Website & Portfolio
Shape a clear, accessible portfolio website that helps the right people understand your work and take a confident next step.
Position the work
Make the audience and value of the portfolio obvious quickly.
Choose a primary audience
Choose the main person you want the site to help, such as a new client or an employer. Write down what that person needs to know before they contact you. Ask two people in that group what they look for when choosing someone for this work. Use their answers to decide which projects and details to show first.
Write a clear introduction
Say what kind of work you do, who you do it for and which problem you can help solve. Use words that a new visitor would know. Replace claims like 'the best designer' with a fact that shows your work, such as a type of project or years of practice. Read the sentence aloud and remove any part that needs extra explanation.
Choose useful proof
Pick a few projects that match the work you want to do next. For each one, state your role and what changed because of the work. Use a number only when you can check it and explain where it came from. Ask the client for permission before sharing private names, images or results.
Try it: 1. Choose a client or employer you want your site to reach. 2. Write one sentence that says what you do, who it helps and how. 3. Pick three projects that support that message, and write your role in each. 4. Mark anything that needs client permission. Deliverable: one plain-language introduction and a three-project list with permission notes.
Build useful project stories
Show the reasoning and your contribution, not just polished outcomes.
Tell the project in order
Start with who the work was for and what problem they had. Say what you were asked to do, what your part was and what made the work difficult. Explain the main action you took and what happened next. Credit teammates, and include a result only when you can check it and have permission to share it.
Explain your choices
Choose one or two decisions that shaped the project. Say what options you considered and why you picked one. Use a sketch, note or small comparison if it helps the reader follow your thinking. Keep only details that help a new client understand how you work.
Add useful image words
Write a caption that tells the reader what to notice in each project picture. Add alternative text, which is a short description read aloud by some screen readers, for pictures that carry meaning. Leave that text empty for decoration that adds no useful information. Do not repeat the same long description in both the caption and alternative text.
Try it: 1. Choose one project and write its starting problem in one sentence. 2. Add your role, two decisions and their reasons. 3. Add the result and how you checked it. 4. Write a caption and short alternative text for one picture. Deliverable: a case-study outline with an approval note for every client fact or image.
Design, test and maintain
Make the next step easy and ensure the site works for more than one device.
Give each page a purpose
Write the main question a visitor brings to each page. Put the most useful answer near the top, then give that page one clear next step, such as viewing a project or sending a message. Use short menu labels and headings that explain what comes next. Ask someone who has not seen the site to find your contact details without help.
Check access and speed
Try moving through the site with a keyboard, and look for a clear mark showing which link is selected. Check that text is easy to read, links say where they go and useful pictures have text descriptions. Zoom in and test on a narrow phone screen as well as a wide one. Automatic checkers can catch some problems, but a person still needs to try the site.
Keep the site up to date
Before launch, open every link and test each form from start to finish. Check names, contact details, page descriptions and privacy notes. Set a reminder to review old projects, client permissions and working links every few months. Keep a backup of the final site files and know who can restore them.
Try it: 1. Pick one important page and state the question it answers. 2. Use only a keyboard to visit its links and form. 3. Test the page on a phone and zoom the text. 4. Record each problem, its effect and a fix owner. Deliverable: a short launch checklist with the highest-priority fix at the top.