What story does your Portfolio tell? It's your Visual CV after all!

University applications

Show process, experimentation, and growth, commitment, versatility, specialism

Industry portfolios

Demonstrate specialisation, technical skill, and professional readiness, clean cut deliverables and options!

Showcase portfolio

Such as a website where you have the opportunity to showcase a fuller body of work. This could be linked from a portfolio that you have curated for another purpose

Experimental Development portfolio/Sketchbook

This can show a willingness to develop, demonstrate versatile skill sets and work in other styles when needed

Business portfolios

This can showcase your skills, training, experiences, and projects. Usually looking a lot different than a creative portfolio and showing a different array of skills or narrative.

First impressions matter—curation is key! You’re selling and they're buying!

 

A Strong Portfolio

Quality Over Quantity

Select only your strongest work, even if it means fewer pieces. A smaller, well-curated portfolio is more impactful than a large one with inconsistent quality.

Relevance to Your Goal

Tailor your portfolio to the specific opportunity—whether it’s a university application, job interview, or freelance pitch. If you’re applying to a design school, include conceptual and process work; if you’re aiming for an animation job, showcase polished character designs or storyboards.

Showcase Range & Specialisation

For university applications: Include a variety of skills (drawing, painting, digital work, 3D, mixed media) to show versatility.

Your interests

Include a few pieces which highlight a clear strength or specialisation relevant to your field.

Be the sequel and Revive old work that didn't make the cut

Research and revive older styles and bring that to the 21st century. (Think what would the futuristic do, what would postmodernism do, what would disney in the 1950s look like now or how would it be relevant?)

 

Important Considerations

Context & Thought Process

A strong portfolio doesn’t just show the final outcome; it communicates why and how you made certain choices. Brief descriptions or captions can add valuable insight into your work. Check out the Sketchbook Episodes for more tips

Cohesive Visual presentation

 

Maintain consistency in how you present your work. Think of it as a look book that's organised, consider layout, spacing, and a clear order that flows logically—group related works together and guide the viewer through your creative journey.

Digital portfolios

(websites, PDFs, reels) give a professional feel and are a great way to showcase digital work. Think QR code that takes you from a sketch page to a Youtube video animation or film you’ve made, or content documenting a process.

Physical Portfolio

You can still embrace tactile physical portfolios, show materials, swatches, etc.

Make navigation effortless

Avoid clutter and unnecessary filler work

If it doesn’t tell your story, it didn’t make the cut, or use it in your sketchbook instead.

 

What's Your Brand?

• What's your style?
• How do people remember you
• How do people contact you?
• How do you protect your work?
• Makersmark?
• Where are you distributing it and how?
• What are people looking for?
• Trend following and trend setting