A designer’s portfolio is basically the “proof in the pudding” that both clients and agencies look at before deciding if to hire you or not. You can have a good resumé or a degree from a top art school, but if your portfolio falls flat you will most likely miss out on a lot of jobs. It is the visual representation of what you have done and achieved in your design career.
I get a lot of questions from designers looking for advice or tips on how to put together the perfect portfolio to get hired (either by agencies or by potential clients.) Creating a good portfolio can pose a challenge to designers of all levels and figuring out what you should and shouldn’t include can be a painstaking process. Here are some questions that I have received in the past about portfolios:
What should I even include?
This is one of the more common questions that I see being asked. The simple answer is to only include work that you want to be hired to do. That is the base level. If you want to be hired to create brand identities, then you need to show in your portfolio that you can create brand identities. The billboard that you designed, no matter how great of a billboard it is, will not add credence to your quest in becoming a brand identity designer. If your dream is to create album art for clients, you need to show a portfolio that has album cover designs (or at the very least, work that shows that you have the capabilities to design album covers.)
I want to design (insert any design niche here) but I don’t have any experience, so have no examples to include in my portfolio.
The most typical follow up to the first question is that, “yes I want to do brand identities (or whatever other design niche) but I’ve never done any work in that niche so I have nothing to show.” Simple solution…go do it. Then add the work to your portfolio. If no one is willing to pay you to do the work - find a friend that needs design work; find a client with no budget that might be willing to do a service/goods exchange; get an internship or a junior position; do some work for a charitable organization. Point is, there are a lot of ways to get actual, produced work to show in your portfolio. You just need to do the work and get it done.
I have a lot of work to put in my portfolio, should I add all?
No. Add what you think is the best representation of your abilities as a designer. This should be evolving and changing as time goes by. I personally cull jobs from my portfolio every few months as I add new work that I think better represents me as a designer. I’ve hired designers already, so I’ve seen my fair share of portfolios. If I receive a portfolio with 15 projects, and 8 are amazing but 7 range between OK and not that good, I would overlook that designer for a candidate that shows 5 projects and all 5 projects are amazing. Quality over quantity every time.
Can I use my Social Media pages, like Instagram, as a portfolio?
I think that when you are marketing yourself as a designer, social media is simply a part of the story. Things like Instagram or Twitter show a depth of work as well as an evolution over time. It also adds to context to what you are interested in, or any creative endeavors that you have experimented with. Having a blog is also a really good part of telling your story as a designer as it shows that you can speak about design and that you are a good writer. I was told after my interview at an advertising agency in 2014 that one of the reasons I was hired was because of a specific blog post that I had recently written. You have to expect that all candidates are going to have a degree, or a certain amount of experience, and a good portfolio. How will you set yourself apart?
How should I send my portfolio in for an agency job?
Having gone through the hiring process, I will say what I think worked best and what was most efficient for me and my team. The most effective submissions came like this:
An email with an outline as to why you think you’d be a good fit and any other information that speaks to the fact that you are a good candidate.
An attached PDF that has the Resumé/CV as the first page of content, with the portfolio pieces after that. Having your CV included in your portfolio PDF makes it easier to save your information and to share it internally during the review process. It’s one file instead of 2 or more. Make sure that the PDF is titled with your name and the word Portfolio so that it can be easily searched. (Note: if a job specifically asks for an online portfolio or your CV in a separate file, then do what is asked of you.)
Please, please, please, do not submit individual images. Compile all your work into one PDF.
Follow the submission instructions! If a call for submissions go out on Facebook and it says to email your info, DO NOT then send the Facebook page a message. This shows that you can’t/don’t follow instructions.
I always look at the actual design of the portfolio and not just the content. If you are graphic designer, I think having a well design portfolio is key. Don’t worry too much on your a personal logo, having your name in a nice elegant font is enough.
Should I add anything else to my portfolio?
Something that I think will add a lot to a portfolio is a small bit of information alongside each project. What was the brief? What design challenges did you face? How did you find solutions in your process? This adds so much to the overall story of you as a designer, and it also shows that you think about design and aren’t just interested in making something that looks good.
What’s the best way to show off my work in the portfolio?
The best way to show off you work will always be good photography. In lieu of good photography, which can be expensive, then mock ups work as well. The mock up should ideally be as realistic as possible, and I usually recommend purchasing the mock up rather than using a free one. The free ones have been used and abused by thousands of designers, so chances are they’ve already been “seen” by other creatives already. Photography is always best though! Maybe work with a photography student/friend who is also looking for portfolio pieces and collaborate with them on your own portfolio photos.
If there is anything else you’d like to know about creating an amazing portfolio, either leave a comment or click here to send me an email. Thanks for reading!
N.
PS. Here is a YouTube video I made in 2017 showing off my University Portfolio: