A visitor submit by Isabelle Poirier of IP Design and the Ottawa Design Club.
In the event you’re a artistic, chances are high you’ve a portfolio of some type (bonus factors in case your portfolio lives on a web site)! A portfolio is an effective way to showcase your work, and could be a useful software to draw future shoppers.
That being stated, an amazing digital portfolio entails extra than simply throwing fairly footage up on a web site (irrespective of how proficient you’re). A standout portfolio requires context—it ought to be clear and concise, and your web site guests ought to be capable of shortly perceive who you’re, what you do, and what you must supply. Basically, a very good portfolio requires a stable model technique.
Unsure the place to start out? We’re right here to assist—and we’ll make it enjoyable! Under we’ve outlined 7 strategic steps that may show you how to construct your dream portfolio web site. To make it simpler, be at liberty to obtain our technique worksheets right here, or you may kick it old skool with a pen and paper. For every query requested within the following train, write down something and all the pieces that involves thoughts. Consider it as a mind dump.
Prepared? Let’s get began.

Step 1. Outline who you’re — It’s your time to shine!
Whether or not you’re a freelancer, solopreneur, or artistic company, you need to let your character shine by in the way you current your self to the world. In spite of everything, you’re most likely attempting to draw shoppers who align along with your values, pursuits, and general vibe. Because of this showcasing your character in your web site is so necessary. Sure, you’re promoting items or a service, however you’re additionally promoting your self.
By exploring and understanding who you’re, it’s simpler to determine your targets and aspirations, the right way to outline your viewers, and the right way to greatest show your content material to attain your required outcomes. Every part is interconnected.
Let’s begin by defining some traits about your self. Take into account this your “bullet level bio”.
Get your aforementioned pen and paper out, or observe together with our downloadable exercise worksheets.
In your first column, jot down your solutions to the next questions:
- The place do you reside?
- The place are you from?
- What’s your background?
- What’s your training?
- What’s your character like?
- What are a few of your life experiences?
- What does your skilled journey appear like?
Within the second column, let’s outline what you do (or, what your abilities are):
- What are your main abilities?
- What are your secondary abilities?
- What’s your work course of like?
- What outcomes do you present to your shoppers?
You’re doing nice. Within the third column, let’s discover your pursuits. We name this the “3 C’s”—tradition, catalysts, curiosities:
- What types of tradition are you drawn to? (This may be features of popular culture, subcultures, hobbies, pursuits, and so forth. For instance, perhaps you’re keen on Star Wars and Neapolitan pizza.)
- What excites you?
- What are you interested in?
The fourth column is all about your dream alternatives:
- What firms would you prefer to work with?
- What market or trade do you wish to work in?
- The place would you prefer to be featured?
Now it’s unlikely that all the pieces you wrote down will in the end make it to your web site—and that’s okay! What’s necessary is that you simply really feel you’ve sufficient info to work with.
Check out your solutions and see what stands out to you. Are you able to make some connections between your character, abilities, pursuits, and dream alternatives? These connections will turn out to be useful as you start to create content material in your portfolio.
Step 2. Outline your targets — Comply with your goals!
Now, it would look like your dream alternatives are manner out of attain, however don’t fear—it’s regular to really feel this manner! It’s all about taking incremental steps so as to obtain your large targets. These incremental steps—or mini-goals, as we prefer to name them—are methods to attain recognition, social proof, and/or work expertise that may assist get you to the place you wish to be.
This subsequent immediate (second web page, first column) is all about determining what your targets are—and placing them down on paper:
1. What do you wish to accomplish? (For instance, perhaps your aim is to e book artwork exhibits or to discover a new job!) Write down as many targets as you want, irrespective of how large or small they could appear.
By defining your targets, you may then decide a transparent path of motion to take to attain them. Success doesn’t occur in a single day (normally…), however you may get there by working incrementally and checking off mini-goals as you go.
Step 3. Outline your viewers — Who’re you speaking to?
You know the way in a film, if a personality is speaking to themselves on the road, we’d get the impression that they’re performing a bit of wacky? We’ve all seen this kind of character cliché, however typically the very same factor is going on on our web sites—with out us even noticing! We’re the wacky character speaking to ourselves on-line. In the event you don’t know who you’re talking to—in different phrases, in case you don’t know your viewers—you’re talking right into a void.
That’s why the subsequent few questions are so essential to reply (within the second column, web page two):
- Who’s your web site for?
- Who wants your providers?
- Who desires to purchase your merchandise?
- Who desires to observe your journey?
- Who’s your viewers?
The extra particular you’re when defining your viewers, the higher. Figuring out who you’re talking to will assist information the content material (particularly the copy) in your web site portfolio. Attempt to refine your model voice and tone to at least one that resonates along with your particular viewers. Simply bear in mind: You might not be for everybody, however that’s okay—which means you’ve discovered your area of interest.

