Since the pandemic has transitioned to mostly an online platform, let’s talking about online portfolios too. Now online portfolios have been on the rise for years, and an extremely convenient way to showcase your work as well as share with others. There are numerous websites to share your portfolio on, each with their own characteristics to consider! I place a big emphasis on user interface and how easy it is for me to operate. Shall we get down to business?
In a previous article, we talked about how it’s important to consider yourself like a brand. Choosing a website to host your portfolio is a marketing strategy for your career! Before deciding, consider the following when choosing a website to host: ease of use, level of customization, and additional features such as network or job posting pages.
Issuu
Issuu is a very common platform to digitally host your portfolio because of its quick and easy process. All you need to do is upload a PDF of your portfolio to the website and voila! This platform is free to use and has paid plans depending on your needs!
Other supported files for this platform: Word, Powerpoint, OpenOffice, WordPerfect, Rich Text Format, and StarOffice
Behance
Created by Adobe, this portfolio hosting website displays individual images rather than spreads. Additional features include integration capabilities with Adobe CC, portfolio viewing metrics as networking opportunities. I have very little knowledge of Behance myself, however, I’ve seen some amazing work on here.
Archinect
The overall Archinect website is an information hub for designers but features an Employment section where you can post your portfolio as well as browse job postings. Major firms such as Callison find new hires using this site! Click Here for the article from ArchDaily discussing what top firms look for in applications!
Archinect is a great resource to learn about different firms globally! I had a lot of time and fun learning about so many different opportunities available.
Adobe Portfolio
I believe this is less popular than Behance, but also another great way to show off your portfolio. Integrated with the Adobe Creative Cloud, this is a great option to have a little more freedom because it hosts your website without any additional cost. Albeit, the domain will have adobe portfolio in it unless you buy one. Prices for a domain can vary! In fact, I was using this option before my subscription ended.
What do I mean by Domain? Simply, it’s another term for URL or the NAME of your website.
Build Your Own!
If you are looking for customization, build your own website to precisely curate the visitor experience. Some of the most popular website-building platforms are Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace, though there are countless options with varying degrees of customization. Unlike the other platforms, this doesn’t necessarily make your portfolio visible, however, you do get more freedom to design!
An important aspect to learn when building your own website is “Search Engine Optimization” or “SEO.” This is fundamental in order to create traffic to your website and make it more visible! Major search engines like Google or Bing rank your website and determine the order it appears while being searched. Most platforms provide SEO tools for you to grow your traffic, but you’d have to learn how to utilize it.
This option is most technically intensive on our list, but provides you with the most amount of freedom. WordPress provides a plethora of themes and plugins to customize the user experience. On the flipside, you’ll have to do the grunt work of wiring up the domain, find hosting, and troubleshooting.
I know creating your website can be a lot, but understanding what makes a website work, user interface, and digital design is great practice for the future! Trust me, I still haven’t learned everything to increase my website’s visibility so while you are learning, I am too!
Dead written subject matter, Really enjoyed reading through. Ulrika Zolly Rodolphe