Defining the Purpose of Your Portfolio

It's essential to realize that a portfolio website is not a guaranteed ticket to employment. Rather, it serves to pique a recruiter's interest, prompting them to consider you for an interview—or to dismiss you outright.

As a recent graduate, the temptation to fill your site with every project you've ever done can be overwhelming. However, failing to tailor your portfolio to the specific job you’re targeting—through project selection, content type, ease of navigation, and overall aesthetics—can hinder its effectiveness.

Prioritizing Key Elements in Your Portfolio

I vividly remember the chaotic experience of job hunting: sending out countless applications, refining my portfolio based on feedback, and seeking inspiration from others' work. Here are the elements I believe students should prioritize when building their websites:

1. Speed of Case Study Publication: You may find yourself juggling various tasks while preparing applications, interviews, and take-home assignments. This means you might have limited time to meticulously arrange case studies on your site.
2. Efficiency in Making Updates: Expect to receive ample feedback from peers, mentors, and interviewers during this time. Opt for a platform that allows for quick changes without disrupting the entire site.
3. Content Over Aesthetics: I've encountered numerous portfolios that look stunning on the homepage but lead to lackluster case studies. While a beautiful landing page can attract attention, a clean and straightforward design with high-quality content will always outperform a flashy site with poor substance.

Exploring Case Study Platforms

While many individuals successfully create portfolios on platforms like Notion, Figma, Medium, or Behance, I believe Notion emerges as the best free alternative. It allows for the quick publication of case studies while maintaining an aesthetic appeal. In contrast, Figma demands a higher investment of time and effort, Medium often lacks a good visual-to-text ratio, and Behance's format can be time-consuming to update.

If you do decide to build a personal website, consider how your visual identity will impact viewers' first impressions.

Choosing the Right Website Builder

When selecting a website builder, prioritize platforms that enable fast updates over those that offer extensive customization. You don’t need to be a seasoned web designer to differentiate yourself; instead, let your case studies shine. Here’s my take on a few options:

• Squarespace: While it can be pricey, it ticks all the boxes. You can quickly add and revise case studies, and it automatically adjusts for responsiveness. The templates are also quite professional. I found that my initial investment paid off through my first stipend.
• Framer, Webflow: More affordable and highly customizable, but they come with a steep learning curve. You’ll spend considerable time mastering the interface and ensuring responsiveness, which may not be ideal at this stage.
• Wix, EditorX: These options are less favorable, as many users report issues with website stability and accessibility.

Emphasizing Case Study Skim-ability

Analytics from my previous Squarespace site revealed that users spent an average of just 61 seconds on a case study. This underscores the importance of designing for skim-ability. Aim to convey the value of your work and yourself as a designer in under a minute, keeping in mind that much of your text may go unread. Does your content still tell your story effectively?

The Limitations of a Portfolio Website

A portfolio website only partially controls how your projects are perceived. You cannot dictate which project viewers will choose to explore or how quickly they will skim through the details. This makes it crucial to optimize for skim-ability and content precision.

I recommend preparing a slide deck for interviews, where you’ll have the opportunity to delve deeper into your projects, highlight key aspects, and guide the audience through your narrative.

When to Opt for a Custom Website

Consider going custom with your site only after you’ve secured a position that allows you to focus on long-term changes rather than quick updates. This might be after landing an internship or if you begin the process well ahead of when you need the site to be fully functional.

Building a portfolio website requires time and iteration based on feedback. You want to ensure that the process of updating your site doesn’t cost you valuable opportunities.

In Conclusion

• Tailor your portfolio content to align with your target job, eliminating irrelevant materials.
• Choose a platform that facilitates rapid content updates over extensive customization.
• Focus on creating a clean, minimal, and responsive website rather than striving for uniqueness.
• Prioritize high-quality projects over excessive beautification of the site itself.
• Starting with a Notion website can be an excellent choice for speed and simplicity.
• If you prefer custom builds, Squarespace offers the best blend of speed and responsiveness.
• Remember that most case studies will be skimmed in under 60 seconds, so optimize accordingly.
• Prepare a detailed slide deck for interviews to effectively communicate your project stories.

These insights guided me in developing a portfolio that ultimately helped me secure my internship at Adobe. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter, or check out my portfolio website for more on my work!