Should designers code their portfolios?
I hear a lot of designers asking the question “should I code my portfolio,” to which people reply “yes, it makes you stand out.” I’m here to share my personal opinion on the subject, and hopefully, save you from hours of frustration and wasted time.
Don’t code your portfolio!
Seriously, don’t do it. I’m by no means a portfolio expert, but hear me out. There are so many amazing portfolio design platforms that offer you complete creative freedom. They’re easy to use, and usually free to design in (you’ll just pay for hosting).
A lot of people are strong believers that your portfolio should be your best work, but I think that defies the point of a portfolio, which is to showcase your actual work.
5 reasons why you shouldn’t code your design portfolio
1. You’ll waste time.
Coding your portfolio from scratch with little development experience will take weeks to months of work (depending on how much time you’re investing). You’ll basically be learning a new skill just to showcase your design skills, which I don’t think is necessary. Instead, focus on improving your design skills.
2. It’s a distraction.
Here’s an important quote from one of my talented designer friends:
“I don’t think you should code your portfolio from scratch because it distracts you from the most important thing about the portfolio: crafting the content.”
— Seyitan Oke
Last year, when internship postings became available, many of my classmates (me included) were staying up all night trying to get their portfolios ready for rounds of internship application. And when application deadlines came up, most people still didn’t have their portfolios ready. Why? Because we were so focused on making a beautiful, perfect website, that we completely forgot that we hadn’t worked on enough projects, and hadn’t written good enough case studies to fill the website! What’s the point of a beautiful website if it has terrible content? Any experienced employer would look right past a website with beautiful aesthetics and poor quality design work/projects/experience.
3. Your portfolio isn’t a portfolio piece.
Your portfolio is important, but it’s not a portfolio piece. It needs to be easy to navigate, and it needs to showcase your personality. What’s most important is the information that you present in the website, not just the website itself. Some of the best portfolios are simple, and usually have a really simple UX design. You don’t want to confuse recruiters with layouts that they can barely navigate.
4. It won’t help you stand out.
When employers are looking through your portfolio, what they look for is your work, experience, and personality. Your website needs to be easy to navigate, offer a simple and sleek UX, and capture people’s attention. All of which you can do with online website builders. I would even argue that it’s much easier to be memorable when you use platforms that allow you to easily design with consistency and include amazing features in minutes that would otherwise take you forever to code.
5. Show off your coding skills in a portfolio piece instead.
The best way to impress a recruiter is with awesome projects. Whether it’s a passion project, something you developed for fun with friends, or a simple app that you created to solve a problem in your life. Spend your time on this stuff instead! Think about it. All of the time spent learning this new skill for the portfolio could be spent creating something that solves a real problem. That’s so much more impressive, and it proves to your employer that you have development skills.
You don’t have to use a template.
A lot of people are against using websites like Wix and Squarespace because they offer really easy to use templates. Some designers argue that using templates isn’t designing at all. (I don’t have a strong opinion on this and think that if the final design is properly executed it really doesn’t matter.) But using templates can make it more difficult for you to get complete creative freedom. I suggest starting with a blank screen and using inspiration from the templates and other portfolio sites that you think do an awesome job.
You need more than a good website.
The best way to get work is through relationships/connections. Portfolio websites are important, but they’re just one piece of the package. This Tweet and its replies say it all.
If you’re new to design and you’re looking for internships and co-op positions, employers will ask you for a portfolio. However, eventually your connections and your online presence will become much more important. If you really want to stand out, start using Dribbble, start a blog, start a Youtube channel — do anything to get involved in the wonderful design community.
I’m not saying no designer should ever code their portfolio website
Some designers are also incredible developers. If you love coding, go for it! I’m talking to the designers who think that the only way to set themselves apart is by learning a whole new skill just to showcase their work. What sets your website apart the quality of your work experience, quality of content, personality, and user experience — all of which can be done using other portfolio services.
Final thoughts
So, don’t use the portfolio building process as a “perfect opportunity to learn code.” Focus on designing a flawless experience with a great content. I’ve seen beautiful, impressive portfolios come from Wix and Squarespace. One of my favourite website builders is Webflow. It gives you complete creative freedom, you can build a portfolio on their free plan, and students automatically get 50% off their recommended paid plan.
If you’re interested in learning how to build an awesome portfolio in Webflow, we’d love to see you at our upcoming workshop!
