
Getting started as a freelance web designer is full of challenges, not the least of which is figuring out how to create a portfolio website.

You need a way to build your web presence, whether you’re a student, unemployed, or a part of a design studio.

Not only will a portfolio page offer you a chance to showcase your work, but it also offers a platform for blogging about your design life and current projects.

So, how to build a portfolio website? How do you display your work? How do you show your potential customers what you’re capable of doing for them? It can be hard to figure out how you’re going to start building a portfolio website.

A simple Google search will show you plenty of independent freelancers and studios with good portfolio websites, but they can all seem so different. You can start by sticking to some key points and goals for your portfolio.

What makes a good portfolio website?

Logo

When making a portfolio site, remember that it is all about presenting things to the customer. The first thing he or she will usually see is your logo.

Place your logo where customers will automatically look first, so you can start associating all the work in the web design portfolio with you and/or your studio.

In the Western World, the best location is usually on the top left of the page, as we read left to right, top to bottom.

Be sure to link your logo to your homepage, as that is expected by most customers, especially from a professional website, especially from a professional website about a web designer’s work.

As for what makes a good logo, that’s up to you. Remember that you’re trying to build an online presence.

For freelancers especially, this is the gateway to success. Your name is a good option for a logo when creating a portfolio website.

Tagline

Now that your potential customer has seen who owns the website, one of the most important things you need to do is let everyone know what exactly you do. You need to have a tagline. It should be a snappy, quick summary of what you do and what you can offer.

When creating a tagline, ask yourself:

What are you?

What do you do?

Where are you from?

Are you a freelancer? Or are you a part of a studio?

Are you looking for work?

Contact

While often neglected, this is one of the most important things you need to have on your portfolio website. It doesn’t matter if a client is impressed with your work if they can’t figure out how to get in contact with you. You will not be hired without making your contact information available.

Your contact information needs to be presented in a clear and obvious manner. It should be very easy to find and access. Offer a way for customers to contact you for a chat or a quote. You could even have a form available to make it even easier, allowing them to email you right from their email manager without needing to write down your email address.

You can use that form to ask for particular information you need, including email address, name, website, or even the details of the customer’s proposed project.

Blog


A blog is a great way to keep your portfolio website active. Blog about your expertise, new projects, old projects, or relevant news. Offer the chance for potential customers to subscribe to an RSS feed to follow you. Show off your most popular posts. Your blog is another way of building your web presence.

Allow visitors to post comments. As tempting as it is for security purposes, don’t force commenters to register or add Captcha software. This discourages people from commenting and providing you with feedback. There are a lot of anti-spam plugins out there that are much less off-putting.

Social media

Encourage people to follow you on social media websites if they like your work.

Let them know that following your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (or any of a million other options) can offer the most up-to-date updates. Make the most of social media on your portfolio site. Use it as a way to network and market your skills.

Principles for creating an online portfolio

Once you have the basics of logo and tagline down, your website design is up to you, based on your needs goals. Here are some major guiding principles for creating an online portfolio:

Make yourself available

Availability will make or break you. If it’s not clear how interested people can reach you, they will not work at it.

There are plenty of other freelancers out there with many of the same skills as you have. If it’s easier to reach them than you, they will get the jobs and you will not. Ease of contact can’t be emphasized enough.

Ensure your site loads quickly

Time is money, especially for anyone working a project or a business. Most people wait less than 3 seconds for a page to load before moving on. You need to invest (time, effort, or even money) in creating a functional website.

Choose a solid hosting package to ensure fast load speeds. Look carefully at what a web hosting service has to offer and do your due diligence in reading reviews while you’re in the early stages of making a portfolio website. A slow website will lose customers.

Be yourself

While it’s a good idea to take a look at some of the well-made websites out there already created by successful freelancers, don’t treat them as the perfect “how to make a portfolio website” guide. You are selling your work and your creativity. While you do need to market yourself, it won’t do to pretend to be someone else or copy their way of doing things.

