Build a portfolio that wins clients and interviews. Covers platform selection, project curation, case study format, testimonials, and mobile-friendly design.
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Choose Your Platform
Select a portfolio platform based on your field and budget
A custom domain with a website builder costs $10-20/month and gives full control. Free platforms work for getting started, but a custom domain (yourname.com) looks more professional. Choose a platform that supports your file types — video, code, images, or documents.
Register a custom domain using your name or brand
firstnamelastname.com is the gold standard. If taken, try adding your profession: janedoe.design or janesmith.dev. Domain registration costs $10-15/year. Set it up before building so all links start with your permanent URL.
Pick a clean, minimal template that puts the work first
Busy templates distract from your projects. Choose a layout with large images, generous whitespace, and fast load times. Test the template on mobile before committing — 55% of portfolio visitors browse on their phones.
Curate Your Projects
Select 8-12 of your strongest projects to feature
Quality beats quantity. A portfolio with 8 excellent pieces outperforms one with 30 mediocre ones. Cut anything you would not be proud to present in an interview. If you have fewer than 8 pieces, create spec projects or pro bono work to fill the gap.
Order projects with your strongest work first and last
The first and last items in a list get the most attention (primacy and recency effect). Put your best two projects in positions 1 and the final slot. Group the rest by type or industry in between.
Remove outdated work that no longer represents your skill level
If a project is more than 3 years old, it should only stay if it is genuinely exceptional or relevant to your target roles. Old work that uses outdated techniques can actually lower a hiring manager's impression of your current abilities.
Include a mix of project types that show range
Show variety within your specialty — different industries, scales, or approaches. A designer might include web, print, and branding work. Avoid showing 12 versions of the same thing unless you are positioning yourself as a specialist in one niche.
Write Case Studies
Write a case study for at least 3-4 key projects
Follow the structure: Problem, Process, Solution, Results. Each case study should be 300-500 words with supporting images at each stage. Case studies show how you think, not just what you produce — and that is what hiring managers evaluate.
Include before/after examples or progression shots
Visual transformation is compelling. Show wireframes next to final designs, first drafts next to published versions, or raw data next to finished dashboards. Before/after comparisons increase time spent on your portfolio pages by 2-3x.
Add measurable results for each project when possible
State outcomes: 'Redesign increased conversion rate from 2.1% to 3.8%' or 'Campaign generated 12,000 leads in 6 weeks.' Even non-business outcomes work — 'Reduced page load time from 4.2s to 1.1s.' Numbers make your impact concrete.
Social Proof
Request 3-5 short testimonials from clients or managers
Ask specific questions: 'What was the result of working together?' produces better quotes than 'Can you write something nice?' Keep testimonials to 2-3 sentences each. Include the person's name, title, and company for credibility.
Display client logos or company names where you have permission
A row of recognizable logos instantly signals credibility. Ask clients if you can list their company name. Even 3-4 logos from small businesses add legitimacy. Place them on your homepage above the fold.
Link to any press mentions, publications, or awards
External validation carries more weight than self-promotion. If your work was featured anywhere — a blog, a conference, an industry publication — link to it. Create a small 'Featured in' section near the top of your site.
About Page and Contact
Write a 150-250 word bio that covers your expertise and personality
Include what you do, who you work with, and 1-2 personal details that make you memorable. A photo of yourself (not a logo) increases trust. Write in first person — portfolios are personal, not corporate.
Add a clear contact form or email on every page
Make contacting you effortless. Place a 'Get in touch' link in your navigation and footer. A contact form reduces spam compared to a raw email address. Respond within 24 hours to every inquiry — speed wins clients.
Include links to your LinkedIn and relevant social profiles
Add 2-3 social links, not 8. Choose the platforms where you are active and professional. Dead social accounts are worse than no links at all. Place social icons in the footer, not the header.
Technical Quality Check
Test your portfolio on mobile, tablet, and desktop
Open your site on an actual phone, not just a browser resize. Check that images load quickly, text is readable without zooming, and buttons are tappable with a thumb. 55% of your visitors will see the mobile version first.
Verify all links work and images load correctly
Click every link on every page. Broken links are the fastest way to look unprofessional. Test image loading on a slow connection — if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load, compress your images to under 200KB each.
Add SEO basics: page titles, meta descriptions, and alt text
Each page needs a unique title tag (under 60 characters) and meta description (under 155 characters). Add alt text to all images describing the project. These basics help your portfolio appear in search results for your name and skills.
Set up basic analytics to track visitor behavior
Install a free analytics tool to see which projects get the most views, where visitors come from, and how long they stay. Review monthly. If one project gets 3x more views, create more work in that style.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many projects should I include in a professional portfolio?
Include 6-10 of your strongest pieces rather than everything you have ever created. Quality over quantity is the universal rule — three exceptional case studies outperform fifteen mediocre screenshots. Rotate projects every 6-12 months to keep your portfolio current and relevant to the types of roles you are pursuing.
What platform should I use to host my portfolio?
For designers, Behance (free) and Dribbble (free with Pro at $5/month) offer built-in audiences, while a custom domain site ($10-$15/year) provides full creative control. Developers should use GitHub Pages (free) or Vercel (free tier) with a custom domain for credibility. WordPress and Squarespace ($12-$33/month) work well for writers and marketers who need blog-style layouts.
Should I include personal projects or only professional work?
Personal projects are valuable, especially for career changers and recent graduates with limited professional samples. Label them clearly as personal or concept work to maintain honesty. Hiring managers report that passion projects often demonstrate creativity and initiative more effectively than client work constrained by briefs and committees.
How important are case studies compared to final images?
Case studies that show your process (research, ideation, iteration, results) receive 3x more engagement from hiring managers than galleries of finished work alone. Structure each case study as: problem, approach, solution, measurable outcome. Including failed approaches or pivots demonstrates critical thinking and maturity that polished finals cannot convey.
Do I need a portfolio if I am not in a creative field?
Portfolios are increasingly expected in non-creative roles including product management, data analysis, marketing, and consulting. A data analyst portfolio might include dashboards, SQL projects, and analysis write-ups on GitHub. Even sales and operations professionals benefit from a one-page site highlighting key metrics, process improvements, and client testimonials.