A well-designed portfolio is often the most important thing when it comes to sealing the deal with a new client or impressing potential clients. After all, the best way to support your sales pitch is to show people what you do.
But how do you make a good portfolio?
You can try and do it from scratch, but many web designers and creative agencies look for inspiration before building their own portfolio websites. In this blog post, we'll explore some inspiring portfolio website examples that effectively highlight creativity and uniqueness.
Table of Contents:
- Web design portfolio examples
- Photography portfolio sites
- Graphic design portfolio examples
- UX portfolio examples
- Illustration portfolio website examples
Web design portfolio examples
1. Robert Bürgel
Robert Bürgel is a great example of how a web designer should use interactive elements. Upon entering the site, you’ll see a visually striking layout that seamlessly blends aesthetics with functionality. The website cleverly integrates interactive features:
- Hover effects
- Scroll-triggered animations
- Engaging transitions
While it may be a bit too complex for creative professionals who need a one-page portfolio, Robert Bürgel’s example can be the way to go for design or marketing agencies.
2. Milli Agency
Milly Agency proves how easy it is to make a simple yet powerful online portfolio. It uses dynamic animations on the edges, but it doesn’t interfere with the actual content. This creative studio designed a website that eliminates homepage scrolling — all it takes is to pick a section and see what’s in it.
Although its dominant white color seems plain at a glance, you’ll quickly realize that Milli welcomes visitors with some colorful and visually appealing case studies.
3. Johan Digital
Unlike traditional web design portfolios that rely on wordy explanations, Johan Digital takes a refreshing approach by allowing their featured work to speak for itself. The one-page portfolio design invites visitors to draw their own conclusions and engage with the content on a personal level.
Despite its minimalistic nature, Johan Digital incorporates elements like parallax scrolling to add a touch of motion that prevents the space from feeling static or monotonous.
4. Eve Kayser
If you’re a web designer with an eye for detail (and you should be!), you’ll love Eve Kayser’s design portfolio. It features subtle gradient effects, with little floating squares that make it feel quirky in a very nice way.
One of the standout features of Eve's portfolio is the strategic placement of information. Visitors can easily find essential details about Eve's expertise above the fold along with other basic information. This thoughtful arrangement ensures that potential clients can quickly assess his skills and get in touch without having to scroll or search extensively.
Examples of a standout photography portfolio site
1. James Tye
James Tye proves that simple portfolio websites are often most effective. It features a full-screen photo of a smiling worker, and it immediately shows that James is focused on capturing the style and emotions of regular people.
The website has a few sections like industry, locals, travel, and people. Each section is carefully curated, showcasing a diverse range of images that highlight James' creativity. There’s also a blog page and a contact page with his email and phone number.
2. Photographos
Photographos is an online portfolio that boasts a sleek and modern design. It puts the spotlight on captivating photos, not allowing excess elements to distract visitors. It features only three pages — homepage (portfolio), about, and contact.
This kind of clean layout makes it an excellent source of inspiration for photographers and other creatives who want to build a personal portfolio.
3. Mike Kelley
Mike Kelley is an architectural photographer, and you can see it as soon as you land on his portfolio page. Visually appealing photos occupy most of the screen, but there’s also the navigation menu on the left sidebar. In this case, you’ll see more options than usual:
- Portfolio (with several categories)
- Commissions
- Projects
- About
- Books
- Print shop
- Contact
Mike Kelley’s website is a great example for agencies and professionals who offer a similar range of products and services.
4. Giles Clement
Giles Clement has a wonderful portfolio with full-width images. What sets this website apart is the dynamic nature of the background, which seamlessly transitions between several captivating photos, changing every few seconds.
This transition provides a sense of continuity and navigational ease. But if you click any of the links (portfolio, stories, prints, contact), you’ll see pages with a more traditional header that includes the logo and menu.
Graphic design portfolio examples
1. Yeshi Designs
Yeshi Designs can be a source of inspiration for graphic designers hoping to build a nice portfolio. The clear header and tile design immediately draw attention to the showcased work samples.
By clicking on each tile, visitors are treated to the full details of each project, allowing for a deeper exploration of Yeshi’s creative process. This approach strikes a perfect balance between showcasing her unique style and providing in-depth project narratives.
