Tips For Building a Web Design Portfolio
Today, the scope of web and graphic designing industry has become not only vast but also very diverse. Hence, considering today’s competitive job market, it is important for designers to build a decent work portfolio which can allow them to showcase their creative work more efficiently. There are several pros and cons to consider before building an online work portfolio. Your approach towards building a work portfolio depends a lot on how you plan to pursue a career in web designing. So, it is important to ask yourself, whether you plan to work as a freelance web designer or as a full-time employee with a design studio or anything else. It is because web designing includes several types of design jobs. It may involve designing marketing collaterals like online banner advertisements, e-newsletters, online brochures, business cards or more. It may also include designing multimedia components, such as animated product videos, interactive charts or maps, standalone web applications or websites. So, depending upon one’s interests and strengths, a designer needs to create his design portfolio accordingly. So, for all web designers out there, I am presenting a few useful tips which can allow you to make more informed decisions while building your online work portfolio.Okay, so let us check out the list of 8 tips for building an effective web design portfolio. 1) Focus On Portfolio Content If you are a web designer then having a work portfolio is very important. But, simply having a work portfolio does not suffice as the essential aspect of a work portfolio is the work itself. If you do not have some good design samples to show in your portfolio then it is better to concentrate more upon it. So, ideally focus more on the actual portfolio content than on your portfolio website. 2) Showcase Your Expertise Before, creating a work portfolio, it is important to find out your area of focus as a designer. Then, you can move ahead and create a portfolio which showcases your area of expertise. It can be anything, ranging from online brochures, online advertisements, creative backgrounds, website designing or anything else. 3) Be Versatile Having a specialty is okay but it is also important for designers to build a portfolio in such a way that it demonstrates both creativity and versatility. It shows that as a web designer, one is
capable to work in different capacities across different types of designing projects. 4) Stay Organized It is important to convey to your clients that your creative abilities can cover a range of online marketing and multimedia content. But, while building an online portfolio, remember to include some of your best design samples at the top to make sure that your client gets impressed by your work within the first few minutes. 5) Categorize Your Work Mostly, for freelance or short-term projects, clients already have a specific requirement in mind. So, it will not be nice upon your part to compel them to check out your entire portfolio. So, it is advisable to pay attention to organizing your design samples in to separate categories. This will allow clients to easily find that which they are looking for in a candidate and make more informed decisions. 6) Be A Self-Starter It is prudent to include the work which you had created while working on a freelance or any other client projects in your work portfolio as it communicates your professional skills as a designer. But, you must also include your other design samples which you created while experimenting with your creative skills in your free time. It shows that you are passionate about your work and inclined towards exploring and executing new design ideas. But remember that your sample design work should demonstrate simulation resembling real-world client solutions. 7) Leverage The Power Of Web The best online destination to save your portfolio is your own website. If your web designing skills involve creating motion graphics or websites, then having a modern portfolio site is essential. But, remember to have a mobile-ready, responsive website which will allow you to showcase your portfolio to your clients from a smart phone or a tablet as well. At times, when it is not feasible to carry your own laptop, you can surely rely on your smart phone. It is also advisable to create a PDF document of your static design samples so you can also send it over to your client from your mobile device from anytime, anywhere. 8) Market Yourself It is important for a web designer to get his skills noticed by potential clients or employers. Hence, choosing a robust platform to showcase your professional experience is essential. There are a range of platforms available to present your work portfolio online, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and others. You can also host your own profile account on popular design resources websites like Behance. Conclusion: In this post, we discussed some essential points to remember with regards to building and managing an online work portfolio for web designers. I am sure that designers will find some key helpful insights from this article. It is not always feasible to create multiple work portfolios, so it is important to carefully build a work portfolio which defines a designer’s creative skills and professional interests. If you have some valuable feedback to share then you can write your thoughts in the comments section below. Watch the video tutorial - youtu.be/0FJlRHwk4PQ