Web Design Portfolio: How To Stand Out
Every designer needs a portfolio — it’s how potential clients can see what you’re capable of. Show, don’t tell — this phrase from the film industry also makes sense in the world of web design, but how do you present yourself and stand out from the crowd? Let’s try and think of a perfect web design portfolio.
Web Design Portfolio: How To Stand Out
Less is more
If you’re an experienced designer, you’d want to show off as many of your projects as possible, but that’s not necessarily the best way to go about it. In fact, most of your potential clients won’t have the time to go over everything: they want to see as much as possible in as little time as possible. So, moderate yourself, and choose only the best and most versatile works. Show the different sides of yourself and make it so that everything is neat and tidy and doesn’t require endless scrolling.
Illustrate your thought process
A nice and neat-looking website is excellent, but it would be even better if you could tell a short story about it. What was its purpose, and how exactly did you design it? What problems did you encounter, and how did it look in the beginning? That will show them what kind of person you are. If you manage to make your portfolio enjoyable, you can manage everything.
It’s not about quantity, it’s all about quality
Like we said, keep it simple and don’t overwhelm your visitors with names and numbers. Instead, make sure your own site works as flawlessly as possible. Make sure it’s not too fancy but works on even the most ancient of browsers — you know perfectly well that clients are rarely tech-savvy. They can often have an iMac with an old Safari installed, or still use Internet Explorer. Instead of dazzling animations, ensure your site is light, fast, and has no bugs.
Every job is an opportunity
Not all projects are equally enticing. Some offer little pay and incentive but treat every job as a stepping stone: every new site is an addition to your portfolio, so try to make it shine. If not for them, then for you. The portfolio is everything for a designer, and a few quality sites, even cheap ones, will allow you to find a much more rewarding job. All you need is patience and a little time.