The top DESK portfolio articles of 2021

These are our most-read portfolio articles of the last year.

If you've decided to launch your new portfolio before the new year, feel free to browse these articles for inspiration and motivation.

But if you're feeling the spark now, you don't need advice. Just start now and get it out there. The most important part of finishing a portfolio is getting started in the first place.

1) How to make a portfolio when you don't have any work to show

What if our work’s not good enough? What if we don’t have enough to show?

Everyone starts with nothing at the beginning. But if you have just one project – even if it’s a personal experiment – you can create an online portfolio. Here’s how.

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2) Little portfolio tricks for new designers

When you're just starting out, creating your portfolio is a challenge. You don't have many projects to work with yet. You're not sure how to position yourself for the job you want – or if you even know what job you want. You can recognize a nicely designed site when you see one, but anything you make doesn't live up to your own standards.

Take these challenges as a sign that you're officially a designer. Then follow these tips to create a portfolio that says it too.

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3) The best investment you can make as a creative

It’s the trendy new thing to buy into a company, currency or piece of art. Investing has become more accessible, so we're all rolling the dice and hoping we get lucky. But for those who do creative work, there’s a safer bet.

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4) 7 pieces of portfolio advice from 7 years of running Semplice

We launched Semplice in 2014 with no expectations. Like every other tool we've created at HOVS, we built it first and foremost for ourselves. Little did we know, thousands of the world's leading designers would be using Semplice seven years later. And since 2014, we've learned a lot about building good portfolios.

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5) 6 cheats to make your portfolio look redesigned – without actually doing anything

A good portfolio is a current portfolio. But undertaking a full redesign every year feels daunting. Thankfully, that’s not necessary.

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6) "Under construction"

Instead of linking to a dead-end page that says “Portfolio coming soon,” take advantage of our attention. You have the website in your bio and we clicked it, after all.

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7) The case against portfolio templates

Using a template for your portfolio does you and your work a disservice. I say it all the time. But you might assume (given the fact that I co-founded two portfolio tools that don't offer templates) that I say this to push my products.

While I do want you to use my products, I'm not pushing the anti-template agenda for that reason. It's this belief that inspired my tools in the first place.

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8) Exceptionally good non-portfolio sites built with Semplice

Semplice is first and foremost a portfolio builder, but the smartest creatives and studios find it useful for a whole lot more.

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9) Beautiful typography portfolios built with Semplice

Half of beautiful design comes down to typography. So it’s no surprise some of our favorite Semplice portfolios are by type designers.

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10) How to make a 3D design portfolio in 15 minutes with Carbonmade

To spend the time perfecting every detail of your 3D designs – the texture, lighting, color and more – only to show it off in a poorly designed, outdated portfolio? Makes no sense!

In this article, Zoe from Carbonmade shows you how she created a 3D design portfolio in 15 minutes.

Read the article →

This year we officially launched a full series on DESK around creating your portfolio. So if you want more tips and inspiration, you'll find plenty there.

And if you're looking for a tool to help you make it happen, I of course have to recommend carbonmade.com (the easiest and fastest way to get your work online) or semplice.com (a more advanced tool, for those who want a fully custom portfolio). If you're curious about the difference between the two you can read about them here. Happy building, and see you in 2022!