The Center for Career Development is happy to share our new Portfolio Guide resource to help you get started on creating your portfolio and help figure out what you want to include. Portfolios vary based on your industry and the kinds of projects you’ve worked on, so keep in mind these are just some suggestions!
What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a supplemental resource that highlights one’s projects or works. These can be for design, engineering, photography, user experience, professional experience and more. This guide will detail the different sections of a portfolio and general information to keep in mind when creating your portfolio. Keep in mind that the industry is ever evolving, so these practices may change. As of April 2024, these are some current practices to keep in mind.
Sections of a Portfolio
Portfolios are usually broken into multiple pages or sections. Each section will highlight different content and is broken down differently. Usually, portfolios consist of at least a home page, a project page, an about page, and/or a contact page . They can include multiple sections for projects such as a graphic design page, and a photography page. Tailor your portfolio to your strengths, and focus on grouping your work in an easily digestible format.
- Homepage or Landing Page: This is the first part of your website that people will see, so make sure to create a strong and lasting impression. Highlight who you are through the design, and keep in mind that hiring managers may have hundreds of portfolios to go through so they may not explore the rest of your pages. You may also choose to mention a little of your additional pages as well so that viewers can get a general understanding of your and your work from minimal interactions with your site. The landing page is one of the most important parts of your portfolio so spend the time crafting it well. The first impression is important to having people continue to view the rest of your portfolio.
- About Section: This section is all about you. This is your space to showcase who you are as a person and a professional. Make sure to keep your design consistent and to know who your target audience is. If you are searching for a job and sending your portfolio to companies, maintain professionalism at all times. There’s a balance between showcasing who you are as a person and a creative individual and being professional. You may choose to include contact information, your résumé, or even links to relevant social media (LinkedIn, Behance, YouTube, Instagram etc.)
- Project/Work Section: The Project section should highlight your strongest works, showcasing them in a way that details the work you put into it. Not all projects are portfolio worthy, so be selective and deliberate in deciding what pieces to include. Below are some tips for crafting your project/work section.
- Only include your strongest pieces
- Think of it as “you’re only as good as your weakest portfolio piece”
- Less is more, when in doubt leave it out
- Try to find a variety of pieces that highlight your skills, whether it be artistic or technical
- Non client work is okay; we all start somewhere
- Remember to include information about your work such as title, medium, year, description, etc.
- Organize your projects into groupable categories if applicable. If you do graphic design and photography, consider breaking them into separate pages
Different Types of Portfolios Require Specific Additions
UX/UI Portfolios are unique since they should include a detailed breakdown for case studies showing the process of creation. Since UX deals so much with data and iterations, your portfolio for these projects should reflect those details. This is where you would highlight the process that led to the final design, including research, personas, wireframes, user journeys, and more. Consider breaking down your process and highlight it by showing instead of telling; use photos, data, research, sketches, wireframes, iterations and include brief explanations.
For engineering portfolios, make sure to share your projects in detail and explain the process of your project. This resource from MIT contains more information to inform your portfolio creation.
Overall
Make sure to remain consistent in your formatting, colors, and layouts and highlight who you are as a designer /engineer and professional, add your style and process. You will also want to ensure your portfolio is mobile friendly and maximize Search Engine Optimization (SEO) if possible.
Don’t forget your portfolio up to date; look at it like a working document to highlight your projects and continue to make updates as you produce new work, and make sure to remove projects that are no longer as strong as the rest of your portfolio.
Remember, this is just a highlight of some of what we cover in our new Portfolio Guide so be sure to check it out as you get started and refer back to it when it’s time to make updates!
Sources
https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-make-portfolio
https://www.ondemandgroup.com/8-essential-elements-of-a-tech-portfolio-in-2023/
https://www.canva.com/learn/portfolio/
https://www.wix.com/blog/how-to-make-online-design-portfolio-guide
