If you’re new to design (be it in graphic design, UI/UX, visual communication, animation, or Motion Graphics), you’ve most likely heard the phrase “Build your portfolio” countless times.
If you’re a designer without any professional experience, how significant is a design portfolio to you? Can it get you hired, create freelance clients, or create internship opportunities? Is a portfolio that important when compared to a design degree/certification?
In today’s skill-focused creative industry, many of a company’s hiring decisions are based on what that designer has the potential to create, rather than what they learned while earning their degree, so one of the best ways to demonstrate creativity, skill, and potential is through a quality portfolio.
This blog post will cover all aspects of why a portfolio is so valuable, why companies rely heavily on portfolios as a hiring tool, and how new designers create good portfolios even when they do not yet have any professional experience to demonstrate through their portfolios.
1. What Is a Design Portfolio?
A carefully selected grouping of the most significant pieces of creative work by you that show what you can do as a designer.
Demonstrates not only the end product of your work but also all aspects of how you completed those projects, i.e., reference to your design methodology via the inclusion of case studies, sketches, wireframes, drafts, etc.
Represents many different types of designs, such as logos, posters, UI/UX interfaces, branding, illustrations, motion graphics, etc.
Reflects your ability to solve design problems through the identification of a design problem, the identification of the design method to resolve the problem, and the final resolution.
Represents your visual and mental approach to design and explains your reasoning for why you made the design decisions you did.
Contains a list of software and tools you have used in your work, i.e., Adobe Suite, Figma, and Procreate.
Can include school-related, personal, freelance, or experimental designs, even if you have not yet reached the professional level of design.
It can be used as an identity for both potential employers and clients who would like to see a portfolio of your best work and what you will be able to produce in the future.
2. Why Is a Design Portfolio So Important for Beginners?
2.1. Your Portfolio Demonstrates Your Capability as a Professional
The only way a company can know what your qualifications are is by reviewing your resume. However, the secondary method by which companies can see what type of work you are capable of performing (based on what you have previously done) is to review your portfolio.
From a hiring perspective, employers want to get an idea of:
- How you think
- How do you solve problems
- How do you use various design programs/tools
- How you present your creative work and ideas
- How you receive and apply feedback
- How do you follow through with creating your entire vision
While reams of paper and digital certifications testify to your education and possible training, they do not and cannot replace actual, demonstrable evidence of your professional skill/ability.
2.2. Your Portfolio Will Position You Above Other New Professionals
Those who are currently entering the design industry include many inexperienced professionals who possess:
- Basic tool skills
- Basic educational preparation and training
- Little or no current job-related work experience
- What differentiates you from these other beginning designers? Your Portfolio!
Even if you are a recent college graduate and just beginning a career, if you have developed a polished and well-designed Portfolio that displays your strengths, you will look much more capable, competent, and ready to begin your new career than the majority of those who are applying for the same position as you.
2.3. Your Portfolio Reflects Your Growth and Learning Journey
Although a hiring company expects new designers to have some level of design/artistic skill, they also expect:
- A creative mind
- Curiosity
- A willingness to learn
- Passion for design
- Independent thinking about the creative process
Your Portfolio demonstrates your artistic ability, your growth (improvement) in creative design over time, and your ability and willingness to create work for “real” projects. If a hiring manager sees a body of work that demonstrates the evolution of your skill level, the manager will feel confident that you can adapt, learn new tools, create work for paying customers, and finally be committed to developing your career through design.
3. What Recruiters Look for in a Beginner’s Portfolio
You don’t need to have 50 projects in your portfolio as a designer when you only need 5-8 high-quality designs with many different styles and dimensions.
When hiring, a recruiter looks for:
3.1 A clean, professional layout.
A designer’s portfolio should be a clear example of good design.
3.2 A variety of types of projects.
Designers create branding, logos, posters, app designs, websites, etc.
3.3 The way in which the designer developed the design.
Sketches, wireframes, notes from brainstorming, mood boards, etc.
3.4 How well the designer presented their work visually.
This includes organization, polish, and aesthetics that make the designer’s work easy to look at.
3.5 How a designer solves problems in the real world.
Explain the problem and solution, as well as how your work impacted that issue.
3.6 The designer’s own creativity and originality.
Don’t use a template; design in your own style.
3.7 The software tools the designer has become proficient in using.
Examples include Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, etc.
3.8 A designer’s desire to learn and grow.
Show how you have grown or changed as a designer.
If your portfolio meets all of the above requirements, you will likely have a good chance of being hired even if you are just starting your career.
4. What If You Have No Experience? Build a Portfolio Anyway.
A lot of new designers believe the following:
“I haven’t had clients and don’t know what to include in my portfolio.”
This is not true!
