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Whether you’re a student or a professional looking to advance your career, you need a web presence. For many, that could be a blog or a personal website, but creative professionals need to showcase their work.
Particularly when freelancing, it’s vital to display work samples to attract potential clients. Therefore, creative professionals establish online work portfolios to generate gigs and drive their careers. And this means learning how to sell yourself as a freelancer.
What is an Online Work Portfolio?
What is an online work portfolio? It’s a website that displays images of or links to a professional’s or student’s work samples. Some online work portfolios are simple and consist of a basic gallery of work on a single web page, while others are sophisticated websites with a variety of pages showcasing different aspects of a career.
Online work portfolios are commonly displayed by creative professionals such as artists, designers and writers, but career-minded individuals from a variety of fields also now take advantage of the resource.
Portfolio Website Examples
Looking to establish a new online portfolio but unsure where to begin? Perhaps you have a basic digital portfolio on the internet, but want to upgrade to a professional portfolio website. It can be challenging to determine exactly what to include and how to design an effective online portfolio, but the following portfolio examples should help:
1. Sean Halpin, Web Design Portfolio
Freelance web designer Sean Halpin showcases his work in an interactive digital portfolio. Haplin’s web design portfolio consists of a simple yet engaging structure, consistent with the services he’s promoting.
2. Johny Vino, Digital Product Design Portfolio
In his impressive digital product design portfolio, Johny Vino showcases his skills designing digital products with an interactive design. Users can choose between viewing the portfolio website in light or dark mode, and the bold typography and design elements are sure to capture attention.
3. Moritz Petersen, Freelance Web Design Portfolio
On his portfolio site, freelance web design professional Moritz Petersen displays more than his work samples. Petersen’s website employs vivid images and even engaging infographics to communicate his aptitude as a web designer, and the web design portfolio site even features its own FAQ section.
4. Tasha Meys, Photography Portfolio
Artist, photographer and social media consultant Tasha Meys showcases her photographs in a well-designed portfolio, but her own website isn’t limited to photos. Meys’ portfolio website also features a blog and an online store where fans can purchase her work.
5. Lotta Nieminen, Graphic Design Portfolio
Lotta Nieminen is an illustrator and graphic designer whose portfolio website attracts potential clients with vivid design examples and representations of her work. The graphic design portfolio features large, bold and brightly-colored images depicting Nieminen’s designs, with minimal description as the work speaks for itself.
6. Taha Khan, Production Portfolio
Award-winning creative producer Taha Khan showcases his work in an effective online portfolio. The portfolio website illustrates Khan’s titles with vivid photographs that will capture visitors’ attention. His website also effectively features the various awards Khan has received for his creative endeavors.
7. Edna Cerrillos, Product and UX/UI Design Portfolio
Edna Cerrillos‘ well-designed portfolio website is just what one might expect from a professional designer. The UX/UI designer not only engages site visitors with vivid photos, but she skillfully links each image to a further description of the project.
8. Kristin Wong, Author and Journalist Portfolio
Journalists and freelance writers could have a more difficult time visually showcasing work on their portfolio websites, but author Kristin Wong strategically meets that challenge with her portfolio website. Wong employs logos and thumbnail images to illustrate her entries, each linking to the associated written work.
9. Daniel Grindrod, Cinematography Portfolio
Cinematographer Daniel Grindrod‘s digital portfolio captures potential clients’ attention from the start with an engaging full-screen video. Like other portfolio websites, the page has sections for his work, both video and still photography versions, as well as a blog and contact information.
10. John Green, Author Portfolio
Bestselling author John Green‘s online portfolio website not only describes and links to his written works, but the books also are sold on the site. Like some other portfolio websites, Green’s website also features his bio, a blog and links to his appearances on a variety of other platforms.
11. Anna Ellenberger, Art Portfolio
As one might expect from an artist’s portfolio website, Anna Ellenberger‘s digital portfolio features large, vivid images showcasing her designs. Ellenberger’s website also links to her social media profiles, contains her bio and includes a section where patrons can purchase her artwork.
12. Josh Kaufman, Author Portfolio
Josh Kaufman is a bestselling author whose personal website showcases his various projects. Visitors to Kaufman’s site can read his various published essays and guides, and the site links to another page where his bestselling book is sold. The strong portfolio website’s simplistic design allows Kaufman clearly to highlight his work.
13. Sean O’Connor, Expert Portfolio
Multitalented professionals such as Sean O’Connor might have accomplishments that can’t be displayed in a basic online portfolio, but that doesn’t mean none of them can. O’Connor’s portfolio showcases his written works and speaking engagements, while focusing on his blockchain expertise.
14. Ali Abdaal, Podcast Portfolio
Ali Abdaal is a doctor, YouTube content creator and podcast host whose digital portfolio displays his latest episodes. Abdaal’s portfolio website also showcases courses and articles he has written, as well as his professional bio.
15. Taylor Pearson, Essay Portfolio
Landing pages like that of essayist Taylor Pearson‘s portfolio website clearly direct visitors what he can do for prospective clients. The site also features a separate page with an expansive, chronological list of Pearson’s published works, linking to each essay. Visitors to Pearson’s website even can sign up to receive his newsletter.
More Online Portfolio Examples
Need more portfolio design inspiration for your website? Plenty of professionals attract potential clients and display their work and accomplishments through simple online portfolios. The following portfolio sites can help you determine your own design process:
21. Aja Frost, Content Strategy Portfolio
Aja Frost is an SEO specialist for Spotify, and she displays her content strategy work in an effective personal portfolio. Frost’s portfolio page graphically represents her work using publication logos, which link to her publications on external websites. The site also clearly describes Frost’s services and links to her social media presence.
22. Ashley Diers, Graphic Design Portfolio
Sometimes a one-page portfolio is efficient to successfully showcase work. In her graphic design portfolio, illustrator Ashley Diers‘s site showcases her design portfolio examples to attract potential employers and clients with a minimalist approach. Each successful project appears on the landing page in a clear and straightforward manner.
23. Martin Boehme, Photography Portfolio
Portfolio websites don’t have to be all business. In addition to showcasing his work, photographer Martin Boehme displays his personal hobbies, interests and other pursuits. Visitors to Boehme’s website get a sense of who the artist is as a human, not just as a professional. The personal website features a simple design, and an ample use of white space helps to highlight the page’s content.
24. Maria la Portuguesa, Graphic Design Portfolio
Maria la Portuguesa‘s website is an excellent example of an effective graphic design portfolio. Portuguesa’s design portfolio features graphical representations of her work that links to separate pages showcasing the actual designs, keeping visitors engaged with the site. Designs stand out from the page thanks to an ample use of white space.
25. Allison Bratnick, Graphic Design Portfolio
Among design portfolios, Allison Bratnick‘s is another great example. A gallery of Bratnick’s designs appears on a single landing page, so prospective clients instantly know what to expect from the artist. The online portfolio also features a simple professional bio, introducing the world to the designer.
26. Yul Moreau, Digital Art Direction Portfolio
Digital art director Yul Moreau boasts a unique portfolio website that successfully grabs visitor’s attention in an instant. The animated landing page introduces Moreau before inviting viewers to scroll through a page filled with impressive design examples, illustrated with vivid photos and engaging videos.
27. Dann Petty, Freelance Web Design Portfolio
Freelancer Dann Petty also employs engaging animation on the landing page of his web design portfolio website. Petty’s website then links to pages filled with design portfolios for his work in web design, mobile app design and video projects, illustrated by screenshots of each project.
28. Cameron Ward, Product Design Portfolio
Product designer Carmeron Ward showcases his work in a simple online portfolio. Visitors are introduced to the designer, before scrolling through a series of his designs displayed along one side of the page. By clicking on any of the work examples, viewers are transported to a page dedicated to each project, complete with a detailed description.
29. Ling K., Graphic Design Portfolio
Graphic designers Ling K.‘s simple and straightforward digital portfolio features a basic gallery of her work. The colorful photos capture visitors’ attention before linking to separate web pages with full descriptions of each project.
30. Adrian Zumbrunnen, Design Portfolio
Another great example of an effective and engaging design portfolio is the website for Apple’s Adrian Zumbrunnen. Before showcasing his design portfolio examples, Zumbrunnen describes his passion to “create emotional experiences at the intersection of art, design, and AI.” In addition to a gallery of his designs, the website features a clear contact form to communicate with the designer.
Best Tools for Building an Online Portfolio
So, you’ve looked at some of the best design portfolio examples, but you aren’t sure how to design your own? Every professional wants to see their digital portfolio stand out, highlight key elements with a sleek website design and contain content that attracts search engines.
At the same time, it’s important to remember the primary objective of a portfolio website: to showcase individual projects and provide contact details. Fortunately, even amateur web designers can build engaging and effective online portfolios by relying on the following software tools:
Adobe Portfolio
Professionals can design their own interactive websites quickly and easily using Adobe Portfolio, software that comes free with the Adobe Creative Cloud plan in the company’s creative studio. Just choose a design template and customize it with your content, including your own domain name.
Fabrik
Fabrik is an online platform designed to creative professionals showcase their best work examples. The website design studio was curated from London’s film and design industries and offers more than 9,000 layout combinations across various themes. Artists and designers can edit their layouts at any time without impacting the display of their work.
Coroflot
Coroflot is more than website design software. The platform consists of an online community of designers that connects freelancers with clients. Not only does Coroflot feature plenty of job openings and opportunities for freelance designers, but users can build their own online portfolio to display different projects on the platform.
Squarespace
Squarespace offers inexperienced designers the opportunity to create a professional-quality online portfolio. It’s customizable layouts are designed with a simple drag-and-drop theme… no coding required! Squarespace also offers users the ability to track their audiences and boost their social media followings.
Behance
Behance is known as a go-to website for creative professionals to showcase their portfolio work. The free website design studio based on visualization makes it simple for artists, designers, photographers and the like to display beautiful galleries of their projects. The platform also allows designers to receive valuable feedback from fellow professionals.
Wix
Freelancers, small business owners and professionals from all backgrounds can let their work speak for itself with a portfolio designed using Wix. The platform allows anyone to create a personal website, but its features are catered to designers. The portfolio design website is free, but it offers premium features to its users.
Dribbble
Artists, designers and other visual creatives can showcase their work in a community of other creative professionals using Dribbble. While other platforms allow users to display completed words, Dribbble also allows them to showcase works in progress, allowing artists to draw attention while they are still creating works.
Carbonmade
Almost 2 million great portfolios have been designed using Carbonmade, where professionals can design an effective digital portfolio in just minutes using a convenient drag-and-drop feature. It’s simple for anyone to create a new website for free, and they can choose to upgrade to paid options that allow for customizable domain names, additional content and more.
Image: Depositphotos
