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Are you looking for inspiration for your first portfolio site or a complete website redesign? Whether you’re a creative, a craftsperson, a painter, a designer, an architect, an artist, an actor or a photographer, a stunning portfolio will be your best friend to win over potential customers.
This is why it’s important to show it in its best light and to the widest possible audience.
Homepage of Format, one of the best portfolio builders out there
In this article, we will show you some outstanding portfolios created with content management systems (CMS) like WordPress and website builders like Wix.
What is a portfolio?
There is some overlapping grey area between a résumé and a portfolio. In creative professions, this is justified to some extent, as employers need to see your previous work to gauge your skills.
Presenting your finest work
A portfolio is a place where you keep examples of work that you are proudest of. It will often be in the form of a website, but it is also possible to use a platform such as Instagram to increase your visibility.
A few Wix portfolio templates
Portfolio or showcase website?
In the corporate world, the most frequently used term is ‘showcase website’, whereas ‘online portfolio’ is more often used by creative types. The original meaning of the word ‘portfolio’ is a large, flat case used to hold photographs or prints, for example. ‘Portfolio’ is also used in the fashion industry to mean a collection of samples.
Create a website or use social networks?
Today, ‘portfolio’ usually refers to an online portfolio, or an account on an image-based social media platform (such as Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook). Ideally, you should have both, and put your Instagram Feed on your website. A website has the advantage of offering more space to add descriptions and details.
Homepage Ucraft
An image gallery is the central component of any portfolio. This is why the following examples are all highly visual and striking.
> How to Make an Online Portfolio
Why make a portfolio?
In artistic and creative industries, having a portfolio is pretty much a requirement, whether it’s a website or Instagram account. People use it as a tool to show off their work.
Ideal for designers
Graphic designers, for example, can present logos or models they have created to prospective clients or employers. Similarly, web designers can show websites or landing pages they have worked on.
The same applies for motion designers: a portfolio can be used to give a wide-ranging overview of their animations and motion graphics.
Squarespace templates
Artists have been using them for a long time…
Photographers, illustrators, graphic artists, calligraphers, artists and artisans all use portfolios as a key way of marketing themselves (you can find our list of the most suitable website builders for artists here).
Note: If you are a photographer, you might find our tutorial on how to make a photography portfolio helpful too. And here you find the best website builders for photographers.
A useful tool for new digital professions
Portfolios (or websites containing a portfolio page) are also increasingly used in new digital professions.
This is the case for web copywriters or designers, who need to show that they can write all types of texts, including landing pages, blog posts, static web pages, slogans, product descriptions and more.
WordPress templates
These sectors are fairly competitive, so a portfolio can help you show off your work in an original and eye-catching way, to grab people’s attention and stand out from the crowd.
1. David Milan’s portfolio
A 3D artist and illustrator, David Milan specializes in typography and lettering. To create his portfolio and present his work, he opted for the hugely popular Wix and its many templates.
Portfolio URL: David Milan
Website builder used: Wix
2. Alison Bratnick’s portfolio
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Allison is a designer with a passion for health and well-being.
She chooses to work with companies that bring positive change to the world. She is also a qualified herbalist.
Portfolio URL: Allison Bratnick
Website builder used: Pixpa
3. Niccolo Miranda’s portfolio
Here is one original portfolio! An artisan, digital art director and creative developer, this Amsterdam-based freelancer designs visuals for various companies.
He is a winner of the Favourite Website Awards (FWA).
Portfolio URL: Niccolo Miranda
CMS used to create the website: Webflow
4. Gabriel Matula’s portfolio
An editorial photographer, videographer and content creator from Buenos Aires, who currently lives in Europe. Over a career spanning nearly 20 years, he has worked in motion graphics design, VFX and movies, with clients including Samsung, Vogue, L’Oréal and Vice Media. He was a winner at the 2015 International Photography Awards (IPA), coming first place in the Beauty Portrait category.
Portfolio URL: Gabriel Matula
Website builder used: Pixpa
5. Andre Robeiro’s portfolio
Based in Brooklyn, New York, this web designer currently works for Squarespace.
So it’s no surprise that he chose this platform to create a portfolio of his work.
Portfolio URL: Andre Ribeiro
Website builder used: Squarespace
6. Annie Atkins’ portfolio
Her first job was working on the third series of The Tudors, which has been her most thrilling experience to date. Annie has worked on movie sets since then, using her graphic design and calligraphy skills.
This impressive portfolio is quite simply outstanding.
Portfolio URL: Annie Atkins
Website builder used: Wix
7. HR Dept.’s portfolio
“Just another graphic designer living with her cat in Brooklyn, New York.”
This is the one-line bio you will find on HR Dept.’s ‘About’ page. The portfolio pages are equally sparing with words, allowing the pictures to do all the talking.
Portfolio URL: HR DEPT
Website builder used: Squarespace
8. Dennis Krawec’s portfolio
Based in Brooklyn, Dennis specializes in graphic design and bold photography. He works on marketing campaigns big and small.
