Putting together your first graphic design portfolio can be thrilling yet scary. It’s a vehicle for showcasing your particular style and approach, as well as your personality and ethos. It’s about more than just displaying your skills; it’s about showcasing everything about you as a designer and your approach. Here are six essential tips for developing your graphic design portfolio.
Always remember that when it comes to your graphic portfolio, more is less. Show your best work, not all your work. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Variety is key. Ultimately, you want potential employers and clients to admire your highest-quality work.
The manner in which you work towards achieving your goals often matters just as much as the final product. This is why you should include sketchbooks, wireframes and iterations of your projects. Portfolio reviews are about providing insight into how you solve problems. Displaying your work process can show what goes on in your mind and how you approach a design challenge, which in return adds dimension to your portfolio and can make it feel as though the work came directly from you instead of someone else. That said, if you need help supplementing your design portfolio with a piece of writing, try online assignment help. Not every designer is also a great writer, so expert writing help may be just the ticket.
It can be a good idea to add freelance work to your portfolio. It can be something more experimental that comes from your heart, more personal, and free from the scholarly constraints of client-driven briefs. Personal projects can make your portfolio more interesting with a variety of styles and show your initiative to develop designs out of academics or a job.
Think about who will be looking at your portfolio and tailor it accordingly. If you’re applying to a creative agency, they may like to see versatility and breadth of creativity. If you’re targeting a corporate client, they may want to see something clean and businesslike. Take the time to build several versions of your portfolio or, at the very least, alter its content depending on your audience.
A modern designer can have an online portfolio on Behance or an Adobe Portfolio. Both these platforms are simple to use, and unlike having your own personal site, you put yourself into a larger community of designers. This can also make you visible to the right people and generate feedback and connections. There are also other online platforms not directly related to design that you may find useful. As a student, you may benefit from using research paper writing services, freelance websites, or YouTube tutorials to aid with your creative projects and studies. Leverage various resources, and you will be able to streamline your learning process.
Lastly, don’t ever think you’re too good for feedback, and make sure you get some. Pick the brains of more experienced practitioners and everybody else you can trust to be honest about your work, and ask them for specific instructive criticism. They can tell you what could be altered and maybe even spot something you missed. Refreshing your portfolio in the light of feedback ensures that it remains current and shows your commitment to continuous improvement.
A graphic design portfolio showcases more than just your best works; it also tells your story of evolving as a designer. Each of the projects you choose to highlight tells a piece of your story. Always be thoughtful and intentional about the montage that best represents you. Often the graphic design portfolio is your first impression, and in this industry, the first impression is everything. So, allocate the time to create a compelling, clear, yet intentional representation of your unique talent and perspective. Best wishes in your design endeavors and the creation of an awesome collection of work that gets you hired!
