Before the internet, designers had to create paper portfolios in the hopes of being invited to an interview where they could show off their work. Today, anyone with an internet-enabled device can learn about you and see your work remotely. However, it’s not enough to just create a landing page and post your work there. It’s important to make your portfolio stand out from the hundreds of others.
Below we will give you some tips to help you create your perfect portfolio.
1. Be selective
Don't include everything you've ever created in your portfolio. Take the time to look through all your work. Eliminate anything that you're not proud of or don't think is your best work.
Liz Grant's portfolio is clean, simple, and beautiful. It's not overly cluttered and easy to navigate:
Be selective
"Put the best of what you have in your portfolio. You don't have tunisia phone number data to put everything out there. People have short attention spans, especially online, so show them your best stuff first," Grant says.
2. Choose only the strongest works
We are talking about those projects that turned out to be successful, received rave reviews and produced good results.
Nowhere Famous showcases the strongest and most beautiful work in their portfolio. They all look so impressive that you will have a hard time deciding which one to open first:
Choose only the strongest works
3. Showcase your most unique and creative work
Choose portfolio pieces that showcase the latest trends. They shouldn’t be repetitive of other designers’ work. Make people think “wow, THIS is really cool!” Duoh!’s portfolio — and the entire site — is an example of such uniqueness:
Showcase your most unique and creative work
Read also: Professional Tips for Creating the Perfect Web Design Portfolio
4. Show diversity
Don't limit yourself to just one format and include only web design or illustration examples in your portfolio. Provide a variety of work, but make sure that it all ties together in some way.
Art director and designer Corina Nika's portfolio includes many different projects that fit together beautifully:
Show diversity
5. Decide on the number of works
Focus on quality, not quantity. If we are talking about specific numbers, we recommend placing 10-20 works in your portfolio, but no more, so as not to lose the viewer's attention. No matter how wonderful your works are, a person will still only look at a few of them.
Olly Sorsby's portfolio features one project at the forefront, with several additional projects below. This portfolio format focuses the viewer's attention on the one project at hand:
Decide on the number of works
6. Consider a paper portfolio too
While most designers today use an online portfolio, it's worth considering creating a paper version for real-world interviews, especially if you're a print designer.