Whether you are a web designer, interior designer, graphic designer, small construction business, architect, or photographer you can benefit greatly from showing your work on a portfolio website. Many potential clients scour the internet looking for a service provider that might fit their needs. One thing clients look for to know if you are the pro they are looking for is your work; if they don’t like it…then you are out. I know of many great and talented professionals whose online portfolio fails to communicate the quality of their work. If only clients had a chance to sit down with him/her and know how great they are. Well, I’m sorry that’s not how it works. People will judge by the way they perceive you when they see your work. Not everyone will come to you physically, but some might come to you digitally and I want you to b ready for that. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of really amazing portfolio websites that might inspire you to create your own. Also I’ll use each example to comment on what makes a portfolio website great.
Dejan Ulcej
Dejan’s site is a great example of a clean and clever portfolio. He presents his work in a clean way and gives you details so you know what the project was about. I like how he presented some companies he has worked for to bump his credibility. Also take a look at how he quickly highlights his areas of expertise and once again establishes his pro cred by showing some of his publications and research. Oh and he finally seals his UX design knowledge with a really clever and out of the box Profile pic, or should I say…video? Really well done.
Cyril Masson
Cyril Masson is a photographer and film maker. One thing I like about his portfolio is how he chose a different layout to showcase his work. Also, it’s interesting how his work lets figure out the kind of projects he does best…in this case dynamic photography best suited for sport brands. Does your portfolio tell your visitors what kind of projects you are best suited for?
Maria Gubina
Maria Gubina is an interior designer. Sadly this website is in Russian (I think), so I can’t say much about the content. What I can talk about though is the design. This design is very successful at communicating at an emotional level, where the language is a barrier. What does it communicate? It communicate the kind of designer Maria is. Just by looking at her site, I can tell her brand caters towards clients with enough budget to convert their rooms into luxury spaces. Just take a look at her about page (you’ll know when you get there) and see for yourself she means business when it comes to high class (and big money) interior design.
Peter Wesolowski
I like Peter’s portfolio website. This website is very good at doing two things right off the bat: tells us what he does and tells us Peter’s personality. Take a look at his about page and you will see how he turns a boring section page into a fun experience that helps you know Peter better and feel like you know him; not only for his story, but for the personality that pours out off his website.
Sylvain Ollier
Sylvain’s portfolio website shows you that you don’t need big complex websites to make a compelling portfolio website. A simple grid with your best work is all you need to attract clients to your business. Also if you notice, this portfolio only has three sections: work, about, and contact. Less is more and Sylvain is a perfect example. Also that is why I included it in this list…me like some minimal design and it’s a philosophy that drives Arcka.
Gang Films
Gang Films portfolio website is one of my favorites because of the way they use photography to introduce their work and make you want to click to see the actual video. This is a great example of letting your work take the spot light and speak for you.
Biborg
Biborg is a digital display advertising agency, they explain they work as “Desktop, Mobile and Digital Out Of Home, with more than 500+ digital campaigns we are experienced in making the most of each interactive placement”. The cool thing is how their portfolio website shows that. Go their home page and see how the banners move and interact. They look like some of the displays they make for their clients. I also included this website for their success stories section. A good portfolio website never misses the opportunity to share a good story that shows their clients what they can expect.
Adham Dannaway
What I like about this portfolio website is that it shows you the process behind his work. Adding a little behind the scenes info about how you went from idea to finished solution gives a lot of value to your prospective clients and gives you a lot of credibility as a professional.
Pollen
I love how Pollen explains in one simple sentence what they do “Pollen is a full service branding and digital agency specialising in the fashion & retail sectors”. Remember, this is very important because your visitors need to understand who you are and what you do. Also, case studies…love those. I appreciate how they have an opt in form to join their mailing list, but it is obvious it’s not a priority for them.
De Cort – Dervichian
Granted! Maybe this portfolio is not very intuitive when you first arrive, but they made a very visual portfolio, which is important to sell their office space skills. It’s a good thing their work is very appealing, because when you go and check the “Team” section, they all look like the agents from the Matrix, which I find a little scary and safe at the same time. Yes, I’m weird…leave me alone.
One more thing about making a portfolio website
Copying any of the sites in this list is a bad idea. Instead try to learn the best practices and get some ideas. If you want to learn more about how you can make a design portfolio that brings you new clients eager to work with you, we made a free report you can download and transform your portfolio website right now. [cta id=”409″ align=”none”]