Show your personality

In that vein, add a bit of a personal touch. Let potential customers see who you are. Add a nice headshot of yourself or your team, if you’re a part of a group. Let them know you’re a real person. Part of the reason people go to freelancers and small studios is because they know they’ll be dealing with real people who can customize projects to order. Emphasize that fact on your portfolio site.

Tell a tale

As with any other kind of communication, your pieces should tell a story. Aesthetics should match the ideas they’re trying to communicate. A web site designed for a locally owned, mom-and-pop restaurant known for recipes from two generations ago should look the part.

Your work should be communicating something, telling some tale to give people a reason to be interested. That’s what your customers want to see.

You might want to turn each piece on your portfolio into a case study. Explain the needs that the clients for that piece had, or the particular problems they needed addressing. Detail the solutions and components of the project. Highlight your processes and your ability to creatively overcome challenges.

Turn them into a kind of short story that can hold the interest and catch the attention of potential customers. Brag creatively and reap the rewards.

Let your work speak for itself

Have you ever seen a good painting or photo be ruined by its ridiculous and distracting frame? Try to avoid that same scenario on your portfolio site. Make your work the focus and don’t clutter up the site with loud little additions. Keep it simple and elegantly professional. Let the skills you’re trying to sell take center stage.

Quality over quantity

Anyone visiting your portfolio website will probably only view two or three of your pieces before deciding if they want to use your services. In light of that fact you should only display your best work.

Try to stick to displaying only newer pieces, not things you did years ago unless they are high profile in which case you should highlight those pieces in particular.

While your full personal portfolio can show off the full breadth of what you can do, stick with only a few to show off on your portfolio site.

Any interested potential customer will probably not look through all of it. Remember that as you organize your portfolio site’s layout and presentation.

Show your real work

Anyone looking to buy your services is looking for you to show off your actual services.

If they want to see redesigns of existing products, they can just as easily find them on a design student’s Instagram as your portfolio website.

Show them what you’ve actually done as much as possible, so they can see that you can offer up original and successful results.

Include personal and pro bono projects

Even if you didn’t get paid for a project, you did make it. Clients won’t care. Demonstrate the personal projects you’ve done to show that you enjoy what you do and are a real self-starter.

Feel free to add in work you’ve done for friends or even charities, as well.

Don’t let these overwhelm your portfolio though. Make sure you balance out the professional and the professional, so that your services don’t just look like a hobby.

Include appropriate project covers

It’s a common practice to see projects presented with thumbnail images, also known as covers.

These are used to draw potential customers into clicking and give them an idea of what to expect. Choose a clean image that shows off something unique about the project and you’ll be off to a great start with your project covers.

Share your process

Show off what goes into your work. End results aren’t everything and every project is its own story. Show interested people how you do what you do. It demonstrates that you value your craft.

It catches the eye and means that clients aren’t just hiring a freelancer off the internet, but something of a craftsman who brings real thought to their work.

Other creative people might see what you’re doing and be struck by how you solve problems or create solutions.

There are a lot of different ways to showcase your processes:

Do a write-up about your thinking behind certain creative decisions you made.

Do a time lapse video or photo gallery of the project.

Show some of your initial sketches and designs.

Feature design elements on their own, such as you might with a typeface or logo or user interface.

Give credit where it’s due

Designers surprisingly rarely extend credit to others. You really should do this. Others will appreciate the respectfulness of it. Potential customers will understand exactly what you do, which isn’t always very obvious.

Most in-house or agency projects involve anywhere from a few to more than dozen people. If you really did do it all yourself, go ahead and brag, because that’s not easy.

If you didn’t, make sure you credit them for all their parts in the project. Give others credit for their art, copywriting, branding…whatever they did, let viewers of your portfolio now.

Implying you did everything is both dishonest and misleading. If a customer has skewed expectations, it can be easy to embarrass yourself or even lose the job.

Think about your real contributions and showcase those. You wouldn’t want anyone else to take credit for what you’ve done, so don’t do it to others. Give them credit for work displayed on your portfolio website.

Think about what you include

Be professional and calculating about what you include on your portfolio website. Take the time to go through your pieces. Don’t display anything that embarrasses you or doesn’t look like your best work. Like with anything else, you get out what you put in.

