6 Portfolio Do’s & Dont’s
- On April 21, 2016
By Melanie Bindon, Art Gym Denver
What makes a portfolio stand out? What are the best practices and pitfalls to avoid when showcasing work? Here are a few tips to consider when applying for a new opportunity.
DO:
- Put your best piece first
- Consider the order of your work to craft the narrative you want
- Check the photo quality- optimized and printed at the highest resolution
- Use an online portfolio- check out Behance, Krop, or make a website
- Assume everyone seeing your site is technically challenged and impatient
- Make your site easy to navigate and quick to load
- Share your thinking and the process behind the work being presented
- How will the reviewer know if you reached the intended goal unless you let them in?
DON’T:
- Be sloppy or generic; instead create a look and color palate that fits you
- Include old work: past 5 years max
- Overload your site with too much work: 10-15 of your best pieces
- Distract from your work
- Let the content take center stage by simplifying design
- Forget your credentials: include a copy of your current resume
- Personalize your resume by connecting these points with the context of your life on your website’s bio page
- Forget contact details: include an active email or phone #
- What use is your online portfolio if you are unreachable?
Above all, your portfolio should be…
useful: hold enough information about your skills and past work for an employer to have a clear expectation of your capabilities
usable: must be easy to interact with
engaging: your portfolio should be visually and emotionally appealing
Need more ideas? Check out these helpful websites!
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