chloehascamera

Check out the [**Society of the Sacred Pixel**](https://www.societyofthesacredpixel.com), my group for designers, and consider joining. We meet on Zoom every Sunday to talk about the craft and career of design and do portfolio reviews. It's free and there's no obligation to attend every meeting. For common questions and answers for new designers, jump to [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/mjwdhp/common_questions_and_answers_for_new_graphic/). For a harsh view of what graphic design is and isn't, jump to [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/15ufcvm/a_career_in_graphic_design_is_not_about/). For information about finding freelance clients, jump to [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/18aj99f/finding_freelance_clients_as_a_new_designer/). For my portfolio formatting and content recommendations (downloadable PDF), jump to [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/1dtk0y1/designer_portfolio_formatting_templates_pdf/). For standout portfolios to study, jump to [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/zloe42/ten_portfolios_to_study/). For a list of industries and deliverables that will make your fictional projects feel less cliché and more real, jump to [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/1n0icsk/suggested_industries_and_deliverables_for/). For a listing of common portfolio issues seen on portfolios posted to this sub, jump to [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/1cziwoj/hey_new_grads_your_portfolio_needs_work/). **Note: I'm no longer doing private portfolio reviews. I receive multiple requests per week and each review takes two hours at minimum so I don't have time to keep up.** **All of my insight into portfolios is in the post below, which I continue to maintain with new information. The best thing you can do is read through everything below, make a plan for creating or updating your portfolio, and then execute that plan.** We get portfolio review requests from new designers looking to enter the field many times a week on this sub. After going through dozens of portfolios here and giving feedback on many of them, publicly and privately, as well as reviewing entry level design portfolios for my job for many years, it's clear that recent design graduates or others getting into graphic design for the first time are making some major and completely avoidable mistakes with the work they're presenting as well as the way they're presenting it. These mistakes hurt their chances of getting interviews and ultimately getting hired. I've put together some detailed thoughts as an attempt to remedy this. This overview isn't intended for experienced designers who are already working in the field. It's aimed at those looking for their first full-time design job and who are presenting a mix of student work, conceptual work for fictional clients done outside of school, and possibly real world freelance projects. It also isn't meant for people who are using their online portfolio to get freelance clients. In fact, I discourage anyone from trying to use the same website to find a full-time graphic design position that they're also using to get freelance work or to sell products featuring their designs. Those are very different goals and combining those elements into one website will confuse your audience by diluting your message (which should be "consider hiring me for your open design position"), which will lessen the likelihood of getting interviewed if not completely take you out of the running. If you're doing freelance work as a designer or illustrator, and/or selling designed products, create separate websites for those ventures. You can also create a PDF version of a separate portfolio (illustration work, for example), post it somewhere online and send out a link when appropriate. To maximize your chance of being hired into a full time role, focus on the type of projects and applications (when I use this term I don't mean software – I mean how the design is used: printed piece, website, packaging, signage, etc.) that hiring managers at companies and agencies are *most commonly looking* for and eliminate – or greatly lessen – the kind of work that isn't needed as often. Examples of those kinds of pieces are standalone illustrations, album covers, posters, and graphic t-shirts – especially those created for fictional clients. I see far too many portfolios filled with those kinds of pieces. In most cases, they're damaging the designer's chances of being interviewed, no matter how well done the pieces are. I also suggest you include projects for the kinds of fictional clients that we *don't* see a lot of in new designer portfolios. There are only so many coffee shops, breweries, and bakeries in the world. In a later section I suggest some lesser-used types of fictional clients that can differentiate your portfolio and show that you're willing to go beyond showing only the typical kinds of consumer-related businesses that most new designers are aware of and create projects around. Each piece in your portfolio is a chance to impress the hiring manger enough to set up an interview (at which point it's your job, and not your portfolio's job, to get you hired). For every piece you present that misses the mark, the chance of this happening goes down. Competition for entry level design jobs is fierce so one or two poorly chosen pieces can (and probably will) kill your shot. Don't let that happen. Here are my thoughts on how to set up your portfolio to give yourself the best chance on getting hired for a design position. **Platform and Domain** The platform you choose for your portfolio site is important. Spend time researching platforms and testing templates before you commit to one. Going with the most commonly used platforms is the safest option. • suggested platforms: * Adobe Portfolio (a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud includes 4 free websites – you'll need to purchase the domain separately and redirect it) * Squarespace * Wix * Wordpress (requires you to purchase your own domain and set up Wordpress) • pay for your own domain name – avoid free options that require messy URLs such as “name.websitebuilder.com” or “websitebuilder.com/name” • an ideal domain is “fullname.com” or “firstnamedesign.com” (or something similar to “design” – “creative”, “portfolio”, etc.) – avoid overly long or complicated domain names • avoid using a name or branding that makes you look like a studio/agency – "Chris Stone Design" is