Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don't teach you in design school, but should

by Michael Janda

It takes more than just a design school education and a killer portfolio to succeed in a creative career. Burn Your Portfolio teaches the real-world practices, professional do's and don'ts, and unwritten rules of business that most designers, photographers, web designers, copy writers, programmers, and architects only learn after putting in years of experience on the job.
Michael Janda, owner of the Utah-based design firm Riser, uses humor to dispense nugget after nugget of hard-won advice collected over the last decade from the personal successes and failures he has faced running his own agency. In this surprisingly funny, but incredibly practical advice guide, Janda's advice on teamwork and collaboration, relationship building, managing clients, bidding work, production processes, and more will resonate with creative professionals of all stripes.

Genres: Design, Business, Art, Nonfiction, Self Help, Art Design, Creative

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2013

Reviews

[Ahmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 الكتاب خليط من خلاصة خبرة الكاتب الشخصية في مراحل عمله من العمل كموظف إلى مدير كبير إلى العمل الحر وتأسيس شركة خاصة، الكتاب به ١١١ مقطع مقسم حسب الأفكار التي يود إيصالها، لذلك هناك بعض التكرار الحميد لارتباط بعض الاحداث بأكثر من فكرة .. الكتاب مفيد بشكل عام، إلا أن المقاطع تتفاوت من حيث الأهمية وحتى الدقة.

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I recommend the book equally to business owners and employees thinking of working freelance or start their own business. It's relevant to anyone in the art/design/marketing industry.

The book consists of 111 points, which are based on the author's experience throughout his career from being a junior employee to an art director to a freelancer and eventually running his own agency.

The points aren't equally valuable. Even some I didn't quite agree with. But certainly there is much to benefit from in the book.

[Vanya Prodanova · Rating 1 out of 5]

UPDATE: Направих си труда да следвам някои от съветите от втората част на книгата и открих, че и те не струват.

След първоначалния шок от първата секция на книгата, нещата станаха по-поносими за четене, че към края даже бяха интересни.

Първата секция от тази книга е ВРЕДНА!! Не трябва да съществува. Дали аз я приех малко по-навътре или просто начинът му на изразяване не е както трябва, не знам. Важен е резултатът, че първата част от книгата е противна, обидна и абсурдна. Ако мога да си позволя по-живописно обобщение какво споделя в тази част от книгата, ще е нещо от вида на "как да бъдеш роб на работодателя си и как да мислиш за него ден и нощ". Така бих я описала. Има някои глави от там, които провокираха искрена и чиста агресия и възмущение у мен - примерно, как привиква за разговор ако някой прояви дори намек за негативизъм или как в една глава броеше колко по 5 секунди от деня можело да се спестят ако работниците му правили това или онова. Сериозно?! Oo

Средните секции бяха свързани с управлението на агенция и как да общуваш с клиентите си. Доста скучни секции, щом сега я завърших книгата, а нищо не мога да се сетя от тях, освен, че за него клиентът е цар и това е, което пак не бих казала, че съм съгласна много-много.

Последната част за финанси и бизнес, беше всъщност секцията, която беше интересна. Изведнъж всичките дзен простотии, позитивни глупости и себеотдаденост изчезнаха от книгата му и дадоха място на реалистичност и здравословен песимизъм спрямо бизнес реалността.

Колкото и приятна да беше последната част, не си струваше да мина през цялата помия от преди това. Тази книга провокира много противоречиви чувства в душата ми. Остана ми неприятното усещане, че авторът искаше да се оплаче колко му е трудно да ръководи агенцията си, но му харесва, и ако може бъдещите му работници да вземат да се научат да бъдат по-евтини и сервилни, ще е най-добре, че стресът му да намалее.

[Mary Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and I need to own it. I've been in the design field for nearly ten years now and this is much of what I've learned, crystallized. I'm so glad this exists and I will heavily recommend it to my peers, mentees, and students. I knew I was onto something great when the author suggested that he was taking "How to win friends" into the design world, as that book has drastically impacted how I steer through life in general. Check this out, even just a page!

