Where to Post Your Graphic Design Portfolio
by Doug Farrick
Learn how you can attract customers by posting an online portfolio at these websites. Run with the pack or stand out in a crowd, wherever you place your portfolio, you can get attention.
The Best Places for a Graphic Designer to Post an Online Portfolio
When you post an online portfolio, your audience includes both potential clients and employers. You can post your online portfolio at some of the recommended sites below to give your work the best visibility possible.
Also realize, nothing is really free and to get exposure on some of the better sites below you will have to pay. The good news is that "most" are fairly reasonable. And some may fit your eye/style better than others. You will be able to find this out very quickly by checking out the sites.
Here is a list of the top portfolio websites to consider:
Carbonmade - This is a very cool (looking) free site that gives you a lot of freedom to create a portfolio that represents you and your body of work. Reasonable upgrades available.
Creative Shake - Creative Shake, formerly portfolios.com, was established in 1995 as the first comprehensive online resource showcasing creative talent.
Coroflot - This site offers a job board, numerous resources for designers looking for work and portfolio options that are very impressive. There's also a blog for designers to connect and communicate.
Foliolink - Is a website building tool designed specifically for artists and designers. They offer features that are unique to an artist including a Gallery slideshow and image search. They offer a free trial.
Impactfolios - This site is another website designed to help artists create their own online portfolio website. They offer a free trial.
Creative Hotlist - Communication Arts has a website that allows you to post your portfolio online. Nice, simple interface.
Designers Toolbox - This site says "Effortless Design Portfolios" - hey, sounds good to me! I like this site so I am biased, I guess.
Qfolio - Pros: Qfolio can make you look like a budding design star AND they can handle multimedia. Cons: Under order it says: "Call for a free (no obligation) Quote and consultation with one of our designers" - now who wants to do that?!
Big Black Bag - Site description: "The quick & easy way to create, maintain & control your own online portfolio website with no coding" - well, I hope they weren't going to make me code anything. Under the pricing tab they have a nice comparison chart.
FolioSnap - Very robust site with an excellent set of features. Check out their sample gallery. Also a good range of pricing plans.
Variety Is The Spice Of Graphic Designers
Your best bet is to place your portfolio on a variety of websites, including your own website, job boards, classified ad links, job forums, career service websites, graphic designer directories, web design inspirational galleries and web-design article sites.
By displaying work in many online appropriate websites and inspirational galleries, you can provide more customers with a better chance of finding you. Make this a regular part of your promotional activities
Discover Your Niche
You can also seek out special graphic showcase sites that will display your type of work. Your work, whether you are an illustrator, web designer, print designer, etc may have a particular "style" or "look" - use this to your advantage! Discover your niche or style and place it in the right graphic design showcase website.
There are showcase websites for illustration, architecture, logotype design, logo design, typography design, album cover design, book cover designs, photography, magazine cover designs, web design, business card design, brochure design, flyers and posters design, print design, graphic design, both web and graphic design or other graphic design.
Numerous Posting Opportunities
As a graphic designer, you will have to create your own opportunities with your portfolio, luckily, you have many online opportunities to display your portfolio.
You can place your portfolio on job boards or with career services that specialize with matching graphic designers with companies who wish to hire graphic designers. You can consider listing your portfolio in graphic designer directories.
Any Spotlight is Potentially a Good Spotlight
Adding your portfolio to select portfolio websites is advantageous whether your work is placed in a large crowd, small group or singular display of your work. You can create a gallery on your website that displays your work only. You can create different strategies and works to accommodate clients who are interested in your work by focusing on your graphic design strengths.
Finally, WHERE you post your online portfolio will have a definite impact of securing clients and quality design positions and as such, deserves constant attention and should be updated regularly.
