Graphic Design Portfolio

 

A good portfolio is a real passport to a successful professional future. As a graphic designer, it's the visual representation of everything you've accomplished so far, and the symbol of where you hope to go next. In other words, your portfolio needs to be super great.

For that, you must of course first know what to put and what not to put in your portfolio… Here are some tips to help you develop an excellent portfolio that will wow your clients.

Integrate the right projects

If you're wondering what to put in your portfolio, here's the only answer: your best projects.

Make sure that each of the examples you put in your portfolio does justice to your talent and illustrates the extent of your skills. This means that if you are just starting your career, your portfolio will be short, but effective. A single page of great projects that you are proud of can be quite enough. Don't force your potential clients to flip countless pages just to find the right projects worth seeing.

This doesn't mean, however, that all your projects have to be particularly exciting: a well-executed design of a business card or a landing page, for example, may not be the sexiest project. You have done, but adding that to your portfolio will allow you to show your clients the different things you can do. Nor is it necessary to have been paid for all the projects you put in your portfolio, and you can perfectly include the poster you made for your neighbor's party or something you have created just for your pleasure. Remember to indicate that this or that project is personal work, however.

Avoid less shiny jobs

As for the things not to include in his portfolio, drop all the projects where you are not really happy with the end result. Every graphic designer has at one time or another carried out a project of which he is not very proud, just to please a client. Not enough to turn it into a big deal. But when it comes to putting together a portfolio, remember that you only have room for your best work. You may be tempted to put this project together and accompany it with a short text to explain that you don't like this pink tone, but that you haven't managed to convince your client to put something else thing, etc. No. Let your work speak for itself. Explaining your clients' requests won't add anything to your job and may even make you seem difficult and uncomfortable. Forget.

Do not include dozens of examples of the same product either: if you have made 50 logos, select the 5 best, with varying styles if possible. Again, the most important thing about a portfolio is that it illustrates the full range of your skills. So also don't include designs that you made as part of a team and for which you are therefore not entirely responsible for the final product. Granted, this might be a great design, but if you are asked to create something similar and you are not able to do it, you will be in trouble.

Think about the format

Research the website you plan to use for your portfolio. Make sure not only has that it gives you the option to load high definition visuals, but also that the overall layout of the site is aesthetically pleasing. A gallery-like page with lots of small images could work well with lots of logos. But if you are a photographer, it is better to turn to a site that allows you to display your photos in full screen for maximum effect. Most portfolio sites offer templates and extensions designed specifically for photographers. If your work is done in different formats, consider creating several mini portfolios to simplify navigation.

Tell a story

Imagine your portfolio as a book that tells a story. Your portfolio should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Your best work should be at the beginning and at the end, to frame the whole thing. If you put all your best projects in the beginning, your clients may still have a bad impression of you after they finish looking at your portfolio. Conversely, by keeping the best for last, you run the risk that an art director in too much of a hurry will not take the time to look at your entire portfolio and therefore not see your best work. Captions should be short and to the point. Your job will speak for itself, and your clients can always call you if they have questions about your job. Everything you write on your portfolio should be both candid and confident.

If you choose to add more text to your portfolio (a biography for example, or an "about" page), be careful not to go off topic and indulge your thoughts. Your clients don't need to know everything about you to decide to hire you. Check that your contact details are visible, easy to access, and above all, up to date!

Get on social networks

It's important to remember that as a graphic designer, your portfolio is only part of your online presence. Add links to your pages on social networks. Online networks are great ways to build a real brand while maintaining the “human” element that helps reassure and convince your potential customers. Cultivate your pages and make regular references to your portfolio. Share a poster you made for an event, for example, or show your work in progress, and why even, your duds! Applications like Hyper lapse allow you to condense your work into a convenient and enjoyable format. Add a link to your portfolio to see the finished product.

Also use social media to show who you are as an individual. If you are defending a charitable cause, for example, speak up. Create content that will redirect your audience to your portfolio, simply because they'll be intrigued and want to know more about you. Remember, if you decide to use social media in this way, your news feed should be kept clear and professional at all times. It's okay to post a photo of your cat purring on your keyboard, but save the rants (especially about your customers!) To others. Your potential customers should not feel that you are difficult or not very discreet. As well,

Reminder: your portfolio is alive!

A portfolio needs to be continuously updated, it's not something stagnant. It must evolve at the same time as you. One of the best sensations in the world is to perfect your portfolio by removing everything that isn't really relevant anymore, and adding everything you've done best since then. Update your portfolio as often as your skills and specialties change.

Your portfolio should reflect your past experience as well as your future ambitions. If you really enjoy doing landing pages and would like to do them every day of the year, make sure they take center stage in your portfolio.

Your portfolio must be clean and clear, and your work must have been carefully selected. When done well, portfolios are enough to convince clients and art directors to hire you. Your work will simply speak for itself.

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