Are you considering a career in the design space? Looking to put together a powerful design portfolio? Janelle Baptist is an art/design professional and Summer of Tech volunteer. Taine Collins is one of our alumni (He interned at TradeWindow as a UX/UI Designer). They shared their wisdom at the 'Design Portfolio' event - missed it? No worries, here's a quick rundown. 

Consider how you present your work

 If you can code your own website, more power to you! This is a great way to show a practical application of your skills. Otherwise, go collaborative. Know a website-making whiz? Team up with them, and get some experience working together as developers (you'll do plenty of that on the job). Consider buying a domain - they are relatively cheap and look professional. You'll make a good impression on future employers!

Even auto-correct makes mistakes!

Always inspect your work - in detail. Make sure everything is aligned and polished. This means checking your margins, ensuring your images are clear, and that any statements are succinct. Try to be meticulous. One typo could change their impression of your presentation! Janelle and Taine suggest you organise your portfolio like this:

1. Your best piece - the hero design 
2. A piece you believe is average compared to the rest
3. Your second-best piece - it's important to leave a good impression!

P.O.R.T.F.O.L.I.O 

Consider each of these points when putting together your portfolio P – What is the personality of your brand?O – What objectives are you trying to reach? R – Review the work. What pieces are your best? (Remember: quality over quantity!)T – Consider adding text to introduce and explain the projectsF – What is the focus of my design portfolio?O – Outcome: Will it be a PDF portfolio? A website? A video?L – Layout should be designed intentionally. Give your projects some breathing space - they shouldn't be crowded on the page. I – Inspect your design portfolio for spelling, grammar, and image quality. O – Gather peer opinions to understand the impact of your portfolio more objectively. Thank you Janelle and Taine for your experience and advice. We hope these tips were helpful!For more advice, check out Janelles 'Portfolio Tips' webpage here. 

Keen to learn more?

Click here for more bootcamp highlights, or here for all Summer of Tech student resources!