2. Heather Shaw
Heather Shaw impresses us with ultimate simplicity. When you visit her website, you’ll only see work samples and a CTA inviting you to send her an email. It’s an exceptional showcase of diverse design skills across various media, including book and website designs.
That way, Heather’s website caters to all those who excel in multiple disciplines and need a portfolio that reflects their versatility.
3. Gleb Kuznetsov
Gleb Kuznetsov has a portfolio on Dribbble, and represents a solid fusion of product design, user experience, and graphic design. Although it features dozens of images, Kuznetsov skillfully organizes them into seven distinct projects.
Who can learn from this portfolio design? It’s best for professionals who aren’t sure how to present complex concepts and design projects.
4. MDZ Design
The reason why we like this portfolio website example is that MDZ Design builds a cohesive narrative that highlights their expertise in multiple areas. Despite the diverse range of offerings (execution, strategy, and product design), MDZ Design keeps it all clear and easy to digest.
The only thing we don’t like is the case study video. But the video is on a different page, so it doesn’t interfere with the actual portfolio.
UX portfolio examples
1. Gloria Lo
Gloria Lo has a UX design portfolio that stands out with its interactive headline — each word changes its color as you slide a cursor over it. This instantly proves that Gloria is the master of user experience.
In addition, she wrote a captivating introduction using concise yet powerful descriptions. With a thoughtfully crafted video introduction, she also allows viewers to connect with her on a personal level by getting a glimpse into her creative process.
2. Elizabeth Lin
Elizabeth Lin’s website explains how visual storytelling should work. Her portfolio follows the usual F-shaped reading pattern, but it heavily relies on dynamic elements on the right side to immerse visitors into the webpage content.
3. Olivia Truong
Olivia Truong is one of those UX designers who can prove that less is more. As a product designer, Olivia nurtures a minimalistic style, and it shows on her website. A few well-placed product visuals are all you get to see, while the rest of the content is available through the hamburger menu.
If you use it to explore Olivia’s website, you’ll see lots of useful stuff like her side projects or ‘About’ page.
4. Daniel Autry
If you happen to be a UX enthusiast with a flair for black and white design, you’ll appreciate Daniel Autry’s portfolio. Daniel uses a lot of whitespace to separate his work samples, while each project comes with a very brief but convenient intro.
Of course, you can expand on it just by clicking on a given project. The only other elements to explore are Daniel’s ‘About’ page, his resume, and his contact details.
Illustration portfolio website example
1. That Artista
The person behind the That Artista website is Philece Roberts, a Bahamian Artist who strongly focuses on gracefully portraying Black Women. It’s one of our favorite portfolio sites because, hey, just take a look at the screenshot above.
If you ever get your eyes off this wonderful illustration, you’ll notice a discrete navigation menu that will lead you to Philece’s artwork, shop, articles, and contact forms.
2. Michael Molfetas
Michael Molfetas takes advantage of contrast to point out his colorful designs. You’ll see a totally black background packed with intense-colored illustrations. Apart from that, this one-page website only displays Michael’s contact information and his recent works.
3. Pierrick Calvez
Pierrick Calvez successfully combines two elements that most people don’t: simple fonts and unusual and extremely modern visuals. That way, Pierrick’s website essentially turns into a colorful collage of visual products.
Unlike many other designers on our list, Pierrick also invites visitors to sign up to his newsletter, which is a nice addition if you want to make people remember you in the long run.
4. Lisa Maltby
Lisa Maltby created an intuitive website that allows her illustrations to take center stage. What truly sets it apart is Lisa's ability to seamlessly blend various artistic styles, making her portfolio site look diverse in a natural way.
But here’s the bonus point — this web design portfolio features interactive elements and engaging animations that make the overall experience much more dynamic.
Create an online portfolio that will impress clients
In the world of web design and creative agencies, a standout portfolio can make all the difference in terms of attracting potential clients. There are numerous examples of portfolio websites that can serve as inspiration for your own digital showcase.
Have fun while searching for the best example, and remember — your portfolio is a reflection of your skills, so do your best to make it truly inspirational and unique.
