Things to Check Before Launching Your Digital Portfolio
By Matthew Ward, Founder and Director13 July 2021
A website built with a simple site builder is the standard way to put a digital portfolio together now, and a multi-page site gives a hiring manager a far better sense of you and your skills than a single-page version or a PDF. Once it's built, here's what's worth checking before it goes live and lands in front of potential employers.
A good portfolio is simple, easy to navigate, and consistent throughout, built around what a visitor is actually trying to find out about you, not around what looks impressive to build.
Keep it simple
Someone visits a portfolio to learn about your skills and work out whether you're right for a role, so design around answering that directly. Keep the layout uncluttered: a clear brand colour palette, images only where they genuinely add something, and a legible typeface. Anything that gets in the way of finding information quickly risks losing the visitor entirely.
Make it easy to navigate
Plan the structure before you start building. Keep primary navigation at the top of the page and repeat key links in the footer. If you've grouped work into categories, such as PR, copywriting or content, breadcrumbs help visitors find their way back without losing their place. A search bar and contextual links within the copy both make it easier for someone to find exactly the kind of work they're looking for.
Stick to familiar conventions
A portfolio should feel distinctly yours, but visitors still expect certain basics: a logo top-left that links back to the homepage, navigation at the top, and hover states on links and buttons. Mobile responsiveness isn't optional either, a portfolio that doesn't work properly on a phone loses a lot of visitors before they've seen anything.
Use visual hierarchy deliberately
The landing page needs to grab attention fast and hold it. Since the ultimate goal is getting someone to reach out, arrange the page so the most important elements, your strongest work and your contact details, are what visitors see first.
Stay consistent throughout
A portfolio is a window into your personal brand, so keep the colour palette, backgrounds and fonts consistent site-wide. It makes the whole thing easier to digest and lets visitors know what to expect as they move between pages.
Design around the person viewing it
Once it's built, go back through this list against your own site and see what needs work. The most reliable way to know if it's genuinely user-friendly is to have real people test it and tell you honestly what's confusing.
If you'd like a second pair of eyes on your portfolio before you send it out, get in touch with Lead Kinetics, we're always happy to take a look. For what should actually be on the page once the structure's sorted, see 6 things to include in a digital portfolio.
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