A Beginner’s Portfolio
Design consideration for a developer’s first website
One of the first things everyone does when they are trying to enter the industry is to create a portfolio or personal site. This is an obvious choice because you don’t have any assigned work and are allowed unlimited creative freedom to create whatever you like. Actually, portfolios are quite challenging as a designer’s first website but i’m here to help you.
As someone new to the industry, an aspiring designer probably has little to fill their portfolio with. Content is the backbone of any site, and you want to avoid releasing a website with nothing worth saying. Adapting a policy of minimalism is always a wise idea when working with very little, but this style is sometimes challenging for new designers to understand and master.
A website should be created with a specific purpose in mind, and must be designed to accomplish that goal. When building your first website it’s easy to let it get out of control by adding features and sections that don’t make sense. It is tempting to create something that expresses your taste in things such as music, games, or other recreational activities. Your personality should show through the design of the site, employeers don’t need to know every detail.
A portfolio must work to convey the personality of the designer that created it. Your biggest tools in this department are color and typography, use them wisely to give off the impression you want to make. If you lack enough work to define your personality, consider adding some flair but going overboard can subtract from your professionalism. You are trying to create a foundation with which you will add to in the future, as you start to gain work experience.
Your first portfolio is a learning experience. No one expects it to be perfect. This is a great opportunity to experiment with current trends and new technologies. There are plenty of places to find out what the best designers have been putting into their sites. https://dribbble.com/search?q=portfolio
Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and then start over again. Learn about prototyping and use it to experiment and find a layout that works for you.
Follow conventions. Many new designers and developers try interface ideas that they’ve had in the past and find out that they don’t work to well in practice. Let someone use your website and see if they can figure out where to click and scroll, you will be supprised.
I wish you the best of luck designing your new website! If you need any help or have a question let me know :) https://clarknelson.com
