Ways to design an effective digital portfolio

© 2018 Digitaldimensions4u.com The content is copyrighted to Reji Stephenson and may not be reproduced on other websites.

(Note: This post is a guest contribution by Prince Kapoor. Read more about him in his author bio)

It’s a ball game of competition these days, be it any field. You gotta be the best, no matter which field of work you cater to. In that light, your competition too is being enhanced every day. More and more qualified people are graduating and a tug of war is being initiated in all corporate films. The simple rule of the jungle applies here, survival of the fittest, or in this case the most qualified and capable.

But who is going to vouch for that capability of yours in your dream organization? Definitely, there will be no wingman to help you out in such endeavors. Thus the only thing that can do the talking for you, and make you look credible is your portfolio. Like the candidate himself/herself, the portfolio too must be crisp and smart. No excess wordings, no unnecessary remarks. In other words, it must over only cover what requires to be covered.

In the current age of digitalization where every aspect of our daily lives is enveloped by technology, portfolio making too follows the same trend. So here are a few pointers which might come in handy the next time you make a digital portfolio.

• Mobile Optimized: Everyone in the current times carry the world in their pockets captivated with a digital screen of their mobile phone. The smartphones are no less than mini-computers capable of doing a lot! Be it for watching a movie, checking out the happening on social media, reading a newspaper all can be done using a smartphone. To that end, a digital portfolio must be made mobile friendly. Additionally, the options of different screen size and resolution must also be taken into consideration.

• Distinct Logo: As your name, your logo too is of prime importance. Many a time such logos from the face of the company and it is advisable and important to set it apart from the rest of the elements on the portfolio. In order to do that, the logo can be placed in the header where it becomes visible. A good logo can drive more visitors and bring better results, You can create your own logo in a very easy way using Canva.

• Photos: Visual memory is perhaps one of the strongest memories- says SEO expert, Prince Kapoor. We generally do not forget what we see and it creates a lasting impression. In that context, pictures become an important part of portfolio designing. It is important to include a lot of high definition pictures in the digital portfolio so that the clients can get better understand what to expect from you. Additionally, pictures make a digital portfolio look all the more professional thereby adding credit.

• Thumbnail Images:The importance of thumbnail images while designing a digital portfolio can never be ignored. Room must be provided in the digital portfolio to accommodate the entire collection within a 600-pixel fold. It is always advisable to keep the portfolio clutter free so that important elements such as pictures can be highlighted.

• Simple Designing: Time is money for everyone, especially in times like these when everyone is running around to earn more. Under that light, hiring managers are always busy to retain their cut. In such a situation, if you are to send your digital portfolio to one of these hiring managers it is important to keep the design simple and straightforward. Simplicity wins the race always. If you do have a website keep the portfolio section easy to locate for others. Like stated earlier, keep the content well organized and neat and of course easy to spot.

• Portfolio building Tools:Do not fret if you don’t happen to have extensive designing skills. There are many out there who are perhaps unaware of the tools and skill set required for designing. If you are one of them, there are multiple resources available to help you. Few to name would be Behance, Voroflot, Flicker and many other.

• Selective: Quality always takes a higher seat over quantity. There is a tendency amongst designers to go overboard with pictures. This plan generally backfires. It is important to keep only those images which are high quality, especially if you are starting your career.

• Repurpose Your Design For Different Platforms: Social media has a great hold in our lives today. Think about it, starting from the morning, we are always active on one some social media or another from the early morning hours to late night. In that light, it is important to keep your designs up-to-date for multiple social media channels. Thus many artists, photographers, and designers create diverse social media handles to let their work be known. Such a setup opens up a big market for users to tap new opportunities.

• The Perfect Bio:Think of yourself as a product while you are trying to scoop up your digital portfolio. What do you think makes a product sellable? Generally, people are keen about a product when they come to know more about it and its functions. The same applies to you. Tell your story and make it interesting in the “about page” Do not just stick to the cliche past job experience! But go beyond and express your viewpoint! As a creative individual, you must have your own unique perspective about the industry that you work in. Set up your bio to showcase your view. Have a creative mission statement which sells you. In the context of products, people enjoy it when it is original. In that light, have a creative origin story. Go a few steps back to the early years of your career. Highlight whether you had the passion for the chosen profession as a kid or did it develop later in life. Have a clean and impressive way to present your connections, touch upon the important clients you have worked for and do not forget to showcase your work. Finally, end your bio on a friendly note. Disclose some funny details, guilty pleasures and such other impersonal details.

• Elements:Now that all the important sections are taken care of, delve into some distinctive elements that can be added to your portfolio. It is interesting to add some awards you might have received. Once the portfolio is created, you want more people to know about you, and for that to happen sharing the profile must be made easy. Include social media buttons for Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and such. Sharing on such sites brings in a lot of social exposure. Additionally, share your new projects on social media at every given opportunity. It is always advisable to have a curated blog section. However, make it a point to update it on a regular basis.

• Freshness In Portfolio:Your work does not end with the creation of an amazing portfolio, it must be updated on a regular basis. The best of the portfolios are never stagnant. Make sure you add new projects whenever you get some, however, ensure that they fall into your genre.

With all these pointers to help you, go on and own your digital portfolio! I am sure the mentioned tip will definitely help in creating the wonderful. Please let me know if you have any doubt or suggestions in the comment section below.

Author Bio

:

Prince Kapoor is seasoned Marketing Analyst and Blogger. With his skills, he has been helping fellow marketers and brands worldwide.You can reach him out on www.princekapoor.com

Read some of his other contributions in other blogs and websites:-

Why and how you should make your customer feel at home (Huffington Post)

European Union aims to tighten its grip on data managed by Google and Facebook [Medium]

Why Facebook is beating the hell out of Google  [Hubpages]