Graphic design is not only about learning graphic design software or learning how to draw. It’s a combination of all those things related to graphic design. One of the most common problems that graphic designers face as a beginner is building their graphic design portfolio. In this article, you will get to know how to create a graphic design portfolio as a beginner.
What is a graphic design portfolio?
A graphic design portfolio is a way for graphic designers to showcase their most important and impressive projects. These works are displayed in hopes of acquiring interest from the public, catching eye of the potential buyers, and keeping an archive of work for personal use.
Ideas for graphic design portfolio projects:
Graphic design is a very competitive field. Thousands of graphic designers from all over the world compete for graphic design projects on different freelance marketplaces like Fiverr, Upwork, and freelancer, etc. So it’s very difficult to get a good graphic design project as a beginner. But here are some ideas through which one can get some work and build their portfolio.
1. Taking part in design contests.
I am keeping this idea on top because it has helped me personally a lot. When I was a beginner in this field I used to take part in different graphic contests and to be honest, I have never won any design contest to date. But it definitely gave me something to show in my portfolio. So if you are also a beginner, I would suggest you take part in graphic design contests both locally and on freelance marketplaces like freelancer and 99designs, etc. It will help you to get global exposure as well as some portfolio items to show in your portfolio.
2. Reach local businesses.
The second thing you can do is to reach local businesses in your area and offer them your services for a project if they have one.
3. Create content for your own personal brand.
As beginners, we do not think about having our own personal brand. Our only focus at that stage is to get some graphic design projects. But why not we should work on our personal brand instead of wasting our time on asking others for work. Of course, we should. Creating content for our own brand will provide us with enough items to show in our portfolio.
4. Practice on creating content for brands that you love.
We all have a likeness in our hearts for some specific brands so you can take details from their old items and design them in a completely new and unique way.
5. Create designs for stock website.
You should create designs for stock websites like Shutterstock and Graphic River etc. It will help you earn some passive income.
How to make a good graphic design portfolio?
1. Show your best work.
When it’s about creating a good graphic design portfolio, you should always prefer quality over quantity. It is very much important for building your reputation as a graphic designer. It is recommended to select your strongest projects and make them the primary focus of your portfolio. However, you should never ignore showing your versatility to potential clients.
2. Choose the right platform for your graphic design portfolio.
It is very much important to choose the right platform to showcase your work. There are numerous websites like Dribble and Flickr etc. where you can create your portfolio for free. But I would prefer to invest in a quality website with a custom domain because it will pay off in the long run by demonstrating your professionalism to potential clients. Having your own website helps you organize your portfolio to suit all your business needs.
3. Include a professional case study.
A written case study is very much valuable to complement any website visuals. Through a written case study, your website visitors get to know about your project’s background, the problems you face during the project, and the process you took to solve those problems and arrive at a final deliverable.
4. Show non-client work or side projects.
If you are a beginner, it is acceptable to include your non-client work or side project in your graphic design portfolio so that potential buyers can get a sense of your ability and style. You can incorporate your schoolwork, a logo you designed for your friend or relative, and the designs you have created for your own brand. Showing non-client work will make your portfolio heavy and make you sound more expert.
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