Now more than ever, it is really important that you have an up to date and really slick digital portfolio to score that perfect design job or freelance design gig. The following top tips are exactly what Live Hub member Lucy Hebden did last year following some amazing video content and portfolio reviews from a Hallmark UK Creative Manager and she’s now SOARING AHEAD!
TOP 10 TIPS FOR DIGITAL PORTFOLIO’S
- It needs to be in a format that is easy for everyone to open, email and store. We’d suggest a PDF less than 20MB.
- Have 2 versions. One that is a taster you can send to potential employers to give them an idea of your capabilities, and one that encompasses all of your work that you can use for interviews. Also try to make your portfolio easily editable so that you can quickly and easily edit it to send to specific clients making it more bespoke to their needs.
- Version 1 – this should be a short PDF (up to 5 pages) that gives a snapshot of your design styles and should be your very best work. Don’t try and cram too much on a page, less really is more!
- Version 2 – this should be a full portfolio of all your best work but try and limit it to a maximum of 10-15 pages
- Do make sure your name and contact details are on it. A footnote on every page is a really great idea.
- Create a front cover with a logo/ branding and a back page to share your social media and contact details.
- Make sure you show the very best examples of your way in a visual and interesting way.
- Don’t duplicate the same design in lots of colourways. Pick your favourite and if you must show another colour option, make sure it’s in a different scale/ repeat.
- Don’t put everything in there. Keep it fresh and only use older work if it shows a different skill set.
- Don’t overcrowd your work, keep it simple.
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A CHALLENGE FOR YOU:
We do hope you are now feeling inspired! A portfolio can be a piece of beautiful work in it’s own right.
So why not now have a go at:
- Designing a logo/branding (if you don’t already have some) – You should have different options for different uses, for example your cv, social media and portfolio. Make sure that is it relevant to you and your work, and it is clear who you are. Preferably your full name!
- A front cover for your portfolio – This should include a short bio about yourself and your work, your contact details including social media, your logo and an image of yourself if you wish to include one.
- Some example page layouts – Make sure to clearly show the consistency of your brand. This could simply be down to font and colour choices, but make sure that it looks like ‘you’. It would be good to try a page with a creative layout showing drawing, draping and fabrics, and then another that has just pattern swatches. Your portfolio, particularly when digital, represents you, make sure that it sells you to the best of your ability in terms of work and personality!
Enjoy!
The Make It In Design Team xx