Step 4. Outline the actions you need your viewers to take — What does your web site portfolio result in?
Greater than only a easy CTA (“call-to-action”), what’s the final aim of your web site? Assume to your self: What would you like your website guests to do once they navigate by your portfolio? Which actions would you like them to take in your web site in addition to simply fairly footage?
On web page three, column one, we’re going to discover what you need your guests to really do in your web site. Listed below are some examples to get the ball rolling…
- Is it reserving a session?
- Is it hiring you for a job?
- Is it shopping for your merchandise?
- Is it filling out a questionnaire?
- Is it shopping for tickets for a workshop?
- Is it commissioning a chunk of artwork from you?
By realizing who you’re speaking to (throwback to the train we did in Step 3), it may be simpler to ask your viewers to take motion in your portfolio web site. You perceive your viewers’s wants, so when (and the place) to say, “I can clear up your drawback—right here’s how”.
Step 5. Outline your content material — Lastly, fairly footage! (However select correctly)
Now for the enjoyable half—creating web site content material!
Check out your train sheets and assessment your choices, targets, and viewers. Circle or spotlight all the pieces that resonates with you—what are you attempting to attain and appeal to? Search for connections that may assist information the content material you place in your web site.
When you’ve chosen and/or created your web site content material, you’ll wish to take into consideration the presentation of this content material (that is simply as necessary because the content material itself). For instance, in case you promote items of paintings, you’ll most likely wish to {photograph} every bit in relation to different bodily objects (so the dimensions of the piece is definitely understood), have a close-up picture that exhibits element, and a picture of what the piece seems like framed. And don’t neglect the logistical info: What are the scale? How do you cling up the paintings? How ought to you take care of it? That is info your viewers will anticipate to see.
This precept nonetheless applies even in case you don’t promote bodily items. In the event you’re a freelancer promoting your providers, showcase your work by creating case research. These case research will present potential shoppers your thought course of, the standard of your work, and the outcomes you’ve achieved for previous shoppers. Bonus factors in case you add tangible information that demonstrates your success!
Likewise, in case your dream alternative is to be employed by your favorite company, showcase your work in a manner that aligns with that company’s aesthetic and/or spotlight your personal shoppers which can be just like the company’s shoppers. Together with your portfolio, you may present—not simply inform—them why you’d be a rockstar addition to their crew.
Seize each alternative you must clarify the way you course of info, the way you resolve issues, and the way you discover options. And bear in mind, in case you solely showcase pictures of your work, you’re most likely leaving some huge cash on the desk—and who desires that?
Step 6. Outline your website structure — All roads result in Rome
So you’ve all this fabulous content material in your web site portfolio. Now what?
Now it’s time to prepare the circulation of knowledge in your web site. A website map is an effective way to get began with this. Mainly, you wish to guarantee that discovering info in your web site is user-friendly and intuitive. By making a website map, you may visualize the place you need all of your content material to stay. What is going to the principle classes—or webpages—in your web site be? What info will stay on every web page?
When creating your website map, draw bins for all the webpages that may hyperlink out of your navigation menu (that is the header that’s usually discovered on the high of a web site). Below every of those webpage bins, determine the varieties of content material you’ll placed on every webpage. You can too take into consideration what you’d prefer to see “above the fold” on every webpage (a.okay.a. the part of a webpage you see earlier than you begin scrolling) and combine that into your plan.
This will require some severe brainstorming, however persist with us—it’s value it! Listed below are some website map examples to get your artistic juices flowing:
Step 7. Personal your on-line house — Safe your area identify
When you’re completely satisfied along with your website map, the web site portfolio train is full. Yay! You’re effectively in your solution to making a standout portfolio web site.
One final thing we have to contact on earlier than we go is selecting a reputation in your web site—after which securing your area identify. A website identify is basically your web site’s deal with—that is what folks will use to seek out your portfolio web site, and it’s completely distinctive to you.
A cool factor about domains on this modern-day and age is that you simply aren’t restricted to utilizing a website identify that ends in .com or .ca—there are tons of different choices out there that may higher resonate along with your model. In the event you’re a artistic, there’s .design or .artwork. Or perhaps, in case you’re a part of a collective or volunteer group, .membership is ideal for you (ottdesign.club is a good instance of integrating your model identify into your area identify).
The choices are limitless, so have enjoyable with it!
And right here’s an insider tip: .CLUB and .DESIGN are on sale right now at Insurgent.com!

You’re all set!
Now you’ve a transparent roadmap to constructing a wonderful, on-brand portfolio web site. By following this strategic course of, you’ll be empowered to make good, educated selections that profit your profession. Your portfolio web site is the gateway to reaching your targets—it’s not one thing to take calmly. Though it may be daunting, going by all these steps can prevent a variety of time, power, and typically even cash.
On the finish of the day, this train is all about implementing your model technique. You wish to stand out and supply a artistic answer to your viewers—and following these steps will show you how to just do that.
In regards to the Writer — Isabelle Poirier
Izzy is a model designer from Ottawa, Canada. By day, she runs IP Design, a design studio centered on constructing neighborhood by memorable experiences. IP Design has a distinctly fashionable aesthetic and presents daring, conceptual strategic options. By night time, she is the founding father of the Ottawa Design Club, a neighborhood initiative with speaker occasions, panel discussions, workshops, and zines. The membership’s mission is to deliver creatives collectively by these initiatives and showcase all of the unbelievable design and artwork taking place of their communities and past.