From Eric Miller,
Your Guide to Graphic Design.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

When trying to break into the field of graphic design, having a solid portfolio is crucial. If you are job-hunting, your portfolio is what employers will be looking at to decide whether or not to give you an interview. If you are starting a freelance business, potential clients will be comparing portfolios to choose a designer for a project. There are several choices for what type of portfolio to build, and each has their own benefits and drawbacks.

Website

Online portfolios are probably the most popular type today. As a graphic designer, some will even assume you have a web site. If your focus is web design, an online portfolio is the choice for you, as it serves as an example of your work.

Benefits:

• Easy to send out…it’s just a link
• Can provide a look into your personality
• Allows for an interactive presentation of your work

Drawbacks:

• The most time consuming to create
• You have to worry about it looking or behaving differently from computer to computer
• You need the technical knowledge to set it up
• Expensive to hire someone to develop it for you
• You will have to pay for a domain name and monthly web hosting

PDF

Creating a portfolio as a PDF is becoming more and more popular. Using Acrobat, multi-page PDFs can be created from layouts created in a graphics software program (such as InDesign or Photoshop). The result is a brochure style piece that shows examples of your work along with descriptions of projects and related information.

Benefits:

• Easy to email
• Control over layout without having to worry about browser and web issues
• The PDF itself serves as an example of your layout and typography skills
• Can be printed with consistent results
• Relatively quick and free to create

Drawbacks:

• Relies on the user to save and open the file
• Less effective for showing web design projects

The Classic Portfolio

The classic portfolio, an actual book of various sizes with printed examples of your work, still serves a purpose in today’s “digital world.” There are several ways to present such a portfolio, from placing prints in a pre-made book with sleeves, to creating your own custom, bound book.

Advantages:

• Shows your work in its actual, final format
• Great for showing off print design
• Can be brought to a meeting and shown without a computer

Drawbacks:

• Must be delivered by mail or in person
• If you leave with a potential client or employer, you are left without a portfolio

In the end, the type of portfolio you choose to have will depend on your budget, available time and type of work. For web designers, an online portfolio is a no-brainer. If you don’t have the time or budget to set up a web site right now, you should at least have a PDF so you have something to email. A classic portfolio is great to bring to a meeting and show off your best print work. As a portfolio is a key marketing piece, it should be taken seriously, and a combination of the options above might be the right choice to get you your dream job or client.