An unsolicited portfolio review featuring creative practice, With Conviction

We’re back this week with another portfolio review that nobody asked for. Just us, admiring our favorite portfolios and analyzing what makes them work so well.

This week we’re looking at With Conviction, the portfolio of Kali Adams.

This site is one of our Semplice Best of 2021 award winners for its strong positioning and design. Let’s dig into what exactly we liked about it.

At first glance, you might think this is a studio website; the name, the range of work and the site design all lead you to believe so. And at this point, you might call it a studio anyway. As an independent designer working in a remote world, you can position yourself however you want to. What we care about is the quality of the work – and With Conviction’s is good.

From the start, Kali makes it known exactly who she is and what she wants to do. She manifests the type of projects she wants by stating it on her homepage. She then lists out each category of her work below that, so you can understand at a glance what she offers. I love how straightforward this is. Curating projects helps show your focus, but it never hurts to state it as well – especially if you’re trying to break into a specific area or client type.

Kali’s case studies are refreshingly readable, with small paragraphs providing context where needed. As a creative director, her case studies are less focused on process, and more on the strategy and thinking behind her work.

Once again, Kali’s straightforward approach wins. Her footer lists her email address (no buried contact info or annoying mailto links here) and social media info. She has a Contact link in her menu for those looking for it there, but we can immediately find it on our own in the footer as well.

Bonus: Kali includes a Process page on her site that reinforces her skills and areas of focus. Note the lack of buzzwords, charts, lengthy paragraphs and fluff. This entire site evokes Kali's confidence and respect for her audience.

Visit withconviction.co for the full experience, built with Semplice.com

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All images in this article were taken from withconviction.co. The article cover image appears in Kali's "Ritual – Make Yourself" project.