How to craft a memorable portfolio website
Issue 5: Lessons from spending 1,000+ hours reviewing design portfolios in 3 countries hiring designers.
On average, only ~7 designers get invited to an interview for every 100 that apply. For larger companies, that number is even lower.
Take a moment to let that sink in.
It’s no secret the competition in the product design industry is very high, especially for junior and mid-level roles. The majority of my mentorship conversations revolve around portfolio feedback.
Here’s everything I learned distilled into 10 tips (that you can apply to your portfolio today):
1. Know your audience and goals
At its core, a product design portfolio is a tool to help you get the job you want.
Think about it from a product design perspective. If your portfolio is the product, then hiring managers and recruiters are your primary target audience. As the designer, your job is to convince them that your work brings value to their team or business.
For goals, I’d recommend having both qualitative and quantitative goals like:
Illustrate a distinct personal design style through narrative-driven case studies.
Elicit emotional engagement by incorporating storytelling in at least 3 projects.
Secure a minimum of 50 monthly portfolio views.
Generate feedback or inquiries on 5% of portfolio visits.
2. Don’t be boring
Your portfolio is an extension of your personal brand. Let it reflect who you are. In a sea of generic portfolios, those with personality stand out.
Passion projects reveal more than skills; they display drive. Nothing makes a hiring manager close the browser window quicker than a boring portfolio lacking love.
Craft a unique style using typography, images, color schemes, writing style, and or a memorable landing page. Remember, the idea is not to be different for the sake of it but to give an authentic taste of your approach and personality.
3. Create “spiky” moments
These are standout moments in your design journey. It could be personal values that you care about, a challenging project, a fascinating insight, a fun experiment, or an innovative idea you brought to life.
Of course, your design work speaks volumes, but these nuances of who you are can be the compelling differentiator.
4. Build a narrative arc
Behind every design, there’s a story. It could have begun as a scribble on a napkin or an idea that struck at 2 a.m. Take readers on the journey of challenges faced, solutions crafted, and the results achieved.
Here’s how it works:
Action: Drop the reader right into the action. Dive straight into the design problem(s) you tackled.
Background: Now, contextualize. Why did these problems matter? What’s the product’s purpose? Who’s the audience?
Development: Detail your design process. What did you consider? What hurdles did you face? How did customer feedback shape your iterations?
Climax: Showcase the pivotal design decision or turning point. Was there a game-changing user insight? An innovative solution that made everything click?
Ending: Explain what it was all for. Reflect on the results. How did your solutions meet the business needs? What did you learn for future projects?
When crafting your story, remember you won’t be sitting next to reviewers, whispering in their ears. Your work needs to be able to live and breathe without you. Sort through the chaos, share only the most important milestones, and tell a simple but compelling story.
5. Center around human stories
Journalists often incorporate human stories to make articles relatable. In your portfolio, share personal anecdotes or customer stories to create an emotional connection.
Perhaps a travel experience influenced a particular project or feedback from an end-user made all the difference. These stories make your portfolio relatable and memorable.
6. Prioritize for skimming
Assume hiring managers are dealing with limited time and numerous portfolios and won’t be able to dig through pages of content (we’re talking minutes or even seconds).
They’re trying to parse a lot of information in that short period quickly:
What is your design niche
Where your talents and passions lie
Whether you have the right experience for this particular role
How you tackle design challenges
Your overall design abilities
7. Make it mobile responsive
It’s unrealistic to assume potential hiring managers are sitting at their desks while reviewing your online portfolio. Many are accessing content on the go, so ensure your portfolio shines on all devices.
Fun fact: I was surprised to see that 67% of my portfolio visitors were viewing it on mobile devices.
8. Leverage analytics
Knowledge is power. By understanding how visitors interact with your site, you can continually refine their experience. Find out where they’re coming from, which pages they are visiting, or even how much time they are spending reading a case study.
Fun fact: My ‘About page’ is the second most visited page on my portfolio after the landing page.
9. Embed testimonials
Word of mouth isn’t just powerful; it’s golden. If your collaborators celebrate your work, don’t hide those praises. Let them be your silent advocates. Pro tip: Place testimonials within projects for higher impact and credibility.
10. End with a clear call to action
After immersing visitors in your world, please don’t leave them hanging. Guide them to the next step. Whether it’s initiating a collaboration, a coffee chat, or just connecting on LinkedIn, make the pathway clear.
Recently bookmarked portfolios
Here’s a fantastic list that Brian Lovin has curated, so check that out if you’re looking for inspiration.
That’s it!
I’ve shared practical tips for recurring themes for some of the non-obvious things I’ve learned building and reviewing portfolios in my 15 years as a product designer and manager.
Let me know which one of these ideas you found most helpful in the comments.
I’m happy to do another post going into more depth on whichever one you find most interesting.