[Briana Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started off thinking “this is going to be great” but my expectations and the book’s content didn’t meet up. It starts out promising, but as some other reviewers mention, the jokes get old, the advice gets repetitive, and you just wonder how this truly will apply to you. Some say it’s good for entry level / young designers. I knew it was focused more on graphic design while I’m moving in the UX design direction. So it just wasn’t as helpful as I was hoping. And there was some questionable leadership advice that I literally shook my head at. I hate when I’m on this side of a 4+ star book, but here I am.

[pavlina · Rating 3 out of 5]

fuha, velmi zaujimave ale asi by som to skor odprucila mojmu sefovi 👹👹👹

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by DotLung
Auhmazing book

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're curious about reading it, go for it but don't expect to be wowed. With 111 entries divided into 5 sections, Michael Janda shotguns all kinds of advice to the reader. If you're an aspiring designer or several years deep into running your own business, you might find something useful while wading through the book.

Overall, it's quite repetitive and a meanders a few times. I found the writing a chore to work through while looking for useful bits... which was only about a third of the book. YMMV.

So despite my opinion, I still got something out of it. But it's not a book I'll add to my shelf anytime soon.

[Joel Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife recommended this book. It was sent to her by the author, one of her former art students. I hesitated to read it. After all, it’s about art, graphic art—her expertise, not mine. And it’s nonfiction—I’m a retired literature teacher who has read and rereads the world’s best fiction. She knows him and she’s mentioned in his acknowledgements. What would interest me? But reading it I got a surprise. Despite that he uses the graphic arts as his platform, the book is a good read for anybody, whether in a business, part of a family, member of a civic organization or just a hermit.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Janda is brutally honest, a little cynical, and definitely a comedian. His books offers information vital to the success of a recently graduated designer. I feel that much of the information held within the pages of this book are useful not only to the recent graduates (or the self taught), but also to the seasoned professional. If not helpful and insightful, then at least entertaining. Janda uses anecdotes to illustrate points, and encourages readers to continue their careers even if they are, as he describes himself, mediocre designers.

[Irwan Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential read for any designer who wishes to jump into freelancing or anyone heading a design agency. Packed with useful tips in bite-sized reads that designs schools don't teach you about the business of design

[Heidi Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

De los mejores libros profesionales que he leído nunca :) super recomendado.

[Anett Rolikova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for designers who are wishing to kick off their career whether as freelancers or joining a team.

[Nathanael Clanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a difference between books that have great content that you’ve got to digest and books like these that also have great content, but are EFFORTLESS to consume. — Think of it sort of like how you can’t have just ONE Pringles chip. They’re so easy to munch that pretty soon you’ve had half of the can. — Michael’s books are like that, only they help you make money and better decisions.

I just bought both BYP and Michael’s Psychology of Design Pricing books and I’ve gotta tell you that I wish I’d had these when I started designing 14 years ago right before I started college. I’ve already begun marking pages up with notes and filling the books with post-its as I hop from chapter to chapter.

BYP is 1 part handbook, 1 part inspirational biography, 1 part personal development guide, and 1 part design mentor. It’s the closest thing you can have to sitting in the same room and getting to ask Michael every possible question you could think of about being successful in the design industry (and even some stuff about being a good human). There’s tons of stuff I wouldn’t have even thought of in these books that it absolutely invaluable now that I know it (ex: “Next Worry Date”)

The Psych Pricing book is so valuable that you’d have to probably pay a personal coach thousands of dollars to give you this level of access and actionable strategy. He’s literally giving you his "secret sauce” approach that he sued for winning accounts with some of the biggest brands in the world.

The books are “snackable” too, meaning you can jump in to any chapter of the book and get quick, actionable, honest and humorous advice and lessons. — I love that he gives examples, scripts, structures and visuals to help illustrate the concepts and how to use them. And each section has fun drawings that help bring the content to life and make the reading experience super fun.

