular brand that has a revolting logo and ads. At the very least, you'll look good by comparison.

[eziemac]

good point Strev. Logoholik has a section like that Logoholik - Concept lounge which is a really good idea if you have a lot of concepts that either never made it as the final logo or they are just ideas.

[strev]

To illustrate my previous post, this is an example of a website changing back to the original after a re-design. I designed this (below) and they changed it back to this
At least they kept my logo design.
Maybe it's me, but I like mine a lot better, so I keep it in my portfolio!

[blueocto]

I don't see an issue with displaying work in your portfolio if they are concepts or Uni work, as strev said, as long as you clearly point out that is what it is.

I think from a client's perspective, they have probably come across people displaying nothing but, and the client maybe concerned that not only have they never worked with a client before, but they are possibly trying to pass off 'made up work' as real projects - which is deceptive.

I think transparency and good communication play a major part in this tbf.

[Harry]

There are lots of people (especially on here) who claim to be able to do this, that t'other and which but actually can't. It's really bugging me the amount of people who claim to know stuff but don't and have never worked beyond the scope of their own fantasy builds.

[Wickedboy]

Get them told Harry ;) Made up work should be labeled as such i.e personal work - exploring logo developement maybe and client briefs for the commersial stuff but it is very true working for some one else who is expecting good come back on their money and within a set time span is very different from the former type of work. Both can be equally valuable and necessary tho. You'll find illustrators showcase/promote this sort of personal work all the time which is acceptable so why not graphic designers.