7 Steps to Craft a Good Portfolio as a Freelance Designer And Get More Clients
When I started as a freelancer, I was on Facebook trying to communicate to business owners or family members what I did and what I could do for them.
It wasn’t surprising that only 2% of my family responded, and they weren’t interested in my services.
I was aware that I was good at design, or so I thought. But I had no way of telling them quickly about me. All I had were projects from courses I had taken, and I didn’t feel comfortable using them as past projects. Even when I started using them, I sent them as images in direct messages. Obviously, there were many issues with my strategy; it wasn’t just that I lacked projects, but I didn’t know how to sell myself as a designer. This is something I will discuss in another story.
Shortly after realizing that I wasn’t getting any freelance work, I applied to a WordPress development agency, and they asked if I had any kind of portfolio. It’s worth noting that if I got this job, it would be my first job ever. I didn’t have a portfolio, so I was rejected.
Upon returning home, I started looking at other people's portfolios and created mine following the structure that others used. Finally, I had a place where I could showcase what I was capable of and my past works or projects in a more professional and readable manner. With that, I landed a client.
In this post, I’ll show you how to create a portfolio for a designer and attract more clients.
Why Is a Portfolio Important?
The missed opportunities and time lost when I started as a freelancer stemmed from my inability to prove my capabilities as I claimed. I lacked the means to demonstrate the following:
- Credibility
- Experience
- Uniqueness
Only when you can convincingly demonstrate these three aspects to others do they begin to take you seriously.
This is crucial because if someone is going to entrust you with the style and design of their brand, they need assurance of your proficiency.
Your portfolio should encompass:
- Personal domain
- Your best projects
- Client testimonials
- Your offered services
How to Structure Your Portfolio
When a client comes to your portfolio, they want to know the following:
- Who are you?
- Have you done what I want before?
- What do people say about you?
- What is your track record?
- Can I afford what I want?
- What is your approach or work process?
- Can I easily reach out to you?
Each of these corresponds to:
- Homepage
- Your work
- Testimonials
- Social proof
- Pricing
- Process
- Call to action
These are the sections that our portfolio should have.
Websites to Create a Portfolio
Finally, here are some of my favorite websites to create a portfolio.
