Having a great portfolio is a key part of landing your dream clients. We all have projects and companies we’d love to work for. As creatives ourselves, here at The Futur™, we know both the joys of landing a dream client and the sorrows of getting passed over by a dream client.

Luckily, we come backed by decades of experience and have learned what makes a truly great portfolio stand out from the rest.

According to Stephanie Owens and Greg Gunn, there are several things to consider.

Show your best work

When your dream client looks at your portfolio, you want them to see a nice, clean, cohesive layout. You don’t want it to be too crowded, and you don’t want to show everything.

If there are too many projects, it could feel overwhelming or cluttered. Instead, choose to highlight your best work. In order to do this, you’ll need a discerning eye. Ask yourself, “What would my dream client be looking for?”

When choosing your best work, keep in mind that it’s a good idea to include work that you want to do more of. Showcase work you enjoy, and you’ll begin to build a clientele that will feel like a dream to work with.

Categorize your creative projects

When you have a lot of projects, another tip is to categorize them. That way, the viewer can easily go through your website and find exactly what they’re looking for.

For example, your first category could be for video projects. Your second category could be for projects where you held creative direction. Your third category could be posters… and so on.

This gives you the chance to add more work if you like but removes the risk of making it overcrowded and confusing.

Thumbnails & formatting

When you have projects listed on your website, they’re likely to show up first as a thumbnail image. Thumbnails should not be overlooked. They are like the window dressing to a storefront; if the client likes what they see, they’ll decide to take a look around.

Even if your work is great, choosing the right thumbnail will make or break how the project is being perceived.

As for formatting, you want to make sure that the images used to display projects on the same page are formatted to the same size. It simply looks clean and aesthetically pleasing, which is one of the factors you’re going for in a well-received portfolio.

Add context to your projects

In your portfolio, when using a website, you will have different pages that will outline each project. When you are highlighting your project, don’t forget to add additional information; every bit of context helps.

Here are some context tips:

• Add your role in the project
• Add who the client was
• Add the scope of work
• Add a few sentences about the objective
• Share what the problem was and how you solved it.

Keep your descriptions short and concise. A general rule when writing anything is not to add big paragraphs of text. Most people skim the page when reading. A few sentences will do just fine.

Credit your team

Give flowers when they’re due. By crediting the team on each project, you pay respect to the people you work with and show that you’re a team player. This small gesture also helps sell you as a leader.

You aren’t afraid of sharing the credit, and that’s something many clients, creative directors, and founders find admirable.

On your project page, you can also tell a story and share the process. Take people through the journey from beginning to end.

Take a look at this project page here from a creative director named Jamie. It’s the perfect example of storytelling, symmetry, formatting, context, and crediting your team.

Add ‘about me’ and ‘contact me’ sections

A portfolio isn’t complete without these two sections. They can be added as additional pages, or you can add the ‘about’ section to the front page either at the top or the bottom.

Use the ‘about’ section to share why you are passionate about the work that you do, your past work, and a few sentences about you as a person. People like to know who they’re working with.

As for the ‘contact’ section, even if you have a button at the bottom of your project page or your email listed, it’s still considered best practice to have a dedicated contact page listed in the top navigator. This makes it easy for people to know how to reach you and leaves no excuses.

Choose the right format for your creative portfolio

Whenever possible, it’s best to have your own domain name. This not only sets you up for SEO (search engine optimization) success but also gives you an air of professionalism.

Having your own website on a site like Squarespace (not sponsored) is also advised because you can format it the way you like, add or subtract features, and optimize each page for SEO. Setting up your site through a website provider will also help you limit template issues.

Here’s an added SEO tip. When you add your project files to your website, title the files instead of leaving them as random strings of letters and numbers.

Watch a portfolio review in action

Witness a live portfolio review to see just what your dream clients will be looking for. Stephanie Owens, graphic designer, and educational director, shares her expertise and creative eye, along with Greg Gunn, graphic designer and director of product design, as he shares how to tell a story with your work.

‍

Watch the full video here:

‍

Want even more?

Check out 'Rock Your Portfolio' by Stephanie Owens. It's packed with over 20 video lessons, practical projects, and a detailed guidebook, all for just $99. Plus, you'll get a 30-day plan template and a playbook to help you attract the clients you've been dreaming of – and it comes with lifetime updates!

‍

‍

This article is brought to you by our Accelerator program. Accelerator is an educational and coaching program tailored for creative entrepreneurs. It offers detailed tutorials, regular coaching sessions, and a curriculum that guides you through launching and growing your creative business.

Accelerator might be just what you need, but we understand everyone's journey is unique. We recommend taking our Find Your Fit quiz to help pinpoint the right Futur™ offering based on your specific goals and stage in your career. Click here to take the quiz.

‍