Fresh portfolio redesigns we couldn't help but notice

Every time a designer ships new work, they make themselves newsworthy. And every portfolio update counts as news.

Journalists talk a lot about timeliness. What makes this story worth telling right now? How late is too late to talk about it, before it’s not relevant or new anymore? How do we keep a pulse on these stories so we break them first?

When designers talk about our saturated field and the struggle to get noticed, I think of the journalist asking: Well, tell me what makes this story interesting or timely? Why should we be talking about it?

Shipping new work gives you a reason to talk about yourself again, and for others to talk about you. Every project you add to your portfolio is a news story. And redesigning your portfolio is a big one.

When these longtime members of our Semplice family launched their redesigned portfolios this past month, we were the first to click through. Everyone loves a transformation, and these were good ones. By taking the time to refresh their site and add new work, they made themselves relevant and timely again.

Pleid St.

We’re big fans of Pleid so you’ve probably seen the studio’s work here or on Semplice.com before. Their new site feels bright and airy, which suits their whimsical 3D designs well. With a full-screen video header, a project filter, colorful thumbnail hovers and a new navigation featuring their NFTS, it’s minimal yet fresh.

See the new Pleid St portfolio →

Little Studio

Little Studio has put an emphasis on typography since their first Semplice portfolio. And this new redesign does so even more. Their new site is clean and polished, with brief case studies and a memorable About page touting the benefits of “staying little.”  

Visit Little Studio's new site →

Lu Yu

Lu Yu’s new portfolio reflects her playful personality: The custom cursor and page transitions, the quirky hover effects, the distinct typeface. Even her favicon makes you smile.

See Lu's fresh portfolio →

Ailton Henriques

Ailton Henriques takes advantage of the Semplice video features to showcase his work on his new site. He leads with GIFs on his homepage to tease his projects, and keeps case studies simple with an overview and embedded videos beneath. The design puts our focus less on the site and more on the work itself.

View Ailton Henrique's new site →

Related reading

→ How you get noticed

→ Others are using your work as a free advertisement for their work

→ "Under construction"

Cover image by Pleid