fine but “Primordial Design Studios” won't help a hiring manager see you as an individual designer looking to be hired into a full time position • most hiring managers will view your site on a desktop or laptop, so make sure your layout looks good on those screen sizes over mobile or tablet sizes (though it should still work well on those devices) • be sure the platform you choose has Adaptive/Responsive layouts for mobile and tablet (most modern platforms and templates will have this) **Layout/Template** Once you've chosen your platform, start thinking about and working on the overall look of your portfolio site. Simplicity, consistency, and usability are key. Hiring managers are busy and there are always many applicants for any a design position. Keep your layout clean and intuitive to give the viewer a smooth, enjoyable experience. • your name should be in a consistent place on every page – preferably at the top • menu/navigation should be simple and easy to find and read • avoid dropdown options from your main menu – there's no reason to add this kind of complexity to a portfolio site • use a full text menu for desktop users – the “hamburger menu” (three horizontal lines) should *only* appear on mobile • choose a simple layout for your website overall and especially for your Work/Portfolio section – a 2- or 3-column grid structure is common • use one or two tasteful and easy to read typefaces, don't go too small with your font sizes, and use a generous amount of leading (space between lines) • avoid crowding elements too close to each other or to the edge of the window • use minimal, consistent color – consider restricting all interactive elements (menu items, links in text, image borders/overlays) to a single color • avoid complex background patterns or textures • avoid complex ornamentation around images – drop shadows, distracting borders, etc. • transitions and animations on rollover or between pages can work as long as they’re consistent, fast, and don’t distract from the viewer's experience • avoid parallax or other complicated website layouts (the exception would be if you're more focused on web development and therefore have a reason to show off more advanced techniques that you've coded yourself) • it doesn't hurt to have your contact info on every page (in addition to the Contact page mentioned below) – some hiring managers will appreciate being able to easily find this information **Pages** It's common for designers setting up their first portfolio site to include too many pages, or to give non-intuitive names to pages. Don't try to break the mold here – keep it simple and logical. • Work * this is the main event so your portfolio site should load to this page, showing thumbnails of your projects (not individual pieces – more on that later) * a short text introduction ("Chris Stone is a graphic designer from Evanston, Illinois") is acceptable but not necessary * optional – show project/client name above or below the thumbnail, or on an overlay when the viewer rolls over the image * clicking on each project’s thumbnail should either load into a full page with more detailed information on that project (preferred), or open a floating carousel containing that additional information • About * a short paragraph or two about the designer, mentioning “looking for my first full-time design position” or similar direct language * city/region/country * college attended and major if applicable (but not graduation year unless it’s the current year or one year prior) * mentioning a general interest or two outside of design is fine as it can be memorable and humanize you, but keep it minimal ("When I'm not behind a computer screen, I enjoy riding my hoverboard and spending time with my iguanas") * download link to Resume (PDF, Word .doc, or both) * link to LinkedIn profile (create a LinkedIn profile you don't already have one – many companies will look for it if they consider you for an interview) * a simple, tasteful photo of you (optional, but showing yourself can be helpful in making you feel like a real person to the hiring manager –  you'll need it for LinkedIn as well) * software (optional, especially if it's referenced in individual project descriptions) – this can just be a mention in your bio about using design software/"Adobe applications", or a short list of the most common software used/required: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign + any others that you've used to create at least one piece – you're not claiming mastery; you're saying you have used that piece of software competently • Case Studies (these can also be included in the Work/Portfolio section instead of in their own page) * ideally include 1-3 of these where you break down your process, talking about the project's initial goals, development, launch, and results • Contact (this can be its own page or part of the About page) * email address (as clickable link) * phone number (optional but preferred) * Contact Form with name (required field), company (optional), phone number (optional), email address (optional), and multi-line text field (required) – set up to send or forward to your email address and (important!) test your Contact form frequently to make sure emails are actually being forwarded to you – you do not want to miss a message from someone who wants to call you in for an interview, especially if the Contact Form is the only way to reach you (hence listing email address and phone number) • avoid splash/intro pages on your site • avoid Services - this portfolio is not intended to sell you as a freelancer; the "services" you offer will be mentioned in your project descriptions • avoid including sections on Fine Art, Illustration, Hand Lettering, Animation, Writing, Photography, Coding, and anything other than Graphic Design (all of which I've seen on portfolios posted here) – if necessary, build additional websites for those skills and link to them from the About page, or send links separately if a hiring manager expresses an interest in a particular skill – but these related areas don't belong on your portfolio site and including them will make you look like someone who really wants to work as an illustrator (for example), but who's willing to settle for a design position. I can't stress enough how much this hurts your chances. Few hiring managers will want to hire a kinda/sorta designer when there are dozens of others presenting portfolios of strong design work and *only* design work. Most design positions don't require much if any illustration – and often there's not enough time to create full illustrations, especially when companies and agencies use stock images services. At best, you may be called in for an interview *in spite of* having an Illustration section on your portfolio site and not because of it. • avoid “progress bars” or any visual indication of skill level in different pieces of software – much has been discussed here on the sub, but including progress bars on your skills will only hurt your chances of being interviewed or hired (the same logic applies to resumes) • avoid social media links/icons – your portfolio site alone should contain everything that sells you a designer – there's no reason to send the viewer to another platform (though you should be sending them from your social media accounts to your website) **Work – What to Include** As mentioned above, your site should load to this page because this is what people have come to see – your work. And if your work doesn't look good, this is as far as they'll get. An experienced designer, art director, or creative director will get a sense of a designer's capabilities within seconds of viewing their work, so even the initial page showing project thumbnails has to be great. But keep in mind, you're looking for an entry level design position, so your work will be viewed accordingly. You're a new grad or someone otherwise looking to get into the design field. You're not competing with the work of designers who have been working in the field for years or decades – you're competing with others at your level. Hiring managers understand where you're coming from and know that they're seeing student/entry level work, much (or maybe all) of it created for fictional clients. And if you're called in for an interview, it will be based on the *potential* that you show as a designer more than anything else. With that being said, include: • no less than 5 projects • no more than 12 projects • only your absolute best work – review all pieces already created and fix any errors, redesigning from scratch or creating new pieces if needed. Nothing goes in without a critical reassessment. Rebuild any piece in your portfolio that you're not completely happy with. Be hard on yourself. You're not the designer now – you're the editor. Be as objective and critical as possible to the designer's work. • structure everything as a project and not as a standalone piece. Projects tell a whole story ("I designed this logo/banner/advertisement for this client and then adapted it to be a billboard, video intro, product package, etc.") while standalone pieces are just fragments ("I made this logo", "I made this sign"). Each project should have at least three applications – for example a logo design, product packaging featuring the logo, and a social media post or online ad for the product. This shows the designer's breadth of skills and attention to detail, and this this kind of adaptive production work is what many new design positions require – and taking a hiring manager through the story of a project is much more compelling than having them view a bunch of standalone pieces. An exception can be a "logo folio" – a collection of individual logos standing in as one project (though my preference would be to adapt the best of those logos into full conceptual projects). • each project should include a short text description that briefly describes the client as well as the different applications created for the project. If the client is real, find ways to mention this in the text – “Branding and direct mail campaign created for Higgins Movers, a moving company that has served the Seattle region for thirty years”. • avoid non-design pieces unless they are truly integrated into a project – for example, no standalone illustration or photos – those kinds of pieces *must* be used as part of a larger project, and they can't feel like a minimal project built just to showcase the illustration or photo (like an album cover, t-shirt, or poster with one large image and a small logo and line of text added to make it feel like a real project) • include at least one case study for a project – show process sketches, unused early designs, and development to final pieces – your text should describe the client (even if fictional), their industry, their competitors, products/services offered by them, customers/audience, goals of the project ("the client wanted to increase their email subscriber base by 20%"), challenges in creating the project, and the results ("at the completion of the campaign, the client's email subscribers increased by 23%") • fictional clients can be cited simply as “concept for”, as in “concept for a laundry delivery service” – more can be explained during an eventual interview, but most hiring managers will realize this term indicates the client isn’t a real world business or organization, especially when hiring for entry level design positions. And if they want to know more about it, they'll ask during an interview. • have 2-3 other people test and proofread your full website before sending it out to hiring managers or posting it to any social media platform – especially on LinkedIn. Wait until you've posted all your information and have proofread it yourself before bringing others in. • avoid overloading your portfolio with too much of one type of client, application (brochure, signage, packaging, etc.), or style – showing a hiring manager your ability to adapt to the needs of different types of clients and projects is a key in getting hired • avoid rebranding existing companies – especially large, household name entities – focus on fictional entities instead • thumbnails tend to work best when they're filled with a color that's different from the site’s background color. A thumbnail showing a logo on a white background will blend into a site with a white background, making it feel like it’s floating rather than being part of the grid of thumbnails – so set the logo on a different colored background, modifying its colors if necessary (for example, change black in the logo to white if you're putting it on a black background). • for branding projects, avoid designing an icon for a logo first, then building a name around it – for example, combining an image of a bear with an image of a mug in a visually clever way and naming the business “Bear Coffee” – to an experienced designer, it will be obvious that the solution came before the problem, which is not how real world projects work • use sites like [https://dailylogochallenge.com... See more