7 Best Portfolio Examples to Study Before Creating Yours

Online collections of your best work helps you land new clients or showcase your talent in ways people wouldn’t see otherwise. New graphic designers sometimes feel uncertain about what to include in an online portfolio. Study these portfolio examples to figure out what works for others and how you can put your own digital images together to impress people. 

Keep your portfolio as simple as a collection of images or as detailed as explanations about each project. You may want to conduct some split testing to see which ones perform best with your target audience. 

How you present your work also depends on the niche you’re in. For example, the graphic design field has a mere 3% growth rate through 2031. You may need to do something to stand out in a highly competitive atmosphere. On the other hand, if you create unique pieces of art like no one else, you can stick to a more traditional approach. 

We’ve gathered up some of the best of the best portfolio examples to get you started.

1. Bruno Simon

Let’s open with a look at designer Bruno Simon’s website. A little red jeep traipses through a unique virtual landscape that is the website. Users move the vehicle by hitting the arrow keys. 

The site is created with a fun, casual vibe. If you don’t steer the car in the right direction, you’ll run into blocks, letters and other items. When the jeep hits them, they tumble over with sound effects. As you navigate to areas, such as projects, you can click on different ones to see the finished product. 

A concept site is much more advanced than newbie designers might want. However, this is a good one to study for those seeking a more unusual approach and an advanced design. 

2. Christina Vanessa

Christina Vanessa Greifenstein’s website shows examples of micro-videos. If you’re a video marketing designer, you’ll find some interesting examples of using various images to pull the user in. 

We love the minimalist and monochromatic design of this site. The layout has sharp lines that enhance the videos and images and keep the focus on the portfolio examples. 

3. Greg Christian

Greg Christian goes with a straightforward approach. The site’s color palette is black and white. The elegant look sets the stage for all his portfolio examples. 

To begin, he lists the places he’s designed for that people might recognize, such as Envoy, Acorns and Blockchain.com. 

As the user continues scrolling down the page, they’ll see app and website designs laid out on mockups of smartphone screens. He ends with some examples of logos. The entire effect takes mere minutes to look through but leaves a lasting impression.

Your portfolio doesn’t have to be complex to achieve elegance and grab user attention. 

4. Robert Floyd

Robert Jay Floyd takes an unusual approach and goes with the tagline “Solving big problems. Failing a lot along the way.” The stark transparency of the statement makes the portfolio stand out from others in the industry. Rather than trying to make himself look like he has it all together, this designer admits he sometimes makes mistakes but in the end he solves problems and sticks with it until he gets the results the client wants. 

Just under the fold, you’ll get in-depth information about Floyd as a designer, including where he went to college, jobs he’s held and various work he’s done. 

He then lists some of the projects he’s worked on so potential clients can see his specializations. Something unique about the site is how he has footnotes in the footer. He explains what he learned from various jobs and has a few thank yous thrown into the mix. 

5. Maria la Portuguesa

We love the funky vibe of Maria la Portuguesa’s portfolio examples. The lime green isn’t a color you often see in online portfolios, so it stands out and grabs attention. She also uses some interesting images to draw the user in. 

One thing we would caution you in your portfolio is ensuring you’re using the most modern standards. Although we love her portfolio design and think it is worth studying, we don’t love that her site is still in a non-secured http rather than secure socket layer with an https extension. 

The result threw up a warning about visiting the site and may dissuade some users from moving forward and looking through the examples and thus hiring her. Make sure your site is up to current usage standards and you provide privacy policy notices. 

6. By Experience

The jarring electric-blue of By Experience’s page grabs attention. It is a bit jarring on the eyes and not something users can look at long, but hints at energy and excitement in their design work. 

As the user scrolls down the page, they see cut animations the agency has come up with and explain how they mesh design, marketing and strategy to bring their clients’ results. 

Combining an explanation of what you do and examples of results and finished campaigns can establish authority and build trust between you and potential clients. 

7. RoAndCo

RoAndCo is a design studio specializing in building brand stories. We love the way they’ve added small thumbnail images to showcase some of their best work. The shapes vary but are all within a grid, giving the design a focused look that’s easy for users to skim over.

Click on any image for a larger version and details on the completed project. Some portfolios are image-focused and some add text. This particular portfolio example starts with heavy imagery. As the user moves through the site, however, they get details on each project and can learn more about the designers. 

Create Amazing Portfolio Examples

Portfolio examples showing what others have done to display their work can help you decide what to include in your own digital design. 

The images and text you include in your portfolio should be your best work. Share only the things you’re most proud of. Select examples that show the entire range of what you can do. With precision and by swapping out newer examples as your skills improve, you’ll wind up with a website that draws new business.