Download the full guide<\/strong> and find everything you need to to help you build your design portfolio like a pro<\/strong>!<\/h4>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yesimadesigner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portfolio-mistakes-3.jpg\" "\\"portfolio")
<\/span><\/p>\nOur CEO and Founder Martin Perhiniak shares 5 top mistakes designers make in their portfolio along with a downlaoble PDF guideline to help you get more eyes on your work.<\/h4>\n
Despite having awesome artwork, many designers’ portfolios don’t stand out for these five reasons:<\/p>\n
\u274c Poor presentation skills<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Showcasing too much work <\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Lack of variety in their work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Not showing enough work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Trying to land a job that is not in line with their portfolio<\/strong><\/h4>\nReady to get started? Let’s dive straight into it<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yesimadesigner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/10_portfolio_v2.jpg\" "\\"10_portfolio_v2\\"")
<\/span><\/p>\n1. Poor presentation skills<\/h3>\n
With over 15+ years of experience as a designer and hiring creatives, Martin has found that poor presentation is the number one reason your portfolio doesn’t stand out<\/p>\n
For best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Avoid boring screenshots, use mockups, flat-lays and lifestyle shots. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Instead include<\/span> close-ups of interesting details. Show the outcome in a few different ways so viewers can get an idea of how it will look in different contexts. You can download mockup PSDs to display brands, editorial work, posters, business cards etc. Or you can also use Adobe Firefly to generate mockups based on specific prompts that match your designs theme and style<\/span><\/li>\n
- Start and finish with your best projects – Recruiters don\u2019t have time to go through portfolios, they quickly skim through them, so starting with your strongest pieces will most likely get you noticed<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pay extra attention to the copy – <\/span>absolutely no typos allowed, no one wants to work with someone who constantly needs their spelling corrected<\/span><\/li>\n
- Make sure everything is set to a <\/span>good resolution so it does not appear pixelated on the web. You can use <\/span>Nightshade or Glaze to make sure your designs are safe from scraping by AI bots. You can learn more on these AI <\/span>here<\/a><\/li>\n
- Showcase your process, not just the final result. Don’t be afraid to show<\/span> initial sketches or the first few rounds of the design process.Include Information about the brief, even if you made it up yourself. Viewers\/recruiters need to get an idea of the challenges you faced<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yesimadesigner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Ephraim_3.jpeg\" "\\"Ephraim_3\\"")
<\/span><\/p>\nHere is an example of our Pro Member student Ephraim Shapiro on how he presents his work Click here <\/a>to See Ephraim’s full portfolio <\/em><\/p>\n2. Showcasing too much work <\/h3>\n
Portfolios aren’t collections of all the work you’ve done. Imagine it as a curated collection of your best works<\/strong>. Please stop sharing all your work, it can become overwhelming for recruiters and makes your portfolio look outdated. <\/p>\nFor best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Showcase 12 -15 of your strongest<\/strong> and most recent projects on your site. it’s okay to display more projects online since it’s easier to jump between them. It is still essential that everything is neatly organized and easy to navigate! You can learn on where to display your work from this post<\/a><\/li>\n
- When you email your CV to recruiters, be sure to include a short 5-6 page PDF attachment<\/strong> and include the strongest pieces relevant to the job. Large-size PDFs are difficult to open as emails too<\/li>\n
- Do a Portfolio spring clean <\/strong>each year – This is especially important for freelance designers who are actively looking for clients. Let them find you by keeping your portfolio \/ website up to date<\/li>\n
- Set reminders to add new projects to your portfolio ( every 3 or 6 months)<\/li>\n
- Sometimes it is enough to update the imagery and visuals of an older project to make it look more fresh and updated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nOur CEO and Founder Martin Perhiniak shares 5 top mistakes designers make in their portfolio along with a downlaoble PDF guideline to help you get more eyes on your work.<\/h4>\n
Despite having awesome artwork, many designers’ portfolios don’t stand out for these five reasons:<\/p>\n
\u274c Poor presentation skills<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Showcasing too much work <\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Lack of variety in their work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Not showing enough work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Trying to land a job that is not in line with their portfolio<\/strong><\/h4>\nReady to get started? Let’s dive straight into it<\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n1. Poor presentation skills<\/h3>\n
With over 15+ years of experience as a designer and hiring creatives, Martin has found that poor presentation is the number one reason your portfolio doesn’t stand out<\/p>\n