You will get more of the kind of work that you show in your portfolio. If you didn’t enjoy a certain kind of project or working with a certain kind of customer, don’t show those pieces.

Again, when deciding on what on display, also remember that people will look at fairly few pieces.

People have short attention spans. They will only click through a gallery a few times. Remember to go for quality, not quantity. A good rule of thumb to start with is displaying 10 to 20 pieces, each carefully chosen to show off your talents.

Keep it cohesive

Your portfolio site’s design is just like any other project. It will function much like your resume.

This site will be the way you begin building (or continuing) your online presence. Take the time and care to craft it right. A good website will let your potential customers see what you can bring to the table and make you stand out among the many other freelancers on the web.

You should avoid being boring, but you should also remember that unnecessary flash and gimmicks can sometimes drive away your customers.

To seem professional, your portfolio site should have a coherent aesthetic, with consistent layouts, image sizes, and writing styles.

Colors should fit together and not clash. Pages should look like they belong on the same website, with all the same principles underlying their design.

Note that typography sets the tone just as much as anything else.

It should fit the feel you want to give (playful, elegant, professional) and complement your design samples. Make sure it never steals the spotlight from them, as they should be the central focus of your portfolio. Keep the typography as consistent as everything else.

Provide detailed case studies

Showcasing your work is just one use for a portfolio website.

Potential clients will also be looking for the results of your work. Did your designs help your past customers? Did you create something that made their business more successful, or help them achieve their goals?

Use case studies to answer these questions. Explain your reasoning behind your designs, what you saw the end goals as and how your choices contributed to them. This is mandatory if you are a UX designer.

A business case for your work will help your potential customers see that you have the right sort of thinking. They can see that your products can help them succeed down the line.

A case study should include the following:

Project description and background —provide context. Include budget constraints, timelines, and the overall purpose for the project.

—provide context. Include budget constraints, timelines, and the overall purpose for the project. Project goals – all projects have a purpose, tangible goals, and an overall desired end state. What were you and your customer looking to achieve?

– all projects have a purpose, tangible goals, and an overall desired end state. What were you and your customer looking to achieve? Creative strategy – explain your thought processes. Why these colors? Why this kind of layout? Images won’t be enough. Explain the why. Include creative insights, research, and design iterations.

– explain your thought processes. Why these colors? Why this kind of layout? Images won’t be enough. Explain the why. Include creative insights, research, and design iterations. Results – demonstrate why the project was a success. If you can get quantifiable results (i.e. increase in web traffic, more product orders, more publicity) from a client about the results of your project, include them. If you can demonstrate that your work can get results, you’re more likely to get business

– demonstrate why the project was a success. If you can get quantifiable results (i.e. increase in web traffic, more product orders, more publicity) from a client about the results of your project, include them. If you can demonstrate that your work can get results, you’re more likely to get business Your role —explain what you did for the project if you worked in a team. Specify which elements and ideas were yours.

—explain what you did for the project if you worked in a team. Specify which elements and ideas were yours. Client testimonials – Let your past customers help you sell your work to future ones. Simple quotes expressing satisfaction are great confidence boosters. Go ahead and ask for these as you wrap up a project.

Stay professional

At all times, in all aspects of your portfolio site, stay professional. Keep your language concise and clean.

Don’t ramble. Always edit all your text and make sure it does not go on forever but says only what it needs to say.

You don’t need to sound like a robot, but you should come across as a professional selling service to other professionals.

How to make a good portfolio website

Designing a great portfolio, whether it is a web design portfolio or a graphic design portfolio, is a challenging task for every designer.

Designing a project for ourselves, such that could meet our highest requirements can be tough.

Still, it doesn’t mean that we cannot create an online portfolio which is entertaining, accurate, and focuses on our strongest design qualities.

Long before Internet arrived on the scene, designers used to ‘pack’ their work in paper portfolios and to deliver printed copies to employers.

Nowadays, they create advanced online portfolios which are accessible to everyone who has access to the internet.



Image source: Brad Haynes

Still, designers should be aware that sharing portfolios on social platforms is not going to be enough. They need to push their way to the front lines and to stand out of the crowd.