Portfolio URL: Dennis Krawec
Website builder used: Wix
9. June Digan’s portfolio
A designer and illustrator specialized in traditional and digital media, with an education in fine arts, June uses watercolors, gouache and acrylic.
Her works have featured in various exhibitions, blogs and print publications.
Her clients include Hewlett-Packard, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Chewy, Toblerone Asia and Facebook.
Portfolio URL: June Digan
Website builder used: Wix
10. Tomasz Strekowski’s portfolio
A designer specializing in 3D content creation and UX/UI design. With an educational background in business marketing, Tomasz helps boutique brands create memorable digital experiences.
Portfolio URL: Tomasz Strekowski
CMS used to create the website: Webflow
11. Eugene Ling’s portfolio
Based in Singapore, Eugene Ling cut her teeth in the advertising industry working as a UX/UI designer. She has worked for high-profile brands like Ogilvy, Uber and Skyscanner.
Portfolio URL: Eugene Ling
CMS used: WordPress
12. John Green Books’ portfolio
John Green is the award-winning author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down. He also runs a vlog on YouTube. His website is built on Squarespace – its bold designs and portfolio page features make it a popular choice for many authors.
Portfolio URL: John Green
Website builder used: Squarespace
13. Justin Lemmon’s portfolio
A motion designer and illustrator working out of Detroit, Michigan, Justin chose Wix to make a portfolio of his creative output.
Portfolio URL: Justin Lemmon
Website builder used: Wix
14. Dean Tate’s portfolio
This game designer, artist, creative collaborator, writer and storyteller selected Squarespace to design his portfolio. He helped create the fictional city Rapture, the setting of the critically-acclaimed video game series BioShock.
Portfolio URL: Dean Tate
Website builder used: Squarespace
15. Adrien Loret’s portfolio
This award-winning Parisian designer works on all kinds of marketing projects, most often with large companies.
Portfolio URL: Adrien Loret
Website builder used: Pixpa
16. Nathalie Lété’s portfolio
Based in Paris, Nathalie creates children’s books, toys, glass images and crockery, as well as postcards, ceramic sculptures, t-shirts, rugs and jewelry in limited-edition runs.
Portfolio URL: Nathalie Lete
Website builder used for the portfolio: Wix
The best platforms to create your portfolio
Here is our pick of the top website builders and content management systems (CMS) for portfolio creation:
- Wix: stunning templates
- Squarespace: boasts some of the best-looking portfolios out there
- Pixpa: a portfolio specialist
- Webflow: a CMS similar to WordPress
- Format: creative templates
- Ucraft: modern designs
- Weebly: integrated audio and video!
- WordPress: an advanced solution
Learn why we picked them in our video below:
How to create a portfolio
Begin by writing a short description of your experience, studies and areas of specialization.
1. Write an introduction
This will be placed on the “About” page of your portfolio. You may want to mention any accolades you have received.
You could even add a downloadable CV or a timeline of your work.
2. Choose what you want to show off
Next, you need to gather images of all the work you want to present.
We recommend using an image gallery named ‘portfolio’ or ‘work’, for example, but there’s nothing stopping you using a dedicated page for each piece of work, including images and an introductory text.
It can be a good idea to add any testimonials you have.
3. Select a website builder or CMS
You can develop a customized website or use a template.
Many platforms offer templates, which makes things easier, as you only have to fill in the text and image areas provided, without worrying about page layout. We hope the above portfolio examples will help you.
Webflow homepage
You will find full reviews of each platform, with a score and ranking against competitors. We also have an overview of the best mobile-responsive website builders.
4. Use Tooltester’s Smart Finder
Our Smart Finder: answer a few questions to identify the website builder that best matches your portfolio needs. Even if you have a good idea of which platform you want to use, it’s still worth running it by our tool.
> Find the platform that’s right for you
5. Add a contact form
You should add a contact page to your portfolio menu, with specific fields or at least a business email address.
6. Add any other pages want
If you’re thinking about adding more pages to your portfolio, an FAQ and a blog must surely be top of your list. These pages are an excellent way to answer any questions clients may have and post your news updates (a calendar page may also be necessary).
7. Promote your portfolio on social networks
Once your website is online, it’s time to start promoting it, via Google Ads or directly via social networks like LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
You can also invest in ads on social media.
8. Think about your (local) website visibility
You’ve probably heard of SEO, which stands for ‘search engine optimization’. In addition to meta tags and basic optimizations, it is advisable to create a Google My Business profile if you have business premises or an art gallery, for example.
Google Maps view for the search ‘New York art gallery’
This will help the search engine highlight you in Google Maps and search results.
Conclusion
Your choice of website builder or CMS is a decisive step, particularly if you are planning to use a template. In our pick of online portfolio examples, most were built using Wix, Squarespace or WordPress.
If this is the case and you don’t want to invest too much time in developing a customized website, we recommend Wix or Squarespace, both of which offer excellent templates. If you like to see for yourself, feel free to check out our posts on Squarespace templates and Wix templates too.
Other than that, you can also take a look at specialized solutions like Format, Pixpa and Ucraft.
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23 Nov 2022 - Added video
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