Learn how to showcase your skills, creativity, and personality in your graphic design portfolio. Follow these tips to add your personal brand to your portfolio and impress your audience.

Tell Your Story! Simon Sinek says it best; ‘start with why’ - why do you do what you do? Try to avoid the generic ‘because I love being creative’ - really drill down to your own unique selling point. Then, start to build out your brand as you would any other; find your keywords, your typeface, your tone of voice, colour palette and logo - make sure it reflects who you are as a person and as a designer. If you saw your work as a beautiful hardcover book in a library, what would you front cover look like? How are you going to communicate to others what makes you different from other designers? These are just a few things to consider when building your personal brand.

How can you add your personal brand to your portfolio?

As a graphic designer, your portfolio is your most powerful tool to showcase your skills, creativity, and personality. It can help you attract clients, land jobs, and build your reputation. But how can you make your portfolio stand out from the crowd and reflect your personal brand? Here are some tips to help you add your personal brand to your portfolio.

1 Define your brand

Before you start designing your portfolio, you need to have a clear idea of what your brand is and what you want to communicate. Your brand is more than just a logo or a color scheme. It's your unique value proposition, your voice, your style, and your vision. Think about what makes you different from other graphic designers, what kind of projects you enjoy working on, and what kind of clients you want to work with. Write down your brand statement, your mission, and your values, and use them as a guide for your portfolio.

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Bee Wain

Senior Graphic Designer in Fintech - Creative Problem Solver - Brand Specialist
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Tell Your Story! Simon Sinek says it best; ‘start with why’ - why do you do what you do? Try to avoid the generic ‘because I love being creative’ - really drill down to your own unique selling point. Then, start to build out your brand as you would any other; find your keywords, your typeface, your tone of voice, colour palette and logo - make sure it reflects who you are as a person and as a designer. If you saw your work as a beautiful hardcover book in a library, what would you front cover look like? How are you going to communicate to others what makes you different from other designers? These are just a few things to consider when building your personal brand.

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2 Choose your projects

Your portfolio should showcase your best and most relevant work, not everything you've ever done. Choose the projects that demonstrate your skills, creativity, and versatility, as well as your brand personality. Make sure the projects are aligned with your goals and target audience, and that they reflect your current level of expertise. You can also include personal projects, passion projects, or side projects that show your interests and passions outside of work.

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3 Tell your story

Your portfolio is not just a collection of images. It's also a way to tell your story and connect with your viewers. For each project, include a brief description of the context, the problem, the solution, and the results. Explain your role, your process, and your challenges. Highlight the value you added and the impact you made. Use a consistent and engaging tone that matches your brand voice, and avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse your audience.

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4 Design your layout

The layout of your portfolio is as important as the content. It should be easy to navigate, user-friendly, and visually appealing. Use a simple and clean design that showcases your work without distracting from it. Use white space, contrast, hierarchy, and alignment to create balance and harmony. Use fonts, colors, and elements that are consistent with your brand identity, and that complement your work. Avoid clutter, noise, or unnecessary effects that might detract from your message.

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5 Add your bio

Your portfolio is also an opportunity to introduce yourself and show your personality. Add a bio section that tells who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Share your background, your experience, your skills, and your passions. Be authentic, honest, and friendly, and avoid sounding too formal or generic. You can also add a photo of yourself, a video, or a testimonial to make your bio more personal and engaging.

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Bee Wain

Senior Graphic Designer in Fintech - Creative Problem Solver - Brand Specialist
Report contribution
Keep it short and sweet - realistically, how much do you read on a website? Time is precious and in this nomadic digital age our attention spans are dwindling below 8 seconds. Try to engage and entertain your audience with your story.

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6 Update your portfolio

Your portfolio is not a static document. It's a dynamic and evolving reflection of your brand and your work. You should update your portfolio regularly to keep it fresh, relevant, and current. Add new projects, remove outdated ones, and revise your bio as needed. You should also review your portfolio periodically to make sure it still represents your brand, your goals, and your audience. Your portfolio is your best asset to showcase your personal brand, so make sure it's always up to date and ready to impress.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you add your personal brand to your portfolio?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Define your brand

2 Choose your projects

3 Tell your story

4 Design your layout

5 Add your bio

6 Update your portfolio

7 Here’s what else to consider

Graphic Design

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How can you add your personal brand to your portfolio?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Define your brand

2 Choose your projects

3 Tell your story

4 Design your layout

5 Add your bio

6 Update your portfolio

7 Here’s what else to consider

Graphic Design

Rate this article

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