Michael doesn’t just write like he’s talking to you, he writes like he’s talking to you and you actually enjoy listening. You can tell he’s actually a cool guy; and he is! I bought both books after finding him on Instagram and asking him questions via DM. He’s so generous with his knowledge and time, it’s insane, considering the fact that he probably gets hundreds of messages a day, is building his brand, traveling, and also has a family on top of that.

He covers literally every topic you could encounter as a design professional in the way only a successful veteran can. And you learn just as much from his honesty about failures as you do from his extensive expertise.

Lastly, these aren’t just for designers. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that anybody who desires to succeed as a creative professional should buy both of these books.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since this book was written in 2013, I'll try to give it some grace - maybe it's a product of its time. It also does contain some genuinely good advice that I've found to be true in design, and I cannot discount that Michael Janda has considerably more experience in the industry than me.

However, what I found off-putting was his attitude throughout the book. The tone is often arrogant and containing some of the worst hallmarks of a capitalist: repeatedly griping about his employees not spending 100% of their working hours droning away, being offended that a server asked if a drink refill was wanted instead of just getting one, and being appalled that an employee had the audacity to directly ask for a raise.

I also was not impressed by this passage about Cindy Crawford: "I doubt that Cindy Crawford would have had the same success in her modeling career if she had a pile of hair pouring out of her mole. Sure, in her prime she was arguably the most beautiful woman in the world. But a big hairy mole on her face would have drawn so much attention that even the most lustful men in the world would probably not have been able to look past it." ICK. I have to stop reading books written by men.

In summary, was there some useful advice in here? Yes. Am I a fan of the author as a person? No.

[Sabi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The very last chapter of the book was helpful and maybe insightful about design businesses and best practices for running your business. The rest was waffle. It might be handy if you are a graphic designer at an agency.

I think the most useful things I got out of it as someone looking to go into freelancing as a UX/UI designer and it has been on my wishlist from a long time can be summed up into maybe 5 bullet points if I ran them through a text condenser site.

1. You have 65 seconds to land a job.
2. How to price for an ongoing process.
3. How to calculate your burn rate - production & overheads (Rent etc)
4. Outsource to someone reliable if your workload is too much.
5. Types of free projects to do if you need to: To get into a new field/ market. Charity - also beneficial for your portfolio or to meet new clients/ they know influential people.

I was hoping it would be a revolutionary as the title sounded and the positive reviews on Amazon, they removed the negative ones...

Don't waste your time or your money on it. I bought the Ebook and regret it.

So many other better books out there.

[Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Burn Your Portfolio" presents itself as revolutionary career advice for designers, but ultimately delivers a collection of platitudinous common-sense principles dressed in flashy packaging.

The book's strongest sections offer practical insights on client management and business operations. However, these valuable nuggets are buried among obvious advice like "be on time" and "don't make excuses." This creates a frustrating reading experience where you sift through the basic to find the beneficial.

Janda's conversational tone is accessible but frequently veers into self-congratulatory anecdotes that add little instructional value. The book's structure—brief chapters with catchy titles—makes it digestible but prevents deeper exploration of complex topics.

For most readers, Burn Your Portfolio will be easy to skim; you needn’t fear missing important information. Children ages 8-12 might find use from the advice as they learn about an adult world.

I’m thankful I didn’t receive this as a gift, sparing the awkwardness, guilt, and loss of reverence between me and my would-be patron.

