Portfolio of Research, Strategy, and Creative Work
I have always been fascinated by the vaporwave aesthetic. Its nostalgic charm evokes a surreal feeling of being both present and distant—an unreal beauty that fascinates me. As I started conceptualizing my website, I recognized the importance of developing a cohesive and memorable brand. Drawing inspiration from the dreamy, retro-futuristic vibe of vaporwave, I decided to base my entire brand around it. From this vision, I designed a logo that showcases my name supplemented with a vibrant vaporwave color palette. This design embodies my aesthetic and creates a distinct, cohesive identity that feels authentic and timeless.
Contents of my Portfolio
My portfolio comprises work reflecting my experience and competencies in research, writing, strategic planning, design, and analysis across multiple communication disciplines. It is systematically organized into sections: Education and Research, Public Relations and Advocacy, Social Media Management, Marketing, SEO and Graphic Design, and Leadership and Team Management. This structured approach is intended to showcase my skills and experiences effectively.
Veena’s Portfolio Layout
Education and Research
The Education and Research section outlines my academic background, including graduate and undergraduate degrees, certificates, and awards. These materials provide evidence of my academic achievements and qualifications. Additionally, I include key academic works such as “Describing, Analyzing, and Synthesizing Health Communication Theories” and “The Health Belief Model and Knowledge Gap Theory Applied to COVID-19.” These papers, uploaded as preprints on Zenodo.org, demonstrate my ability to apply theoretical frameworks to address specific health communication challenges.
I have also consolidated discussion posts from courses such as Health Communication Topics and Practicing Advocacy and Influence into structured research papers to present a cohesive analysis of key concepts. Additionally, I included the “Teal 2 Heal Full Strategic Communication Plan” developed in my Strategic Communication course, which integrates a comprehensive situation analysis with a strategic communication framework. My research project for my Research Methods class, “Music as a Marketing Device: Trends in Consumer Favoritism and Campaign Success,” is a prime example of how I combine data-driven research and analysis to explore questions at the intersection of communication and marketing.
Public Relations and Advocacy
A campaign to reduce global substance abuse.
The Public Relations and Advocacy section features my Global Campaign developed in the Technology, Globalization, and Communication course, demonstrating my ability to adapt messages and strategies to international contexts. This “One World, One Goal: Reduce Substance Abuse” project showcases my strategic communication skills for diverse and global audiences. This section also includes two substantial works from my Crisis Communication course: the “Crisis Communication Plan” and the “Image Repair Theory Application” paper. These documents illustrate my proficiency in creating actionable strategies for organizational crisis response and reputation management. Additionally, I showcase materials such as press releases and media hits I gathered from coordinating events and exhibits at Roberta’s Art Gallery. These examples highlight my public relations tactics and AP-style writing background. I also included a strategy section where I showcase my public relations strategy alongside the tactics.
Social Media Management
The Social Media Management section includes my work managing platforms for the PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter, Veena Media, and Roberta’s Art Gallery, highlighting my expertise in developing content strategies, engagement plans, and social media calendars. The “Social Media Assessment: Spotify and Apple Music” paper will further demonstrate my analytical abilities and ability to offer actionable digital platform recommendations.
Leadership and Team Management
The Leadership section includes examples of my leadership roles, such as serving as a graduate assistant, where I mentored student employees and led major projects. Additionally, I feature my work with my audio engineering company, Veena Productions, demonstrating my entrepreneurial skills and team management expertise.
Marketing
Marketing section of Veena’s portfolio.
The Marketing section includes projects such as a PPC marketing plan, a content marketing plan, and exhibit posters that I helped manage at Roberta’s Art Gallery. These works illustrate my ability to align creative strategies with organizational objectives.
SEO and Graphic Design
The SEO and Graphic Design section features my work on VeenaMedia.com, which I designed and maintained to present my portfolio and creative projects effectively. I also include my ability to work with HTML coding. This portfolio comprehensively overviews my communication, research, and creative project skills and experiences. By organizing my work into clear, focused sections, I aim to present a thorough and accurate representation of my professional abilities while connecting each element to my broader career goals.
Conclusion
My portfolio is designed to provide a clear and organized overview of my skills, experiences, and creative work, following best practices for visual consistency, purposeful design, and storytelling, as outlined by portfolio experts. Inspired by guidelines from Canva and The Muse, I have prioritized a cohesive vaporwave aesthetic to ensure a strong personal brand while presenting my work in an engaging and accessible format. By focusing on clarity, impact, and alignment with my professional goals, this portfolio reflects both my creative vision and my strategic approach to communication.
Sources:
3 Rules for creating a beautiful online portfolio. (2013, June 6). The Muse. https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-rules-for-creating-a-beautiful-online-portfolio,
