Let me tell you about the time I accidentally sent a potential client my first portfolio – you know, the one with 47 fonts and enough animated GIFs to give anyone motion sickness. (Spoiler: They ghosted me faster than a Tinder date who spots your collection of cat mugs.)
Here’s what I wish someone had told me back then:
The Coffee Shop Meltdown
Picture this: 2019, me hunched over a laptop at a buzzing Starbucks (venti caramel macchiato sweating next to me), trying to cram every logo, poster, and birthday invite I’d ever made into a single Wix site. I thought “more = impressive.” Turns out? More = migraine.
A design buddy finally said, “Dude – this looks like a yard sale. What’s the story here?” Ouch. But she was right. My turning point came when I started treating my portfolio like a Netflix series – only the binge-worthy episodes make the cut.
What Actually Works (After 4 Years of Trial/Error)
- Show your scrappy side
Clients don’t just want pretty pictures – they want to see how you solve problems. I now include:
- Before/after shots (my first attempt vs final design)
- A 2-sentence context blurb like “Client needed to appeal to Gen Z farmers market crowds – here’s how we ditched the cornstalk clichés”
- That one time I hand-drew 200 icons because the client’s budget was “exposure and free kombucha” (learned to say no after that)
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Steal from photographers
Seriously – gallery sites like Format or Adobe Portfolio have cleaner templates than most design-specific platforms. My current site uses a photographer’s layout (shh) because white space lets the work breathe. -
The ‘Tinder Test’
If someone can’t grasp your style in 3 swipes (or clicks), simplify. My rule? Lead with your 3 strongest pieces. Save the experimental stuff for later pages – like hiding zucchini in brownies for picky eaters.
Real Talk: What No One Admits
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Your ‘passion project’ section matters more than client work
That retro diner menu I designed for fun? It’s landed me more Americana-themed gigs than my actual restaurant clients. Clients want to see what fires you up at 2 AM. -
Mobile preview is your boss
55% of my site traffic comes from iPhones. If your text looks like ant hieroglyphics on small screens, fix it. (Pro tip: Squarespace’s mobile editor is less evil than most.) -
The “About Me” that doesn’t suck
Instead of “Award-winning visionary thinker,” mine now says: “Midwest mom who geeks out on color psychology and has strong opinions about Comic Sans (let’s argue over pie).” Suddenly, clients started replying with dessert emojis.
Start Here Tonight
Grab your 3 favorite projects – doesn’t matter if they’re paid or pretend. Arrange them like a movie trailer:
- Hook (your most eye-catching piece)
- Depth (show your range)
- Personality (something uniquely you – even if it’s weird)
Mine once featured a cereal box I designed for my toddler’s obsession with truffle-shaped cereal. Got me a gig with a food startup. Go figure.
You don’t need a perfect portfolio – just one that’s unapologetically yours. Trust me, the client who vibes with your chaos? They’re way more fun to work with anyway.
Now go forth and cull those 2017 clipart experiments. (We’ve all been there.) ☕️