How to Create a Great Web Design Portfolio

Posted by Crystal on Apr 26, 2010 in Clients | 4 comments

We see a lot of web design portfolios around, and obviously, some better than others. Beyond our own designer eyes though, there are many that are better in the eyes of a client as well. How can one go from good to great in terms of their portfolio, and win over more clients?

Whether you’re just starting out and don’t know where to begin, or if you already do have a portfolio, this guide can help. Here is some insight to what does and doesn’t work for gaining clients, as well as some more tips to get you recognized in the design community.

Define Yourself

Among all your projects, your portfolio is the one and only website that represents you. In essence, your portfolio presentation in the online world is you. So how do you represent yourself every day? How do you represent yourself as a professional every day?

Before one can create a great portfolio presentation, one must ask themselves a few essential questions:

• Who are you? What are your traits, quirks, and unique tidbits?
• Who are you as a professional?
• Who do you want to be and where do you want to be professionally?

The way you present your portfolio should reflect the answers to all of these questions. By defining who you are first, you can design your portfolio better. You should be able to make decisions for your portfolio’s presentation better based on your own opinion and thoughts.

Physically write down some of your most interesting traits. Write down what you think clients (or anyone else) would find interesting. Make your personality more concrete by putting it on paper. Then, turn that personality into a design and into copy for your portfolio.

Don’t Be Shy

Don’t be afraid to say “I’m the Best!” right on your front page. After all, a portfolio is supposed to sell your work, so don’t be coy about letting your clients know you’re the right choice. The only thing you have to do is be able to back it up; back up that thought with great portfolio pieces, a unique and professional personality, and of course, the testimonials of your good work from past clients.

Also, try not to be shy about who you are. We discussed above how important it is to define oneself and display that personality in their portfolio, but that can also be extended into sharing more about yourself. When viewing a portfolio, clients will check out your about page, interested in knowing the type of person they’ll be hiring. If they like you then you’re a good match for them, so be sure to share your true personality. Talk about your accomplishments, your future goals, and even the not-so-important-details if you wish. Just be sure to follow this guide when writing an about page, to highlight your talents first, and your personality second. (To sell to clients better.)

Be Easy to Contact

Any portfolio can be amazing, but to really sell to a client, you have to connect with them a bit further. Getting that first contact can be tough, so make sure that it’s easy to get to. Always use a contact form instead of, or in addition to, alternative contact information, and create a form that is easy to use and easy to follow. Create a call to action button on each page, leading to your contact page. It can be as simple as a button in a sidebar that says “I’m Available for Work! Get in Touch Now >”

One can also include references within the copy to influence potential clients to digitally meet with you. For example, the end of a services page could read something like this:

“I can also do more customized services, and provide you with alternative solutions. For more information or a quote for any of the above services, please get in touch.”

Overall, just be sure your clients know that you would love for them to get a hold of you to discuss things further. Once that happens, you can customize your selling points to fit their needs, and hopefully gain some new clients!

Make Your Portfolio Design Your Best Portfolio Piece

First impressions are made within seconds. For a web designer, that first impression is the actual design of your portfolio. Make sure, out of all your projects you’re planning to include, that your portfolio design is your most valuable work.

Review what you’d like to include in your portfolio, the overall message and feel you’d like to portray, and the content that you’ll need to put into it. Plan out a design phase, get feedback from other designers, and make numerous revisions before going live. To be a great designer, you must really care about the image that is going to last you throughout the years.

Also make sure to take care of consistent branding when designing your portfolio. Do you already have a brand that you need to abide by? Do you still need to create or further define one?

Have Many Samples of Your Work

The key to a great portfolio is to be picky about what you show off in that portfolio (don’t just throw anything in, make sure it is worthy of public consumption), but to also have plenty of really great works to show off. Having a lot of good stuff shows clients that you have experience, and that you consistently do good work.

Beginning designers may have to pick and chose the best pieces, and it may not result to a lot. Don’t worry, though, more projects will come with time. However, for those that do have plenty of experience, be sure to include a minimum of 10 pieces. The longer a potential client stays on your website, the more likely they are to remember you (and your work!). Then, the more they remember you, the likelier the chance they’ll want to hire you.