Curating a strong portfolio is vital, as it not only provides an avenue to exhibit your design abilities but also challenges you to present them in the best possible manner. Crafting an impressive portfolio entails careful consideration of the right elements that leave a lasting impression on the viewers. The visuals should be captivating and accompanied by a lucid representation of your capabilities and personality.
At Works, Ricardo Mota- the Head of Design Practice and Drew North- the Head of Product and Design, are seasoned professionals in the realm of design. In our conversation with them, we gained valuable insights on what it takes to make your design portfolio exceptional.
Determine your intended audience.
Besides presenting your work in the best possible way, it is crucial to ensure that your portfolio appeals to all stakeholders, including Human Resources and Business Unit Directors. Moreover, demonstrating a sound technical knowledge of design is equally important.
Maximize the potential of available platforms.
It is crucial to spend time understanding different platforms such as Behance, Adobe Portfolio, Dribble, and Notion, and their respective advantages and disadvantages. This way, you can leverage the opportunity to display your designs on various exceptional websites to the fullest potential.
Showcase your identity.
It’s crucial to convey a clear picture of your business and services to potential clients through the first page of your portfolio. A separate ‘Contact’ page should be created to provide essential contact information, while the homepage should be utilized to captivate visitors and make a positive initial impact. The homepage should be attractive without being too overwhelming.
Highlight your work.
The primary focus of the portfolio should be your work. Create a summary page and provide links to relevant case studies and examples from the landing page. Choose pieces that exhibit your versatility, but avoid overcrowding the portfolio. We suggest limiting case studies to two to four, with the most impressive one featured first. For added appeal, showcase your work with mockups of the latest smartphones, laptops, or even the new iMac.
Since everyone has a limited amount of time and attention, it’s crucial to carefully choose works that showcase the qualities you want to be acknowledged for.
A brief description of the customer and the results obtained should be sufficient for readers to grasp within a few sentences of your case study. Our goal is to pique their curiosity and encourage them to click through to your website.
Nevertheless, several critical elements must be included in each case study you create.
The Protagonist
To grab the attention of potential clients right from the beginning, it’s advisable to include high-resolution images or animations in your content.
This is where the challenge lies
The commencement of every case study should involve comprehending the primary problem faced by the client. It’s crucial to display an understanding of the user’s requirements and how success would be measured. However, it’s not mandatory to reveal all the intricacies.
Prospective clients evaluating your portfolio will seek evidence that you possess the capability to meet their project requirements. Please make sure to submit your portfolio beforehand.
The Impact of Design in Preventing Global Destruction
Each case study should begin and end at this juncture. To arrive at a successful solution to the problem, it’s crucial to exhibit how the provided requirements were interpreted, the data available was leveraged, and innovative methods were implemented. To achieve the best results, it’s advisable to heed the advice of seasoned professionals.
Indulge in Your Inner Nerd with This
This platform offers a chance to converse about the intricacies of your work with other experts having a similar technical background. Whether you’ve conducted User Experience (UX) research or not, you may demonstrate how you’ve gained insights into your target audience.
Order of Headlines by Ranking
Headlines shouldn’t be neglected as they can be crucial. Keep in mind that the majority of people will only read the headlines of your portfolio. Therefore, it’s important that they are concise and effectively communicate the most vital information.
Showcase Improvements to the Process
By displaying how your work optimized the entire process, it can be just as impressive as the design itself. To achieve this, you may exhibit a few critical flowcharts.
Utilize Images, but Thoughtfully Select Which Ones to Display
The power to influence others comes with significant responsibility. You’ll receive an array of images depicting various elements of your project. You’re not obligated to use all of them – instead, concentrate on the ones that most effectively convey your message. Take advantage of the photos you do use, as nobody has the time to view an excessive amount.
Before and After
Display two images of the User Interface (UI) side by side, with one demonstrating the enhancements made to an existing system or process. This will be particularly beneficial for readers who are acquainted with the cumbersome process of having to sift through various Excel sheets or SharePoint subfolders to obtain the necessary data. Your audience will be able to empathize with the challenges of dealing with unwieldy systems as it’s something we have all encountered.
Show Me the Money!
It’s crucial to exhibit that your problem-solving approach has effectively resolved the business challenges specified in the brief. Please substantiate how you’ve attained the predetermined success criteria. Financial metrics, such as a 50% rise in signups, can be a potent means of succinctly demonstrating success.
Congratulations on making it this far! Now that you have some guidance to assist you in crafting an outstanding portfolio, remember that it should showcase both your work and your personality. Ensure that your portfolio offers a glimpse into who you are as a person, as well as a designer, to form a strong bond with potential clients.
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Signing up for the Works Talent Network is a breeze! The registration form is fast and straightforward to fill out.
Simply complete our online application, and we’ll get in touch with you if we require any further information!
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Book a one-hour technical interview with one of our seasoned developers.
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