For best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Avoid boring screenshots, use mockups, flat-lays and lifestyle shots. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Instead include<\/span> close-ups of interesting details. Show the outcome in a few different ways so viewers can get an idea of how it will look in different contexts. You can download mockup PSDs to display brands, editorial work, posters, business cards etc. Or you can also use Adobe Firefly to generate mockups based on specific prompts that match your designs theme and style<\/span><\/li>\n
- Start and finish with your best projects – Recruiters don\u2019t have time to go through portfolios, they quickly skim through them, so starting with your strongest pieces will most likely get you noticed<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pay extra attention to the copy – <\/span>absolutely no typos allowed, no one wants to work with someone who constantly needs their spelling corrected<\/span><\/li>\n
- Make sure everything is set to a <\/span>good resolution so it does not appear pixelated on the web. You can use <\/span>Nightshade or Glaze to make sure your designs are safe from scraping by AI bots. You can learn more on these AI <\/span>here<\/a><\/li>\n
- Showcase your process, not just the final result. Don’t be afraid to show<\/span> initial sketches or the first few rounds of the design process.Include Information about the brief, even if you made it up yourself. Viewers\/recruiters need to get an idea of the challenges you faced<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nHere is an example of our Pro Member student Ephraim Shapiro on how he presents his work Click here <\/a>to See Ephraim’s full portfolio <\/em><\/p>\n2. Showcasing too much work <\/h3>\n
Portfolios aren’t collections of all the work you’ve done. Imagine it as a curated collection of your best works<\/strong>. Please stop sharing all your work, it can become overwhelming for recruiters and makes your portfolio look outdated. <\/p>\nFor best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Showcase 12 -15 of your strongest<\/strong> and most recent projects on your site. it’s okay to display more projects online since it’s easier to jump between them. It is still essential that everything is neatly organized and easy to navigate! You can learn on where to display your work from this post<\/a><\/li>\n
- When you email your CV to recruiters, be sure to include a short 5-6 page PDF attachment<\/strong> and include the strongest pieces relevant to the job. Large-size PDFs are difficult to open as emails too<\/li>\n
- Do a Portfolio spring clean <\/strong>each year – This is especially important for freelance designers who are actively looking for clients. Let them find you by keeping your portfolio \/ website up to date<\/li>\n
- Set reminders to add new projects to your portfolio ( every 3 or 6 months)<\/li>\n
- Sometimes it is enough to update the imagery and visuals of an older project to make it look more fresh and updated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u274c Lack of variety in their work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Not showing enough work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\u274c Trying to land a job that is not in line with their portfolio<\/strong><\/h4>\nReady to get started? Let’s dive straight into it<\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n1. Poor presentation skills<\/h3>\n
With over 15+ years of experience as a designer and hiring creatives, Martin has found that poor presentation is the number one reason your portfolio doesn’t stand out<\/p>\n
For best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Avoid boring screenshots, use mockups, flat-lays and lifestyle shots. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Instead include<\/span> close-ups of interesting details. Show the outcome in a few different ways so viewers can get an idea of how it will look in different contexts. You can download mockup PSDs to display brands, editorial work, posters, business cards etc. Or you can also use Adobe Firefly to generate mockups based on specific prompts that match your designs theme and style<\/span><\/li>\n
- Start and finish with your best projects – Recruiters don\u2019t have time to go through portfolios, they quickly skim through them, so starting with your strongest pieces will most likely get you noticed<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pay extra attention to the copy – <\/span>absolutely no typos allowed, no one wants to work with someone who constantly needs their spelling corrected<\/span><\/li>\n
- Make sure everything is set to a <\/span>good resolution so it does not appear pixelated on the web. You can use <\/span>Nightshade or Glaze to make sure your designs are safe from scraping by AI bots. You can learn more on these AI <\/span>here<\/a><\/li>\n
- Showcase your process, not just the final result. Don’t be afraid to show<\/span> initial sketches or the first few rounds of the design process.Include Information about the brief, even if you made it up yourself. Viewers\/recruiters need to get an idea of the challenges you faced<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nHere is an example of our Pro Member student Ephraim Shapiro on how he presents his work Click here <\/a>to See Ephraim’s full portfolio <\/em><\/p>\n2. Showcasing too much work <\/h3>\n