[Jennifer P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually more of a 3.5 for me. I'd consider it a 4 for designers early in their career, for whom this could be a field guide of sorts. There's a lot of good advice, and some I don't agree with. I've been a designer for 13 years at the same agency and have learned a lot of these lessons, and our studio has been practicing a lot of the practical advice in this book. I'm at the point in my career and the industry/market where I have questions this book hasn't gone into, and I personally did not get a lot out of it. Some of the advice is a little outdated as well, almost 10 years or so. The design industry is always changing, especially with AI, how saturated the market has become, and much of design has become rote.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for designers at all ages and stage. Being of a similar vintage to Mike, I have been through several similar scenarios in my career, and agree that some additional training in design studio structure and etiquette would have gone a long way back when I was a graduate! The book also delves into the business of graphic design, which is helpful at any stage of a freelance or small studio career. Sadly many of the technology references have dated, and some younger designers might have to make adjustments for that. If you're not following Mike on social media or YouTube, suggest you do!

[Jack Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first and second sections are good and can be applied to any creative field. After that the book turns into very specific and prescriptive advice for freelancers and graphic design businesses… which would be nice if I ever planned on doing that. Will keep it in my library and consult if I ever switch fields lol. Also, no mention at all of the title? I wonder if it’s purposeful bc at one point he says he remembers the title of a book as important advice even though he never read the book (do what you love the money will follow)

[Elisha Helsel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. I actually read it on my own and later found out it was a book I was required to buy for my graphic design degree. Janda is a fun author to read. He has a no-nonsense tone and doesn't use boring or flowery language. It's perfect for designers (students and professionals alike) who want to know what to do and what not to do when it comes to working in design. I highly recommend anyone interested in graphic design go and buy this book.

[Sara Felgueiras · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great read to anyone starting off as a freelancer or anyone who's creating their own independent design agency. There's a lot of tips and tricks and really important information. Some of it I was able to put in practice already! The only downside is that it gets a bit repetitive towards the end and the author uses a lot of American cliché expressions that I personally don't enjoy. I also thought naming a chapter "Only Terrorists Like Hostage Situations" very out of touch.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

rarely found a book about graphic design and this happens to be my favorite book so far! my bachelor's degree is in visual communication design, I do have several experiences working with people and somehow I can relate to several things he mentioned in the book. it's a good reminder and acts as a guide for people who want to deep dive into the world of graphic designers. Definitely a must-read book! give it a try.

[Jackie Baumgartner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a few years ago, and I bought a copy. It is great modern advice, and can apply to many career paths in addition to graphic design.

The best bits, in my opinion, is when he talks about mindset and work ethic. There are also solid freelancing tips and business skills discussed that you probably wouldn’t get from a college course. When I speak to college classes, I like to recommend this book!

[Han-Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended to graphic designers who like to start their own businesses. Janda shared about how to manage design business, how to deal with clients, his managing finances ideas, and lot more what we will only see when we are doing design business which are as title "stuff they don't teach you in design school".

[Denys Sergushkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides detailed information of the work experience, and how to deal with clients, and manage big projects. Every designer can relate to discussed topics. Excellent read and very informative. If you are new in the design business you must read it. I found in this book a lot of useful information about working with customers. My score for this book is 5, I recommend

[Dina Hassan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for a while but when I did read it, it didn't live up to my expectations, The author seems to be a lucky person surrounded by positive people and some good opportunities and he got the support to actually succeed. while some advice seem okay but I feel like the world doesn't run like that for the rest of us.

[Alae]

I liked the book. It's written in a very very easy to digest way, design is great and the content itself, while I don't agree with most of it, is valuable. There are lots of answers to common questions creative business people face, lots of templates and solutions to common dilemmas and situations. It's a must have if you want to run a creative business.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Burn Your Portfolio” is a collection of short essays about a wide range of topics, all imparting advice on how to grow as a designer, and how to run your design business. In spite of its length, the book is actually a pretty quick read, and it contains plenty of nuggets of value.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for anyone diving into design and freelancing. My only complaint would be that it's a little difficult to use as a reference because the titles are fun and silly but not as indicative of what the chapter is about as would be nice after the fact.

[Jass · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chaotic, lacks structure, ends up repeating some things more than once while claiming those are different points. Consists of two types of entries: "isn't that common sense?" and "this seems questionable". Overall, I regret wasting my time on this.