If you’re seeking a career in graphic design, then creating a strong portfolio of your work is essential to getting the job you want, whether it be freelance or in-house. If you’ve never made one before, don’t worry; this guide will walk you through the basics of what makes a good portfolio and how to set up your own.
Make Sure Your Portfolio Is User-Centered
A good portfolio should be user-centered, meaning that it is designed with the viewer in mind. To make sure your portfolio is user-centered, consider these three aspects of a good design.
Design From the Viewer’s Perspective
To be user-centered, your design must come from the perspective of the viewer. What do they want? How does this work for them? By working through these questions with your own work, you will find what makes it an effective design and not just an interesting piece of art.
Choose Meaningful Content
The content in your portfolio should have meaning and tell a story about you as an artist or designer.
Put a Heavy Emphasis on the Writing
You might be wondering what skills are important in order to make a good portfolio. I’m glad you asked! One of the most important skills for developing your writing is reading, which should go without saying. But there’s more! As you’re putting together your portfolio, put a heavy emphasis on the writing. This means that if you’re considering adding an extra piece of work that isn’t written–say, a painting or drawing–you might want to reconsider. Similarly, if you were thinking about including music or dance as part of your portfolio, don’t bother; they’re not strong enough when it comes to showing off your written communication skills. For some people, this might seem unfair. Why would anyone care how well someone can write? Well, one answer to this question is because we use our written words every day. If we can’t express ourselves clearly through text, then that doesn’t bode well for any future job opportunities we may have down the road. Put a heavy emphasis on the writing and do yourself a favor by limiting anything else in your portfolio besides English-language prose essays and their respective essays drafts (we’ll get into these soon).
Don’t Put All Your Projects in a Portfolio
Putting all your projects in a portfolio can be overwhelming and make it difficult for potential employers or clients to find what they’re looking for. It’s better to have a few strong pieces in your portfolio instead of a lot of mediocre ones. Consider these tips when making your portfolio:
-Don’t put all your projects in a portfolio – make sure the work is user-centered, and has a heavy emphasis on writing
-Take into consideration the industry you are in, but do not limit yourself
-Have one or two strong pieces that show off your skillset best (i.e., freelance copywriter, web designer) -Make sure your portfolio is user-centered (show the site from the visitor’s point of view). Make your navigation crystal clear (put in links and subcategories), provide testimonials (a picture with testimonial under each project), bake personality into design (make designs as personal as possible). Make contact information prominent (make it easy to get in touch with you)
Trim All the Fat
First and foremost, ditch the video clips. This is not a Hollywood audition, so don’t worry about your performance. If you’re still not convinced, think about all the time you’ll save by skipping this part of the process. You can just upload your demo reel if they ask for it later on. Next, keep your portfolio short and sweet. You want to show off your best work and weed out anything that doesn’t fit with what you’re trying to convey. Finally, trim all the fat! Don’t include every single project or experiment you’ve ever done just because it’s in print or digital form somewhere; this clutters up an otherwise well-organized portfolio without adding any value.
Make Your Navigation Crystal-Clear
One of the most difficult aspects of making a portfolio is navigation. It can be hard for potential clients to find what they’re looking for, and even harder for designers to find their own work. Here are some tips on making your navigation crystal-clear.
– Label each section in your site with its purpose so that people know where they are. Portfolios and About Me are self-explanatory, but you may have sections like My Work or Testimonials. Be clear about the content inside these sections, so that visitors know what they’ll see when they click through.
Make Your Navigation Crystal-Clear
Your portfolio should be intuitive and easy for your users to navigate. Make your navigation crystal-clear and provide clear labels for each section on the page. You want people who are viewing your work to be able to find what they’re looking for in just a few clicks or taps. And you also don’t want them to scroll through hundreds of projects before getting to the ones that interest them. That’s why it’s important that your navigation is user-centered, simple, and intuitive. Put a heavy emphasis on writing so that visitors can easily understand what they’re clicking on and make sure it’s not just screenshots of design files. Trim all the fat, trim any unrelated projects from the portfolio. Make your navigation crystal-clear with clear labels so people know exactly where to go when they land on your site or resume! And make sure you have contact information prominently displayed so potential clients know how to get in touch with you.
Provide Testimonials
1) Provide testimonials from clients or employers.
2) Include samples of your work that best represent your abilities.
3) Include any awards, accolades, or recognitions you have received for your work.
4) Share a link to your website and social media profiles in order to provide easy access for potential employers.
Bake Your Personality Into Design
Designing is the act of taking someone else’s idea and making it real. It’s not something that you get right on your first try. As a designer, it is important to be able to take feedback and make quick changes when necessary. There are also certain things that you can do before you even start designing in order to set yourself up for success. In this blog post I will go over some of my personal best practices and tips on how you can bake your personality into design while also creating something unique.
#1 Bake Your Personality Into Design
Baking your personality into design starts before you design anything at all!
Make Your Contact Information Prominent
If you have a portfolio on your website, it is important to make your contact information prominent and easy to find. You can do this by adding it at the top of every page or in the footer. This will provide viewers with information they can use if they want to learn more about you and connect with you outside of the context of your site. Additionally, if someone has landed on one of your portfolio pages but doesn’t yet know who you are, that person might decide not to explore any further because there is no contact information present. A simple way around this is telling visitors who you are before asking them to click through – after all, people want what they don’t have!
Conclusion
In conclusion, make sure your portfolio is polished, has variety, and showcases your skills. Start with the basics and work your way up to more advanced projects. Make sure that the color scheme is cohesive, yet pleasing to the eye. Use high-quality images that are large enough for those viewing it on a screen; if not, viewers will have trouble seeing what you are trying to present. If you have any questions about portfolios or anything else related to design, feel free to ask! A good portfolio can be seen by many as the most important factor in getting hired. With these tips and tricks you’ll be able to create an unforgettable, jaw dropping experience of your hard work