Portfolio design
Make your work and project portfolios sing
Your resume is the first item employers will review. It must be strong using industry-endorsed standards. Otherwise, employer will not review your portfolio.”
Showcase your achievements of non-confidential work samples and projects to potential employers.
Portfolios tell stories, allowing you to go deeper than a resume can. Your portfolio might contain your best CAD drawings, simulation videos, photos and test-result analysis graphics from hands-on design/build projects and other demonstrated skills in action. Your portfolio may also contain your resume, certifications, achievements and awards. It might stand alone or be part of your LinkedIn profile, GitHub or web page.
Read this article on how to make career portfolios.
Designers, developers, and user experience
(GIT and UX majors)
As graphic design students, it’s essential to understand the high standards for showcasing your portfolio on industry-standard platforms. Your instructors have provided the following guidance to help you present your skills effectively.
Creating a professional portfolio is a critical step in demonstrating your creativity and expertise to potential employers and collaborators in the visual and interactive media fields. Your portfolio should serve as a curated showcase of your best work, reflecting not only what you’ve accomplished but also the type of work you aspire to do. It’s important to prepare your portfolio for print, digital and web-based formats.
Selecting your work
When choosing projects to include, focus on 1–3 standout pieces that align with your career goals.
- For visual designers: Platforms like Adobe Behance are excellent for sharing static work, such as branding, illustration and digital art.
- For front-end developers: GitHub and CodePen provide ideal environments to showcase interactive projects and code samples, demonstrating your technical acumen.
- For user experience designers: A personal website with detailed case studies is essential. These case studies should document your design process, from problem discovery to user research, ideation, prototyping and final solutions. Be sure to highlight group work and credit your team members.
Telling your story
Your portfolio is more than just a collection of work; it’s a narrative about who you are as a designer or developer. Contextualize each project with clear descriptions of the challenges you faced, your approach, and the outcomes. Emphasize your problem-solving skills and the impact of your work.
By tailoring your portfolio to your desired field, you can create a powerful tool that opens doors to new opportunities.
Examples and other resources
Career aspirations portfolio
Geared toward personal reflection rather than industry, a career aspirations portfolio may be shared with advisors and your support team.
Use this portfolio to organize your career and personal goals, self-assessments, articles and project samples.