Portfolios aren’t collections of all the work you’ve done. Imagine it as a curated collection of your best works<\/strong>. Please stop sharing all your work, it can become overwhelming for recruiters and makes your portfolio look outdated. <\/p>\nFor best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Showcase 12 -15 of your strongest<\/strong> and most recent projects on your site. it’s okay to display more projects online since it’s easier to jump between them. It is still essential that everything is neatly organized and easy to navigate! You can learn on where to display your work from this post<\/a><\/li>\n
- When you email your CV to recruiters, be sure to include a short 5-6 page PDF attachment<\/strong> and include the strongest pieces relevant to the job. Large-size PDFs are difficult to open as emails too<\/li>\n
- Do a Portfolio spring clean <\/strong>each year – This is especially important for freelance designers who are actively looking for clients. Let them find you by keeping your portfolio \/ website up to date<\/li>\n
- Set reminders to add new projects to your portfolio ( every 3 or 6 months)<\/li>\n
- Sometimes it is enough to update the imagery and visuals of an older project to make it look more fresh and updated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u274c Trying to land a job that is not in line with their portfolio<\/strong><\/h4>\nReady to get started? Let’s dive straight into it<\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n1. Poor presentation skills<\/h3>\n
With over 15+ years of experience as a designer and hiring creatives, Martin has found that poor presentation is the number one reason your portfolio doesn’t stand out<\/p>\n
For best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Avoid boring screenshots, use mockups, flat-lays and lifestyle shots. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Instead include<\/span> close-ups of interesting details. Show the outcome in a few different ways so viewers can get an idea of how it will look in different contexts. You can download mockup PSDs to display brands, editorial work, posters, business cards etc. Or you can also use Adobe Firefly to generate mockups based on specific prompts that match your designs theme and style<\/span><\/li>\n
- Start and finish with your best projects – Recruiters don\u2019t have time to go through portfolios, they quickly skim through them, so starting with your strongest pieces will most likely get you noticed<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pay extra attention to the copy – <\/span>absolutely no typos allowed, no one wants to work with someone who constantly needs their spelling corrected<\/span><\/li>\n
- Make sure everything is set to a <\/span>good resolution so it does not appear pixelated on the web. You can use <\/span>Nightshade or Glaze to make sure your designs are safe from scraping by AI bots. You can learn more on these AI <\/span>here<\/a><\/li>\n
- Showcase your process, not just the final result. Don’t be afraid to show<\/span> initial sketches or the first few rounds of the design process.Include Information about the brief, even if you made it up yourself. Viewers\/recruiters need to get an idea of the challenges you faced<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nHere is an example of our Pro Member student Ephraim Shapiro on how he presents his work Click here <\/a>to See Ephraim’s full portfolio <\/em><\/p>\n2. Showcasing too much work <\/h3>\n
Portfolios aren’t collections of all the work you’ve done. Imagine it as a curated collection of your best works<\/strong>. Please stop sharing all your work, it can become overwhelming for recruiters and makes your portfolio look outdated. <\/p>\nFor best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Showcase 12 -15 of your strongest<\/strong> and most recent projects on your site. it’s okay to display more projects online since it’s easier to jump between them. It is still essential that everything is neatly organized and easy to navigate! You can learn on where to display your work from this post<\/a><\/li>\n
- When you email your CV to recruiters, be sure to include a short 5-6 page PDF attachment<\/strong> and include the strongest pieces relevant to the job. Large-size PDFs are difficult to open as emails too<\/li>\n
- Do a Portfolio spring clean <\/strong>each year – This is especially important for freelance designers who are actively looking for clients. Let them find you by keeping your portfolio \/ website up to date<\/li>\n
- Set reminders to add new projects to your portfolio ( every 3 or 6 months)<\/li>\n
- Sometimes it is enough to update the imagery and visuals of an older project to make it look more fresh and updated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n1. Poor presentation skills<\/h3>\n
With over 15+ years of experience as a designer and hiring creatives, Martin has found that poor presentation is the number one reason your portfolio doesn’t stand out<\/p>\n
For best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is an example of our Pro Member student Ephraim Shapiro on how he presents his work Click here <\/a>to See Ephraim’s full portfolio <\/em><\/p>\n Portfolios aren’t collections of all the work you’ve done. Imagine it as a curated collection of your best works<\/strong>. Please stop sharing all your work, it can become overwhelming for recruiters and makes your portfolio look outdated. <\/p>\n For best practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
<\/span><\/p>\n2. Showcasing too much work <\/h3>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yesimadesigner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Neha-Project_process.png\" "\\"Neha-Project_process\\"")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yesimadesigner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/creatives.jpg\" "\\"creatives\\"")
<\/span><\/p>\n