Making an online portfolio is becoming more common for professionals to showcase their best works. They provide convenient places for professionals to show, modify, and share their achievements. Therefore, every design aspect in a portfolio is important, from choosing the right layout to selecting the serif font to use.
Before making your first online portfolio, here is a short guide.
Online portfolios come in various types, designs, and forms, but there are qualities shared by all the best examples. A good online portfolio usually has all or some of these:
Writer Kristin Wong immediately shows what she could bring to the table. She describes her focus as a writer and notable media names featuring her works. There is no doubt about her quality as a writer right off the bat. She also uses elegant serif typefaces to create more sophisticated air in her portfolio.
This is common to see among designers. They usually show what they can do in the digital form using online portfolios. For example, graphic designer Raewyn Brandon categorizes her work based on her clients. She also showcases the design style that she is most adept at in a clean layout.
Sticking to the standard design might be “safe”, but nowadays, the best portfolios also show unique personalities. Design company ToyFight decides to showcase a fun, quirky personality in their online portfolio. It makes them stand out and shows the spirit behind their works.
Online portfolios come in various forms; you can choose the type that matches your projects.
Websites with texts are the most common ones, and you can use them to showcase skills such as writing, consulting, legal services, and many more. You may include images to enhance the content, but texts are usually the main parts.
You may lean to online videos or design catalogs if your works rely on visual aspects such as photography, videography, or filmmaking. As the examples above show, designers can go even further by making their entire website elements a portfolio.
Others may use online platforms to showcase audio elements like sound records. Independent singers, musicians, or voice actors can use these platforms to showcase their works.
Regardless of your portfolio goals and types, the design and visual aspects must be your main concern. Here’s how you can enhance your portfolio:
Prospective clients or employers should immediately see what you can bring to the table. Describe your specific talents. Showcase your best works on top. If you work with notable clients, share their names (unless there is an NDA!) Use social proofs such as reviews from satisfied clients.
Make sure to keep your portfolio clear and easy to read. Choose a standard typeface, such as a classic serif font, for the body text. Pick a color combination that is pleasant to the eyes, even if you use bold colors. Make the menu easy to navigate with your visitors in mind.
Remember to update your portfolio to show how much you have progressed. While you can showcase the most popular works on top, make sure visitors can see your most current projects. Give proper information about the year, the client, and the description of your work.
Serif fonts have been mentioned several times regarding a good online portfolio design. The question is, which one should you pick? Here are several recommendations you can choose from to make your portfolio shine.
Rumelaz Gekinsa is a modern font that will make your portfolio look elegant and professional. It is similar to the typical one in news media. It has a smooth flow and good readability factor, making it perfect for headings and body texts—a great font to showcase a portfolio for media, writing, and consulting works.
Back Bone Melavita is another modern serif font that is perfect for a portfolio. It comes in regular and italic versions with a subtle vintage touch. The font is smooth and easy to read, giving your portfolio an old-time, sophisticated touch. It is great for portfolios related to visual designs and arts.
Bakilda Histori is perfect for both creative and “standard” portfolio designs. Its smooth design has a good readability factor, but it also comes with distinctive glyph variations. You can use it to improve your portfolio’s personality factor.
Use Bakilda to promote various portfolio projects that require creativity. Promote your culinary projects, artworks, crafts, wedding-related designs, and interior designs with this font.
Remains Stepping offers a unique touch to your portfolio. Despite having a smooth, modern design, it has unique ligatures for several characters. The subtle swash effects add a distinctive personality to your portfolio.
You can use Remains Stepping as a heading or title font for your portfolio. You can also use it for the short description of each project, while you can use a more standard font for the general body texts.
Another serif font with creative glyphs and ligatures, Bosting is great for branding through a portfolio. You can use the more standard design for general body texts and the variations for heading or branding. Bosting is also great for a design project, which you can include in your visual portfolio.
Winky Milky has a bold, youthful look that you can use for creative portfolios. The serif font has a more contemporary look instead of classic and sophisticated. You can use it to promote a portfolio for video projects, photography, and fashion. Combine it with a more standard font for the normal body texts to balance your portfolio design.
An online portfolio is important for promoting your work and professional growth, making it easier to find employment or clients. Always improve your portfolio, and use the correct design elements and serif fonts to make it noticeable!
