An estimated 71% of employers who participated in a survey strongly agree that the quality of a portfolio presented by a candidate influences their decision to hire an applicant. If you’re looking at a design career whether as a graphic designer, user interface designer, or multimedia artist and animator, a portfolio is vital to showcase your work and highlight what you are capable of. It also offers an opportunity for potential employers to see your abilities, skills, and experience. Here’s how to make a compelling design portfolio and position yourself well in the job market.
Curate All Your Work
Building a portfolio does not mean that you can only present successful cases and projects that you have undertaken in your professional life. It is also vital that you include those that had problems so that you can demonstrate how you would have done things differently to succeed or reduce the chances of failure. For example, if you are an interior designer, highlight the designs and creations you did with spaces. Indicate how you work with others under constraints or deadlines. Real problems that you encountered while finishing a job count when convincing potential employers of your skills and qualifications as an interior designer.
Furthermore, it is a great idea to stage your work as a case study. Talk about the entire design process from start to finish, enumerate the issues that you face, and finally, the solutions to make it work. While you can fill your portfolio with stunning images and other types of visuals, they will not tell a hiring manager what you can do. What solutions did you offer to clients? Don’t forget to walk future employers what you did including scrapped visuals and prototypes to show your problem-solving skills.
Accessibility Is Essential
Once you have composed a truly compelling portfolio filled with case studies and examples of the work you have done, it is time to ensure that it is accessible to users. First, make sure that it is online so that people who want to check it out can gain access to your work anytime, anywhere. The right platform also matters. Invest in a quality website by buying a custom domain and uniform resource locator (URL). It demonstrates professionalism to future clients or employers. In addition, a personal website allows you to organize your portfolio to suit your needs offering pertinent information and content that users might need to see.
Your website must be also mobile-friendly. A hiring manager should be able to browse through your portfolio with ease using mobile devices or desktops. Accessibility also promotes usability and inclusivity resulting in an intuitive user experience. If you can provide a seamless user interface and experience, it bodes well with your capability as a designer and proves the point that you can build and design something that is useful and easy to navigate.
There are many careers in the design field that you might want to consider. Whatever area you choose, it is vital that you set up a balanced and well-thought out portfolio so that you can demonstrate your talents, passion, and creativity.
