In the design industry, portfolios are essential. Without one in your job application, employers may turn you away. Even when you have one, how can you make your portfolio stand out?

Product designers Melody Renaud and Michael Szeto provided practical advice on how to optimise your design portfolio. 

Why is having a portfolio necessary?

“Your portfolio is in many ways one of your most important asset as a designer.” 

It helps you get more interviews, keeps track of your work, and showcases your brand. During recruitment, many people will see your portfolio, from recruiters to hiring managers and other designers in the company, so it is essential to invest time into producing it. Some companies turn potential designers away if they don’t have a portfolio.

What do I include in my portfolio?

There are many ways that your portfolio can be formatted.

When opening your portfolio, an index of projects will be the first thing employers expect to see. Starting with a home section showcasing a few of your key projects is essential. Include a blurb about yourself; what type of design you want to do, and share something unique about yourself to showcase your personality.

Your experience section should include:

• Project background

• Your role and responsibilities

• The research you did in the process

• Interaction design - wireframes

• Testing and feedback

• Conclusion - what you would have done differently

What can I use to make my portfolio?

Websites such as Squarespace, Wix, WordPress and Dunked are great platforms to create your portfolio. 

You can also use a platform such as PDF portfolios to create your portfolio. Remember that this is not ideal as PDFs don’t automatically resize to fit on mobile devices. Your portfolio needs to be accessible on multiple devices. 

What if I have no experience to showcase in my portfolio?

If you have no experience to add to your portfolio, there are a few places you can start. Attending Hackathons is a great way to gain experience, network and learn more about the industry. You can also volunteer at non-for-profits; this will be a great way to create side projects on issues and help you practice with real-life applications. Remember to network with people in the industry as they can recommend you for roles. 

Top tips:

• Don’t use social media as your portfolio: this can encourage the hiring managers to search for other potential candidates or expose your personal life, which is unimportant.

• Always explain why you did what you did: the hiring managers want to know how you think and why you chose to do certain things. It is a good idea to share the process you went through, not just the final result. Don’t be afraid to share the constraints you faced along the way by annotating images.

• Don’t pretend to have a skill you don’t have. When sharing your experience and who you are as a designer, you must be honest and confident in what you are doing.

• Don’t overuse complex language: this will make your portfolio hard to read and may reduce your chances of progressing further in the recruitment process. You can include technical language but ensure a good balance.

• Network! Networking is a great way to gain experience and knowledge in the industry and could potentially provide opportunities you would not have known about otherwise. 

Melody and Michael have kindly shared the presentation slides here.