You can still create a professional design portfolio using the following:
4.1 Personal Design Projects
Redesign:
- Your all-time favorite app/app
- A frequently visited website
- A company brand that you appreciate
- A poorly designed brochure or menu
- A fictional company logo
4.2 Design Concepts
Design:
- UI for a travel mobile app
- Food delivery mobile app
- Branding for a startup
- Product packaging
- Social media creatives
4.3 Design Homework (from your design course)
When you complete your design projects, turn them into case studies before you upload them.
4.4 Freelance Work for Friends and Small Businesses
Any unpaid design work you do gives you experience working with real-world clients.
4.5 Design Challenges
Participate in:
- 30 days of design challenges
- Instagram carousel challenges
- Figma UI Design Challenge
- Behance community projects
You don’t need your own clients to be able to show potential clients your creative side. All you require is some initiative.
5. How a Strong Portfolio Helps Beginners Get Jobs Faster
A portfolio increases your likelihood of employment by as much as 10× because:
HR Teams Prefer Visual Evidence
They often make their selections based on the quality of the design.
It Does Speed Up the Interview Process
A portfolio is usually the main point of conversation between the hiring manager and candidate.
It Reduces the Need for Technical Evaluations
The stronger the portfolio, many companies will forgo a skills test or evaluation.
It Demonstrates Your Interest in Your Career
Since many new hires don’t invest the time to create a portfolio, those that do will stand out.
It Increases Your Chance of Being Referred
A well-designed portfolio gets internally circulated through an organisation.
In competitive markets (e.g.) Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, having a portfolio is your single greatest advantage as a fresh graduate.
6. Online Portfolio vs. PDF Portfolio: Which Is Better?
Both portfolios offer pros/cons.
6.1 Online Portfolio (Website/Behance/Dribbble)
Best for: Networking, job hunting, freelancing
Advantages:
Accessible anywhere on the web
Shareable anywhere (linked)
Good first impression – looks more like a professional per resume
Best types of portfolios for the following fields: UI/UX, Graphic Design & Visual Design
Technology Savvy
Platforms that allow you to create your portfolio:
- Behance
- Dribbble
- Wix
- Carrd
- Adobe Portfolio
- Notion Portfolio
6.2 PDF Portfolio
Best for: Interviews, printed submissions, and email attachments
Advantages:
- Straightforward & Clean; Looks Professional
- Ideal for Graphic & Branding Design
- Very easy to edit/update
- Best approach is to have both.
7. Common Portfolio Mistakes Beginners Make
Eliminate these methods in order to quickly improve your portfolio:
- Too Much Work
- The application of You use the same or similar types of designs for many of your projects
- You do not discuss your project or how you came up with your design (if applicable)
- Poor Image Quality
- The use of a template from Canva, but you have not made it your own
- The use of typefaces in an inconsistent manner
- You do not establish a clear hierarchy in the layout
- You do not provide an overall view of you and how you appear professionally
- You do not show off your style and why you’re different from everyone else’s style
- You do not provide a section for your contact information or a short bio.
If you make these suggested changes to your existing portfolio, the overall quality of your portfolio will be greatly increased.
8. How to Start Building Your Portfolio (Step-by-Step)
These steps are a simple overview.
Step 1: Select the 6 to 8 best projects that you feel represent yourself the best. This should include a variety of both creative and functional pieces.
Step 2: Write case studies for each of your selected projects. The case studies should include the following information about each project: The Problem, Research Completed, Design Process, Tools Used, Final Product.
Step 3: Organize all information in a clear manner by using clean layout designs, consistent fonts, and structured sections.
Step 4: Develop a personal brand that includes: Your name, a logo or monogram, a colour/theme, and a designed identity.
Step 5: Upload your new portfolio to an online location. As a beginning designer, Behance is an excellent platform to share your portfolio with other designers and potential clients.
Step 6: Continue to update your portfolio regularly, adding new projects each month to demonstrate your growth as a designer.
Conclusion
The design portfolio is much more than just a collection of creative works. It serves as the foundation of a novice’s career within the design industry. If you are a beginner or moving over to the world of design from another field, your portfolio represents your identity, voice, and the strongest evidence you have of your skillset. Today, many companies are hiring people based on their skills first, rather than solely on certificates or degrees. Therefore, they want to know how you approach problems, think, create, and solve realistic design challenges – and a thoughtfully structured portfolio is the only way to illustrate these things.
Although creating a portfolio may seem overwhelming at times for beginners, each type of project (whether personal, academic, or conceptual) contributes to the growth of the designer. Every project contributes to the continuing evolution of your portfolio and ultimately opens doors to opportunities you may have never envisioned prior to this experience. If you truly want to become a successful designer, start building your portfolio now, as that is the first step toward converting your creativity into a successful and fulfilling career!