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Holy crap. This is all wrong.

I’m not visiting any one of those websites, and I’d never work with any of those people. Why? Because they’re trying to wow me with their website – not their work/thinking, they’re all the same website essentially (same formula), and every single one of those websites are the result of trends and not thinking. Differentiation and great work is key. Let’s please understand this now.

Hello SM,

Today i am very happy and Thank you lot accepted me as your eligible user of you site. and Its such an honor to be here.

Thanks for all the comments

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Thanks again SM

@Gordon – I agree.

@Gordon fair comments and I just don’t coincide with you at #7 and #8.

I think it’s very important to have references, and in the case you target being contracted by a client or a creative agency, it’s nice to show, in some way, you have them. Here that ‘friends links’ I was talking about (93) also suits.
Of course it depends on the content you put at your blog. If I wanted to contact a designer for a comissioned work or as a partner in some project, I’d love to see more of his creative process, and maybe know further about his experience dealing with clients, getting into visual communication events, posting interesting news and discussions concerning his field and so on… it would surely show me he enjoys what he does and keeps increasing his references. And, as Lee Munroe says, “prevent your website from lying static”.

A portfolio I ended up visiting on daily basis was Fabien Barral’s Graphic Exchange. I might have visited his portfolio once or twice but what made me put a link at my bookmark bar was the great quality of the references he posts and how often he updates it. Once in a while he posts personal work, besides the fixed link, and I’m sure he has many many loyal users like me taking a look at it when he does.

I also like the way Bosque, for example, puts some personal pictures at their site. They write literaly ‘Life’ at the menu, even already having a blog linked, and present random pictures of people, personal work and everyday images and fun. The client looking at that may like it or not, but if he does like and hire them I’m sure the workflow will suit their personality much better than if the client haven’t seen it before.

And the ‘Call to actions’, working as a ‘next step’ was the most relevant topic this post bought to me! I definetely put it in consideration now on.

AWSOME! really cool article!

Great post very inspiring

This is why I don’t suggest people hire “designers” because the best work they will ever do is their own portfolio. Case and point, all the examples were of web designers. Ever think that more than web designers use the Internet or care about design? Get out of your bubble once in awhile.

very useful, thanks. and so clearly chunked down. very good work!

just don’t forget that the main idea is to show your work to others

Great sites!
A piece of advice: Some of you are proudly stating that your sites are validated XHTML, CSS, etc. Unfortunately some of these designs also break in Internet Explorer 7, which is still the most commonly used browser out there.
Idealism is good, but pragmatism is what most companies need, to keep all of their users happy (non geeks included). Make the nescessary hacks for IE, and Bob’s your uncle.

115: Blair
This is why I don’t suggest people hire “designers” because the best work they will ever do is their own portfolio. Case and point, all the examples were of web designers. Ever think that more than web designers use the Internet or care about design? Get out of your bubble once in awhile.

Interesting. Who then, would you suggest a professional, image conscious company should hire to design a website if not a graphic/web designer?

Maybe, just maybe….next time? Ah never mind!

Portfolio site

Gamer??

“and if you’re a Web designer, developer, writer, gamer or any other type of creative, then it’s essential that you have a good portfolio website.”

Confused, not sure what type of portfolio site a gamer would have. But, I confuse easily. Nice writeup ;)

I’m I already followed most of this advice but it sure would have been easier had this blog been here 2 years ago!

Absolutely agree with Benjamin, I don’t understand the negative comments, design is so subjective. A portfolio should reflect the deisgner creating it, most of the designs in his/her portfolio often are directly influenced by the client, so the portfolio is a good vehicle to stamp your own mark/style, all the design decisions made are made yourself without any influence or direction from the client, hopefully resulting in a piece of work that is truly your own.

What if you have multiple talents? I mean, you want to show what you’re best, the trade you’ve learned but you still want to show that you have learned on your own other styles, mediums, or types whether it’s in the arts or not.

We would like to get your website on first page of Google. All of our processes use the most ethical “white hat” Search Engine Optimization techniques that will not get your website banned or penalized. Please reply and I would be happy to send you a proposal.

super awsome ideas deffffffffffffffff liked the one ps. email me some more cause my computer broke down

Great Inspiration for my own portfolio site, Thank You

Thanks a lot, I’m redesigning my website right now and this is pure gold. (:

i love horizontal portofolio site

EXTREMLY useful! I love this post, thank you very much!
I can now start thinking of making a portfolio on a good base. :)

The FREAKIN BEST thing I’ve ran into so far!!!

So simple, very informational, perfectly composed!!!

Thumbs UP!!!!

PUURFECT!!!

“In the Western world, we read from left to right”…So Israel is part of what? China?

Thanks guys. This article played a big role in how I redesigned my site.

These are some great tips. I think people overlook the fact that they need an “about me” page on their site. Commonly, I see portfolio pages that fail to give the user a little information about them. I also, think is very important to include social networking site. Let’s face it everyone either has a facebook, myspce, linkedIn, twitter, youtube, ect. It gets people talking, too. You are really limiting yourself if you fail to put these on your web site. I have been freelancing for about a year now and have implemented all these tips into my website.

On another subject I failed in getting a lot of jobs early on in my career when I would got to GetAFreelancer and bid on different design projects. I could spend 24 hours and only get 1 project if I was lucky, and waste a handful of days. I hate sites like that! Luckily, I have found site where you can actually get in direct contact with clients for projects via email or telephone.

I must admit…
BEST tips I have ever read on the topic..period

best article so far:)

funny though that i needed more time to read all those comments than i needed for article:D
and i didnt jet check the webpages! xD

but yes, i too need a portfolio, and so far i discovered i dont really want to bring it up because of the clients, but because of the picture or brand (named it as you like) that i present, things i am experimented with. like a somekind of report what i have done/ am doing and what i should do in future and where i really wanna go with my aims/goals.
thats why is good to “know your potential client”

my case is that i wanna do graphic design like prints, type, logos, ilustration, etc. but so far i ve been extra experimental with photos.. so yes. its nice to discover at least this that i ll push myself in right ways:)

and i do agree some of this 40 sites are almost the same:)))
and i hate this “hi i am xxx designer xx and i am soooo goood and u gonna hire me no matter what”. it looks like you wanna sell ur mother just to get this job. we are not so depressed, are we? designer should have his own pride.

right designer shouldnt accept every chance to work. maybe in the beggining of carrer, while you search for practice, but then they learn to not accept everything. designer should enjoy in their work. and you cant enjoy in all of them:) try to find inspiration at http://www.sagmeister.com/index.html

and just to remind: there are artistic frelancess too. and i dont think that they should have basic site with logo on upper left corner;)

hum what else..
dont be fake. be yourself. be you:)) and find what you want from your client;)

AND YEAH

gordon rocks!!

Thanks for the great article! I followed your steps: This is the result: my new portfolio website.

Thanks!

Hi,

This is inspiring; I am very pleased by this post. Nice info at this post thanks!!! I really like it

Having been a freelance web designer for 2.5 years now, and having a current site that ticks a lot of the boxes mentioned in the article, I’m going to stick my neck out and say most of what’s discussed here is wrong.

I’ve learned that the most important thing you need on your site isn’t anything about you. The most important message is what you do for your clients; how you will make their business successful. You need to stop thinking in design terms, and start thinking in business terms.

Get your business message, your best portfolio items and an easy way to contact you on your homepage. Leave all the “me, me, me” to your secondary pages — most clients will never read it anyway.

My current site fails on these counts so my redesign will be addressing this. I suggest other designers follow suit — stop with the ego masturbation and start selling proper business solutions. You’ll get much better clients when you do.