How to create an amazing design portfolio
Most Graphic Designers in the digital world will often have an online or physical portfolio to show off all there designs they have created over the years. It is important to know that there are some tips that will help you create a stunning portfolio. We are going to talk about how to present your work and what work you should be presenting. Your portfolio is your chance to tell the world who you are as a creative and what sort of what you produce. It also overlooks your passions and expertise within your design sector.
Treat it like another design project
A common mistake people make with their portfolios is that they try and just let the work speak for themselves. You should often try and add some sort of design or theme to your portfolio so the designs can flow nicely. Your whole portfolio should tell a story about you as a designer and all your greatest designs. Remember that your online portfolio is often a person’s first impression of your work so it needs to stand out and look good. It’s also worth bearing in mind when doing an online portfolio that you make sure its mobile friendly as post people nowadays will be more inclined to view things on the mobile devices.
Presentation is key
Rather than sending work that you may of sent for your client, try and bring it too life a bit by putting work on mock-ups. So for example if you created a business card then rather than putting the 2d design on you portfolio put it on a mock-up design of a business card. When doing this make sure all your surrounding environment follows on with the same style. Mock-ups are great when photoshoots aren’t available and sometimes using them can look a lot better as they can be crisp and stylish. However the downside to online mock-ups is that you’re not the only person that has access to these files.
Quality over Quantity
As a graphic designer, you will obviously have a lot of projects that you have worked on over the years making it tempting to put everything in. It is way more beneficial picking your best pieces of work as the main goal of the portfolio is to impress not bore. Showcasing a limited amount of projects also allows you to present them Thoroughly as you have more time to present a background of the brand. It will be a lot easier walking people through your designs giving them a greater understanding about your reasoning for certain aspects of the project.
Don’t forget about content
Although your trying to get your visuals across when making a portfolio, creating content that goes with it can amplify your message a lot more. The content doesn’t have to be anything to drastic or lengthy, just short and sweet focusing on some of the main points of the project.
Make your portfolio easy to change
With your portfolio you want to be able to easily change it and keep it fresh with new work that you have done. This is where an online portfolio is more beneficial than a printed one as it could get outdated very quick. Making an online portfolio can make it good for keep your work fresh and up to date with latest projects.