Sometimes, a breathtaking portfolio design is the biggest challenge of a designer.

It is the visual story of his personality, the definition of his work passion, and a showcase of his masterpieces. It is very likely that someone will neglect the importance of the portfolio and would say that interested parties will take no more than a glance at it.



Image source: indicius.com

That’s exactly why its quality is so important. The first expression must be stunning and mark each following interaction with that designer.

The competition is huge. And designers need to ensure they have a well-made portfolio, capable of attracting attention and delight.



Image source: Jan Cavan

A great portfolio is a must for active and creative freelancers. Rather than a set which can showcase successful project and expertise to prospective employers, a good portfolio is a designer’s best option for building a recognizable name in the web world.

The fact that portfolios need to be digitalized and available is very helpful. The internet opens an entirely new horizon where designers can target audiences and expand their professional circles.

A few great portfolio design tips

Think what you want to share

Before you’re able to summarize the projects you want to display, you need to be aware of users’ expectations about your work.



Image source: neverbland.com

Even if online portfolios offer more space to share work than a resume does, careful selection is not a choice. Remember that people have limited time. They wouldn’t waste it on samples that don’t really prove creativity and expertise.

The truth is, the success of your job application depends entirely on the quality of your portfolio.

Select nothing but the ‘killing’ pieces



Image source: Mikael Edwards

By killing pieces, we mean best possible examples of your work. They prove your talent and that you’ve been successful and well-rated.

This is the essential information you should include about every project:

Short description

Constraints and risks

Timeline

Business objectives

Things you would change from current perspective

Tracked success metrics

Your team (if you have one)

Adjust your portfolio to the situation



Image source: overpx.com

You could use a little research on optimal presentation methods. For instance, if you’re a user interaction designer, you have to present a digital platform and to disperse it on the web.

On the other hand, if you’re a print designer who delivers the portfolio in person, you are supposed to bring a paper-based version to non-tech clients.

In both of the cases, you should think about the audience that is going to see it. And you should tailor the content according to their specific requirements.



Image source: Aaron Márquez

Applying the ‘less is more’ rule could motivate a user to click the thumbnail and to look for more details.

Thus, choose a sudden crop to focus on the strongest, most attractive parts of your project.

Patterns and larger – scale branding can enjoy this method. Also, you could introduce interesting and informative photographs or creative logos displayed on a filled background.

Facilitating navigation



Image source: neffassociates.com

The ultimate target is to create a portfolio, where viewers will have no navigation troubles, so whatever.

Don’t place all the information on one page because you could mislead your users and you could cause some of your best pieces to be overlooked.

Besides, it is human nature to underestimate the skills of a person who offered one rich page, instead of several more modest ones.

Variety is fun



Image source: filipbenda.com

A single illustration or a design form will appear boring. Still, if brave enough to incorporate more of them, make sure you combine them in a way that looks nice and functions perfectly. Your portfolio should look like a compact package made by a single person.

Portfolios tell a long story



Image source: pixelkings.com

It’s true – the essential parts of your portfolio are your outstanding project. But you should not underestimate the interest employers have in you as a person.

Great portfolios should also include well-made personal websites. A portfolio where an employer could read something more about you, your background, likes and dislikes or preferred coworkers.

Explain your case studies



Image source: Kultar Singh

You’re a designer and your design capacity is the first thing you need to show to your employers. Yet, spicing a bit with business skills can not harm the result.

In fact, employers enjoy reading about case studies. They estimate your career-building opportunities in their company.

Messy problems — and how applicants work through them — can show a great deal more in a portfolio than one finished, airtight solution. It’s then the applicant’s job to curate those into an experience for the portfolio viewer.

Quote source: Liz Danzico

Making case studies or possessing business skills, in general, is important for a designer to explain the purpose of his project. A business case shows that the designer is able to calculate and prove the cost/value of his project.

Case studies should contain the following elements:

descriptive background

aims and goals

innovative strategy

success metrics

results

positive testimonials

Nothing but high resolution



Image source: Mihaly Slocombe

Even if you think you’re never going to deliver a paper-based portfolio. Make sure it will preserve its quality when you print it. Don’t take chances-make a folder and save high-resolution images of each page.

Put contact information is a strategic place

It’s not exaggerated to say that in a portfolio, contact information is equally important as your projects.

Employers could use little detail on who you are, what you’ve done, and of course, your credentials.

But, be careful with the amount of information you are including. At the end of the day, your work will be more decisive than your words.

The process should be simple. Once employers are captivated by the quality of your work, they scroll down and get straight to your contact information. You could include basic information on every page, or create a separate one for the purpose.

Don’t lose focus

Unless it is an extraordinary achievement, exclude everything older than three years. As you know, technology improves first, and you don’t want to work to look outdated.

Cohesion matters

An online crafting show application, requiring decisive images, could benefit from the appropriately chosen pictures.

Portfolios showcase

Sviiter Creative Agency



Sviiter is an ambitious and creative design agency with a great looking portfolio website. Their passion is to create solutions which could give that extra value to your product, service or to your business in general.

Their main focus is branding and what comes with it, but mainly they offer full service where you can find also print, package, web and even e-books.

Anthony Goodwin



Daniel Portuga



Natie



Natie is a branding agency and has a cool looking portfolio website.

If it involves how a company presents itself to the world, they do it with sophistication, smarts and a smile.

Their multi-talented international team has been telling brand stories in every medium for years.

They work together virtually because they all share the same values, the same aesthetic and marketing sensibilities and most important, the same commitment to making great work for their clients. Just about the only thing they don’t share is physical proximity.

PLATFORM



A Growth-Oriented Design Agency with a neat looking portfolio website. They’re helping startups and well-run businesses increase sales, leads or profits through a data-driven design.

Prototype



Prototype is a full-service interactive agency helping brands to design and develop online marketing strategies, web experiences and mobile solutions.

Prototype is creating bespoke digital solutions by detecting, mentoring and supporting exceptional young minds.

It’s about fresh thinking, big ideas, and experiences that stick to tackle your brand’s specific challenges in a growing digital world.

3magine



They are a team that develops websites, web applications, and social networks. They design for both the web and mobile devices, taking you from the first stages of planning, design, and development all the way through a successful launch.

Since 2001, 3magine has been creating experiences that define brands, build businesses and make the Internet a better, more usable place.

3magine is led by Evan Cancelliere, Karl Schellenberg, and Krystian Frencel. With over 30 years of combined experience, 3magine can be a key and critical partner for your design and development projects.

Kai Brueckers



Kai is currently working as the Design Lead at JTL-Software where we build tools that enable people to start their own retail business.

ZoCo Design



What sets them apart is their ability to get to know their clients while taking the time to understand all of their business challenges and opportunities.

They work with brands that seek change, and we are passionate about creating innovative design solutions to actualize these objectives.

Their team is small and close knit to foster long term relationships with the people we work with, who are always at the heart of each design solution and the ideas they manifest.

ZoCo brings a strong and versatile design experience to the table, working with industry leaders and local entrepreneurs alike, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Cardinal Health, and EY as well as numerous local clients like Nexosis and Footclicks.

They apply their craft to branding, print, web, digital prototypes, innovation strategy, video production, environments, signage, and experiences. And that can be seen even in their portfolio website.

Tomer Lerner



Tomer Lerner is an award winning designer, front-end developer, and animator.

Former head of UX at Wikiwand and Webydo, co-founder of Zest.is and currently leading the product at Wisdo. Apparently, he has a mysterious tendency to work with companies that start with W.

How To Make A Great Portfolio That Stands Out

A great portfolio website will showcase your work, skills, and potential. Future employers can weigh a portfolio more than your resume. You need to put time and effort into creating a doable and chic designed portfolio.

The more effort you put in equals a better account balance in the future. Do you have the time, but do not know where you should put the effort to make your portfolio better than your competition? How do you floor future employers with your brilliant work?

Do not panic over making the perfect portfolio website. Creating a successful portfolio is not that difficult. There is no need for complexity. Your portfolio’s main job is to hit your objectives so make sure your portfolio is simple and easy to use.

Many people are turning to personal portfolio websites. Whether you are a freelancer, student or part of a studio, you need a design that will showcase your portfolio in the best light.

A personal portfolio website’s job is to promote you and your masterpieces. Treat yourself as a brand, because you are on. Your portfolio should reflect that.

If you want to avoid or minimize the trial and error phase of conduction a portfolio. Here are some useful hints to avoid the five pitfalls that can tarnish a portfolio design.

What you need to do

Make a good logo and a nice tagline along it

Creating a brand starts with the logo. It is the first thing users see, and it will be the image associated with you and your work. Logos should be placed in the top left corner of your portfolio website because in the Western world, people’s eyes are trained to read that area first.

Your logo will immediately let users identify who owns the website, and it will engage their interest. They’ll want to know what it is you have to offer. This is why you need a tagline to explain your purpose. Taglines are short and snappy summaries of what you do.

Show only the best of your work and make sure it’s the type of work you want to be doing in the future.

Hide all the second fiddle work. Only your best work will do. It has to be the most impressive and representative work you have to offer. Your portfolio has to instantly impress and draw the interest of potential clients.

Make sure you have a clear statement about what type of work you do. Your goal with your portfolio is to entice prospective clients with what they see and get them to ask you what you can do for them.

Therefore, portfolios should contain high-quality images that are clearly accessible to the user. Always include a link to the live version of the website you have worked on and link your screenshot to the live version. Always include a short description of each project and the skills you had to use to do them.

Add info about the showcased work

Your portfolio needs to answer these questions. Who was the client? What was the design? What was the purpose of the website? Did the design complement the purpose?

You need to give information about a portfolio piece to fill prospective clients in on the details. These details are your chance to shine. Some details will allow the employer to appreciate it on an aesthetic level and on a practical client project level.

Also, you should answer what part you played in the project. Did you handle it all or just a portion? Did you build the website as well as design it?

Humanize your website

Everything is virtual in your business. Make a prospective client at ease by adding some info about yourself. Business is personal. Just because it is online does not mean you do not have to be personable.

An About page is a great solution to tell people about yourself. The page should have a description of you as a person. Include your likes and dislikes. You can add your social network links if they are a great representation of you as a person and will not compromise getting clients.

Your About page should unveil you to the public. Share your background. Tell where you are from, your years of experiences, etc. The more details you give the more prospective clients will form a bond and build trust with you.

Do not be camera shy. Provide a picture. A good picture will give clients peace of mind by allowing them to see who they’re dealing with, and it adds trust.

Make everything as easy as possible for the visitors

Do not make your website hard to navigate. It will frustrate clients. Keep it simple. If you do not have your work samples in an easy to access format, you will lose potential clients.

Your portfolio should be simplified, have streamlined menu items, have reduced and consolidated pages with a simple navigation style.

Make sure your contact info is visible. The main point of your portfolio is to gain access to potential clients. You should not make it hard for a prospective client to find your contact information. You can use a form to make it easier for visitors to contact you.

Showcase

There are literally thousands of awe-inspiring design portfolios on the internet. You have to make your online portfolio as impressive as you possibly can.

Presentation of your work is the key to standing out in the crowded internet. A touch of creativity and innovation can take you a long way.

good-morning.no



Good Morning is a full-service digital agency that specializes in design, creativity, strategy and technical services. They were founded in 2010 by three Norwegians and one Swede with the shared goal of creating outstanding digital communication.

biggerpicture.agency



Founded in 2005, they are a digital web design agency in Hampshire. They specialize in web design & app development for businesses that want to stand out and reach their goals.

hellomichael.com



Though he is a front-end developer by day, he has put pen to paper during a design process, been completely lost in a full stack environment, and has even worn the entrepreneurship hat.

jcsuzanne.com



Se believes it is essential in the development, not only to respect the client’s vision but also to surpass it by bringing an interactive and lively personal touch.

weareadaptable.com



Co-founded by designers, adaptable, is a digital studio based in Birmingham, UK. Solving problems with clarity, simplicity & honesty, they combine digital craftsmanship with innovative thinking to deliver beautifully built solutions on a global scale.

madebyvadim.com



weblounge.be



Weblounge, founded in 2002 by Kristof Van Rentergem is a creative agency that produces lasting results for their clients. Weblounge stands for style and class. Many national and international websites are in the Weblounge portfolio. Because the language of quality design is universal, right?

hugeinc.com



humaan.com



Humaan is an award winning digital agency focused on user-driven outcomes. They strive to create meaningful connections for users through considered strategy and innovation in the digital space.

Above all, they believe in beautiful design, attention to detail, interaction, experimentation, collaboration, and exploration. They deliver intelligent products, engaging experiences and exceptional outcomes for incredible clients all over the world.

tokyo.uk



Most clients don’t care whether they build in HTML5, Ruby or PHP as long as it works, well. They keep an eye on trends, they don’t always follow them. They like clarity and long term thinking. They like minimal fuss.

They work as a digital production partner with some of ad land’s most recognizable names on their most valuable accounts. They keep abreast of every new technology so you don’t have to. Their team of skilled developers is capable of making even the sketchiest scamp a reality.

brianhoffdesign.com



Expect to learn something new. They love to be challenged and they’ll certainly challenge you. And by doing so, they’ll all learn from each other. At the end of the day, when it’s all out on the table, they love what they do and have fun while doing it.

focuslabllc.com



They value people over profits, quality over quantity, and keeping it real. As such, they deliver an unmatched working relationship with their clients. Their team is intentionally small, eclectic, and skilled; with their in-house expertise, they provide sharp and high-functioning products on both the design and development side.

codecomputerlove.com



They establish digital platforms and touch points that deliver performance from day one, then work in partnership with their clients to support them in achieving continual improvement and growth over time.

studiostorehouse.com



They are a creative agency who work closely with brands to convey their message through engaging print and digital projects. With a team of talented individuals, they look to keep things simple, focused and honest.

fuzzco.com



A creative agency specializing in branding, web design and development, photography, video and original content development.

fcinq.com



They are a creative agency, born digital, crafting brands, campaigns, website, content and in general interactive and IRL experiences.

serious-studio.com



They are a boutique brand design group dedicated to turning good ideas into great experiences. They help brands make connections through great design and turn it up to 11.

fhoke.com



They’re honest folk that believe in hard work and building lasting relationships. They enjoy making companies look better with great design, going above and beyond to please our clients.

builtbybuffalo.com



Founded in 2006, Buffalo is a small web design & development agency based in Brighton, UK and has a neat portfolio website design. Over the last few years, they’ve made a reputation for building websites that look great and are easy-to-use.

playgroundinc.com



They believe in creating lasting value for brands rather than disposable digital marketing. That means they focus on building products, experiences, and platforms that have the power to transform a brand and the web.

smallstudio.com.au



designzillas.com



janfinnesand.com



stereocreative.com



bradleyhaynes.com



abbyputinski.com



hihayk.com



ollygibbs.com



madebyfieldwork.com



sprawsm.com



bjoernmeier.com



carlosousa.net



wootten.ca



redape.com.au



toasteddigital.com



newdealdesign.com



welfordmedia.co.uk



alexsign.de



Conclusion

The above tips are a great starter for learning how to make a portfolio on the net. If you’re looking for ways to get started using them, there are a lot of options out there.

If you already have a website, go ahead and start creating an online portfolio to add to it.

A lot of existing hosting services, like WordPress, offer themes specifically set up for portfolios. If you’re brand new to freelancing or just don’t have a website yet, take a look at Dribble or Behance.

These are free global creative communities where you can show off your work and network with others, maybe even find a job. Flickr has been growing into a portfolio site, as well, and functions much like a regular portfolio, allowing you to group your work into categories.

A lot of people also use Instagram as the unofficial portfolio, as well, though usually on work-focused accounts (you don’t want to be mixing your work and your selfies).

Hopefully, now you have some ideas on how to build a portfolio website.

If you liked this article with portfolio websites, you should check out these as well: