How to Create a Graphic Design Portfolio

Creating a provocative portfolio is a crucial business move for both aspiring and established graphic artists who want their brand to stand out in the saturated industry.  Utilizing the following tips can help to ensure that your business leads the competition and helps you get closer to your target audience. 

For even the most novice graphic designer, having a portfolio to showcase your best work is a must in order to compete in the competitive design industry.  The graphic art industry is saturated with so-called professionals who have very little knowledge about the fundamentals of true graphic art.  Therefore, the real professionals are forced to make their business stand out.  When developing your marketing strategy with an awesome portfolio, there are a few very important tips to follow when creating a presentation that could land you the best gig you’ve ever had. 

• Assess your work.  Choosing the right designs to include in your portfolio is a crucial task.  Choose only your best work and try to streamline your choices to fit your clients’ needs.  Include a few other choices to showcase your versatility.  You may include logos, stationary, brochures, posters, postcards, flyers and other designs to showcase your ability.  If you completed work as a student, be sure to review those samples with other professionals to insure that your work is of great quality.

• Set up your portfolio case.  Choose a quality display album to showcase your designs.  Be selective regarding the size, style, and color to ensure that they enhance your work.  If you have poster-sized samples, make sure they can fit properly in your chosen book or case.  For smaller samples like postcards, logo swatches, brochures, or stationary samples, choose a background paper to use throughout your sample book.  Too many colors can distract from your work.

• Be neat and consistent.  Secure your work to the pages so that samples don’t slide or move from their designated places.  You may use non-destructive adhesives like double-sided tape to secure your work.  Use the same margin and justification for your samples.  For example, if your work is centered on the first page with one-inch spacing between each item, utilize that same setup throughout your portfolio.

• Add captions to your work.  Labeling your work helps tremendously when you are discussing your samples with potential clients.  Include titles and a brief description to help you remember the significance of each piece.  Labels are also helpful if you have to leave your work with a client for further review at a later time.

• Update your samples.  As a graphic artist, you should always work on samples whether or not you have clients.  This allows you to stay abreast of the latest trends and create more work for your portfolio.  Utilizing samples from five or ten years ago may not be feasible as societal trends change so rapidly.  Keep your portfolio filled with your latest and most creative designs so that you appeal to a modern audience.