A portfolio is a designer’s face to the world. How do you make a good impression, land that dream job, or simply stand out among the crowd? Here are four tips to help you do just that.
1. Keep it Simple!
Tell a story with each project. Keep the sequence of your design process clear and organized. Remember, every story has a beginning, middle and end. Show the context, your design iteration and the design decision-making process.
2. Focus on Problem Solving
As an extension of the first point, focus on why you made design decisions (whether that be justification through design principles or user data). Provide the relevant context, the problem, your solution, and for bonus points, explain what you would do differently and what you learned from the process.
3. Think of Yourself as a Brand
Start by having of a perspective of a brand. Determine what differentiates you from every other candidate as you apply for a certain job. Consider tweaking your resume to highlight your appropriate strengths for a role.
Highlight your unique strengths; whether those be photography, illustration, writing, front-end skills and so on.
4. Show, Don’t Tell
Design is a visual medium. So while having context is valuable, make sure you show stages of progression and have a final solution that you are willing to stand behind and defend. Don’t show work you’re not proud of.
Learn More
In the process of creating your own online design portfolio? Here are some great portfolio builders and resources:
