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The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide

Articles   January 31, 2008  by

I have been doing extensive research on portfolio sites lately and what I’ve noticed and I’m sure a lot of you have noticed is the growing popularity of one page portfolio websites. I know some of you might be “anti trends”, but I think this portfolio website format is great for several reasons and I will give you tips on how to create your own one page graphic design portfolio and how you can market it for free.

I even use this one page portfolio format for my own graphic design portfolio, because I believe it works well!

Benefits of a One Page Graphic Design Portfolio

  • Easy to code since it is usually minimalistic in appearance
  • Simplicity of the graphic design portfolio allows your designs to shine
  • Very easy and quick for potential employers to navigate

Tips for Creating a One Page Graphic Design Portfolio

1. Register your own domain and get a paid hosting plan, don’t try and use any free services

2. Keep the layout of the site simple, but don’t be afraid to let some of your personal design style out

3. Find the right balance between low file size and quality for your images

4. Make your contact information easy to find at the top of the site

5. Write a brief 2-3 sentence bio about yourself to personalize the site

6. Link to a downloadable PDF version of your resume that is under 2mb in size

7. Don’t add an excessive number of items to your graphic design portfolios, twelve or so pieces should be fine, but you could go a little higher or lower

8. Add a case study (brief description) under each project

9. Validate your websites CSS and XHTML

10. Do not put any Google ads or other advertisements on your portfolio site

Tips for Promoting Your One Page Graphic Design Portfolio

1. Submit your portfolio to design inspiration sites. This can result in tons of traffic if you design is top notch and gets rated well by people on the site. So make sure your website is in perfect shape before submitting.

2. If you participate in graphic design forums, showcase your site in threads dedicated to showing portfolio work and you can also add a link to your portfolio in your signature. If you are an active member people will be more likely to visit the links in your signature

3. Tell all your friends about your site. Word of mouth is an underestimated method of website promotion

4. Read this book on search engine optimization. It is a priceless investment and will help you get tons of natural and free traffic to your website by tweaking minor things on your site

5. Exchange links with other designer’s sites

6. Create and attach a blog to your website so you can post articles related to design on your site. This will help bring in traffic and will help establish you as a knowledgeable professional in your field.

Submit your portfolio to onepagefolios.com

7. Submit your website to quality business directories

8. Submit your website to logo design inspiration sites mentioned in our article Design a Logo – The Ultimate Guide

Graphic Design Portfolio Resources

WordPress – Can work as a great CMS (Content Management System) for your graphic design portfolio.

One Page Folios - Nice collection of over 800 one page folios that you can browse through for inspiration.

Most Inspired – A collection of all the popular CSS and design gallery website that you can submit your portfolio site too.

SEO Book – The best search engine optimization book on the market. It will teach you everything you need to know about getting natural free search engine traffic to your website.

Some Great One Page Graphic Design Portfolios

graphicdesignportfolio1.jpg

graphic-design-portfolio-3.jpg

graphic-design-portfolio-4.jpg

I hope you found this post helpful and informative and if you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them as comments!

 

Cadence is You The Designer's senior blogger, and the most jack-of-all-trades of the staff. She's always trying out something different every day, some of which fuels her posts here on the blog. Let her know if you want us to post more about your favorite topic - she might know more than a thing or two about it!

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61 Responses
  1. Luke   -   January 31, 2008 at 4:50 pm

    This will really help me. Thanks, Gino.

  2. [...] This page offers a little tutorial on how to build a one-page graphic design portfolio – not exactly fashion, but applicable as well. [...]

  3. Bloom tools   -   February 1, 2008 at 7:57 am

    thanks for the post. Is very useful.

  4. Sodinedia   -   February 1, 2008 at 1:51 pm

    I need to get my butt in gear.

  5. Loïc SATTLER   -   February 3, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    Hi Gino, and thanks a lot for having taken my folio for exemple.

  6. luis landero   -   February 8, 2008 at 10:56 am

    while not as cool as a wordpress webpage or the like, i was able to put up my own portfolio through virb.com

    so far its kept me afloat, since it is updated with stuff i do and i get feedback too.

    thanks a lot for this info

  7. Fernando Bittar   -   February 8, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    I too am glad that you took my portfolio as an example.
    Thank you.

  8. Zoe   -   February 11, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    Great suggestions. Thank you.

  9. a   -   February 18, 2008 at 1:12 am

    thank you, this is exactly what i was looking for!!!

  10. [...] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide You have all seen those portfolio pages with a persons work all on one page, well this is how to do that step by step. [...]

  11. ela   -   March 6, 2008 at 10:58 am

    Very useful post. However, none of three sites mentioned above is XHTML valid!

  12. erik   -   March 10, 2008 at 12:53 pm

    Is there a company out there that sells one page portfolio templates?

  13. KDaniel   -   March 28, 2008 at 1:10 pm

    Thanks for the info. Your content is interesting and informative. Keep up the good work Gino!!

  14. Pherm   -   April 1, 2008 at 4:12 pm

    I’m also wondering if there is a company that sells a one page portfolio templates.

  15. kat   -   April 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm

    Excellent post! I’ve always been a firm believer in the one-page portfolio. My graphic design online folio is on one page too. http://www.creative.subtlekoffee.com/
    That “happily create” site you listed as an example is gorgeous.

  16. Dexterous SEO India   -   May 3, 2008 at 3:22 am

    Well featured list of design article. You really did a good job, including i was willing to find these sort of web design articles.

  17. [...] of my choices happened to be one page design portfolios. I always tend to gravitate towards the one-pagers because of the simplicity and easy to follow [...]

  18. [...] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide [...]

  19. [...] If you’re thinking of launching a single-page portfolio, Gino, at ