Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned graphic designer, you need a portfolio to showcase your skills and get hired. We show you how to create an impressive graphic design portfolio in this guide.
A graphic design portfolio is a digital showcase of your best work. It could take the form of your own personal website, or it may be hosted on another site such as Dribbble or Behance. It gives employers and prospective clients a clear overview of your skills, passions, and strengths—allowing them to gauge your suitability for a particular project or role. If all this sounds too new for you, we recommend that you read this: What Is Graphic Design? Everything You Need To Know..
But dont worry! Even if you’re a graphic design newcomer, this guide will help you create your portfolio from scratch. On the other hand, If you’ve already got a portfolio, you can use this guide to audit your existing portfolio and make sure it’s in the best possible shape.
- 1) What is a graphic design portfolio and why do you need one?
- 2) What should you include in your graphic design portfolio?
- 3) How to create a graphic design portfolio: Step-by-step
- 4) Graphic design portfolio best practices
- 5) Graphic design portfolio examples
Before we jump into our step-by-step guide, let’s consider why a portfolio is necessary for your graphic design career.
What is a graphic design portfolio and why do you need one?
A graphic design portfolio is a website (or some other form of digital showcase) created by graphic designers to present their best work. It’s like a virtual art gallery, allowing prospective employers and clients to take a guided tour of the projects you’ve worked on.
Note the phrase guided tour—a graphic design portfolio should not only showcase the final visuals, but also tell the story of how and why these were created.
As a graphic designer, you’re well-versed in the art of visual communication, i.e. creating designs which connect with the target audience, accurately convey the brand, and help communicate a certain message.
That’s the goal of your graphic design portfolio, too. It allows you to:
- Connect with your target audience—hiring managers, employers, and prospective clients;
- Convey your personal brand—what type of designer are you? What are your strengths, skills, passions, and values? Why should someone want to hire or work with you?
- Communicate the message that you’re a professional graphic designer with expertise in X,Y, and Z.
You need a graphic design portfolio to apply for jobs and/or freelance gigs and to prove to employers or clients that you’ve got the skills and experience they’re looking for.
Even if you’re not actively looking for work, an up-to-date portfolio reflects where you’re at in your career, providing a polished presentation of your work whenever you might need it.
Curious about where your graphic design career could take you? Discover the top 10 graphic design jobs and career paths (and their salaries).
What should you include in your graphic design portfolio?
Your graphic design portfolio is, first and foremost, a showcase of your best work. But that’s not all. It should also provide some insight into the individual behind the work—you!
Here are the most important elements to include in your graphic design portfolio:
- ‘About’ section or page: This is the written equivalent of how you might introduce yourself to someone you just met at a networking event.
- Individual projects: Your moment to shine! These are the artefacts in your virtual art gallery, guiding the viewer through the process behind each project and sharing the designs and deliverables you produced.
- Your resumé: You don’t need to literally upload or copy-paste your resumé, but it’s worth including a brief yet informative overview of your most relevant professional experience.
- Contact details and socials: After wowing prospective employers/clients with your portfolio, you want them to be able to contact you. Link out to your socials and share your email address for general enquiries.
Optional: A blog, client testimonials, and services (especially important if you’re a freelancer).
That’s the basic framework for your graphic design portfolio. Next, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide you can follow to bring your portfolio to life.
How to create a graphic design portfolio: Step-by-step
Are you ready to go from zero to a professional portfolio? Proceed to step one!
1. Build your portfolio website
First, you need to set up and design the website or a digital showcase that will eventually become your perfectly polished graphic design portfolio. This includes:
- Choosing (and registering with) a website builder tool
- Selecting a template
- Defining your website colour scheme
- Creating and labelling your portfolio pages
Let’s break it down.
If you’re hosting your portfolio on your own personal website, we recommend using a portfolio websites tool such as Wix , Squarespace, or Format for ease and simplicity. These all come with ready-made templates which you can customise and make your own without having to touch a single line of code.
If you’re hosting your portfolio on a website such as Dribbble or Behance , create an account there (if you haven’t got one already). Here are a couple of projects that AND learners have worked on in the duration of their course to help you understand what a digital portfolio on Behance might look like:
- Bibin S’s - PG Diploma in Graphic Design
- Dushyant Singh - PG Diploma in Graphic Design
- Rushali Sharma - PG Diploma in Graphic Design
Next, choose your template. Most portfolio builders have templates specifically designed for creative portfolios, so browse the portfolio category first. Once you’ve settled on a template, you can decide on your colour scheme.
Last but not least, the architecture of your portfolio website. Create and label the various pages you’ll include in your portfolio, namely: Home, About Me, Portfolio, Resumé, and Contact.
You now have the basic structure of your portfolio in place. Now, bit by bit, you’ll need to fill it with captivating content and eye-popping visuals.
2. Write your ‘about’ page
Step two: crafting the content for your ‘about’ page. This is your mini autobiography, and it’s going to leave the reader with a clear and memorable impression of who you are, what you do, and the value you bring. No pressure!
We recommend opening up a blank Google Doc (or grabbing pen and paper) for this one—it’ll likely take some careful drafting and editing before you’re ready to add the copy to your website.
Before you start writing, decide whether you’re going to write in the first person voice— “Hi, I’m Lola! I’m an award-winning packaging designer who likes to think outside the box” —or in the third person: “Lola is an award-winning packaging designer who likes to think outside the box.” If you’re not sure, experiment with both versions and pick your favourite at the end.
Now for the hard part…start writing! You have full creative freedom here, but you can follow this structure if you’re stuck:
- Attention-grabbing opener. This is the first, most prominent line and it states who you are, what you do, and the value you bring. For example: “Hi, I’m Lola! I’m an award-winning packaging designer who likes to think outside the box. I specialise in designing one-of-a-kind packaging for luxury cosmetics.”
- A brief history of your skills and experience. Here you can outline your graphic design journey. You might mention where you studied, where you’ve worked (or who you’ve worked with), and any awards you’ve won. If you haven’t won an award (you’re not the only one!), consider sharing a few noteworthy career highlights.
A random fact or personal anecdote. You can weave this in wherever you deem fit. The idea is to share something personal, giving the reader a sense of who you are behind your professional persona. It could be a quirky story about how you accidentally discovered your talent for illustration, or simply sharing your hobbies/passions outside of graphic design.
With the bulk of your bio written, it’s advisable to end with a call to action, ideally hyperlinked to the relevant page. For example: “Want to see my work in action? Head over to my portfolio” or “I’d love to help you elevate your brand identity. Get in touch!”
When it comes to writing your biography/autobiography, take inspiration from fellow graphic designers. You’ll notice that every portfolio’s ‘about’ section is different—as it should be. You’re a unique individual who offers unique skills, experience, and value, and your bio should capture that.
Once you’re happy with your final draft, add the copy to your website. And don’t worry if it’s not perfect; you can always update it later.
3. Select and add your graphic design projects
Now we come to the very heart of your graphic design portfolio: your carefully curated project work. This is a two-part endeavour:
- Choosing which projects you want to showcase
- Adding each individual project to your portfolio website
So how do you decide which projects to feature in your portfolio?
First, think about the key skills and expertise you want to highlight based on your career goals.
If you’re a passionate illustrator looking for illustration work, it makes sense to feature illustration projects heavily in your portfolio. Equally, if you’re a multi-talented graphic designer and want to showcase the breadth and diversity of your skill set, feature a diverse range of projects which demonstrate all your different skills. Take a look at AND learner Meenakshi’s Print and Publication Design portfolio for reference:
Ultimately, think about how you want to position yourself and choose your portfolio projects accordingly.
You’ve chosen your best projects. Now let’s consider how you might showcase them in your portfolio.
Every portfolio project deserves its own dedicated space on your website. This is where you’ll tell the story of each project, sharing the initial project goal, your role, and the process you followed to achieve the final designs.
You can also briefly outline the software and tools you used (especially if the project required specialist tools such as a printing press) and detail any challenges you faced and how you solved them.
Last but certainly not least: adorn your portfolio projects with large, beautiful, high-quality images and/or multimedia. Graphic design is a creative, visual discipline, so show off your stunning work in all its glory.
4. Add your resumé
Your portfolio projects demonstrate what you’re capable of, providing tangible proof of your skills and expertise. As a final step, add your resumé (or a brief version thereof) to show your graphic design journey in chronological order.
This can be a simple timeline of previous employers and roles. You don’t need to document your entire professional history here; instead, focus on your most recent and/or most relevant experience.
And, if you’ve completed a graphic design course or qualification, include that, too. The goal is to provide some insight into how you learned graphic design and became the talented designer you are today!
Where you position your resumé is up to you. You can add it to your portfolio homepage or ‘about’ page, or create a separate page entirely. As long as the information is easy to locate, you’ve got the full creative licence.
5. QA test, publish, and share
Your graphic design portfolio is almost complete. Before you publish it, make sure you do a thorough run-through (and ask friends or relatives to do the same). If you can answer “yes” to all the following questions, you’re good to go!
- Does the overall design reflect your personal brand? Are you happy with the colours and layout?
- Do all links work as they should? Is your portfolio website easy to navigate?
- Is all the copy clear, reader-friendly, and typo-free?
- Do your portfolio projects have the right balance between images/visuals and text? Do all images/media load properly and display to a high quality?
- Does your portfolio website look just as good on mobile as it does on desktop?
- Have you included your contact details and links to social media/professional networking profiles?
- Has at least one other person tested out your portfolio and given you the thumbs up?
Ok, enough questions! You’re ready to publish. Drum roll, please…
Graphic design portfolio best practices
Want to make sure your graphic design portfolio is remembered for all the right reasons? Bear these five golden rules in mind.
1. Demonstrate breadth and depth of expertise
This is especially important for mid-level and senior graphic designers with experience in the field. You want your portfolio to reflect just how broad, varied, and robust your skill set is, so make sure that your featured projects accurately represent the extent and variety of your abilities.
2. Share your process
Most graphic designers can wow with stunning visuals—but employers also want to understand how you overcome challenges and design to solve problems. In fact, problem-solving is one of the most important skills for a graphic designer to have.
As you compile your projects, build a narrative around each, starting with the problem you needed to solve (and for whom), moving on to the process you followed in order to solve it, and ending with the final solution.
3. Include client/employer testimonials
This won’t be relevant for everyone, but it’s a worthwhile addition for experienced graphic designers and those looking to freelance in the field. Testimonials from past employers and clients are one of the most effective ways to position yourself as a credible, esteemed, and well-recommended graphic designer.
Feature genuine employer/client quotes, ideally with a name and photo, to confirm your design credentials.
4. Aim for a clean, clutter-free design
You’re a bona fide graphic designer so this one is a no-brainer. Approach your portfolio website just as you would any other design project, paying close attention to layout and spacing.
A clean, clutter-free design will keep the reader focused on the content of your portfolio—rather than distracting and overwhelming them with too much information or unnecessary detail.
And, when it comes to your website copy, make sure the text is skimmable. If you do include lengthy paragraphs, break them up into manageable chunks.
5. Update your graphic design portfolio regularly
Your graphic design portfolio shouldn’t be frozen in time. As a graphic designer, you’re continuously learning, growing, and acquiring new skills—and your portfolio should move and evolve with you.
Update your portfolio at regular intervals to add new projects, refresh your bio, or change up the overall design; whatever tweaks and edits you need to ensure that your portfolio accurately represents who you are as a designer right now.
Follow these graphic design portfolio best practices and you’ll be sure to make a positive impression. Next up: some graphic design portfolio examples to guide and inspire you.
Graphic design portfolio examples
Here are three graphic design portfolios we love, together with a quick summary of what they do well.
Meeta Panesar’s graphic design portfolio
What’s great about Meeta Panesar’s graphic design portfolio?
- It includes a powerful introductory headline that succinctly summarises their design expertise: “Hey! I’m a designer that specializes in illustration, icons, and motion.”
- It’s personal, and fun, and conveys Meeta’s enthusiasm for the field. In fact, there’s a whole section dedicated to “Fun Stuff” which showcases passion projects and just-for-fun collaborations.
- It showcases a variety of project types, accurately demonstrating the breadth of Meeta’s skill set—from product packaging illustration to type, stickers, pattern work, and more.
Riley Cran’s graphic design portfolio
What’s great about Riley Cran’s graphic design portfolio?
- It abounds with beautiful, high-quality, eye-catching visuals—you know Riley’s a talented graphic designer as soon as you land on his portfolio website.
- It includes well-presented case studies which share insight into the project and Riley’s role.
- Just like Meeta Panesar’s portfolio, Riley features a broad variety of projects which paint a detailed picture of his skill set.
Wells Collins’ graphic design portfolio
What’s great about Wells Collins’ graphic design portfolio?
- It clearly highlights his most impressive achievements and accolades—easy for employers and clients to take in at a glance.
- It features several testimonials, positioning Wells as a credible and experienced graphic designer.
- It shares detailed and descriptive insight into how Wells works, outlining his process step by step (here, for example, Wells shares his three-step approach to wordmark logo design).
That marks the end of our graphic design portfolio guide.
Whether you’re fine-tuning your existing portfolio or building one from scratch, you’ll find that it’s a crucial tool for demonstrating your skills, impressing clients and employers, and generally growing your network. With your graphic design portfolio in hand, you’re well on your way to landing your first—or next—opportunity in the field.
Learn More: 9 Graphic Design Examples to Inspire Your Next Update
Next steps
If you like the sound of a career in graphic design but haven’t yet acquired the fundamental skills, here’s what you can do next:
- Watch this session by design veteran and AND’s Academic Head, Prachi Mittal, and our Course Lead, Soumya Tiwari.
- Talk to a course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Pursue our Graphic Design courses - all courses are taught through live, interactive classes by industry experts, and some even offer a Job Guarantee.
- Take advantage of the scholarship and funding options that come with our courses to overcome any financial hurdle on the path of your career transformation.
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
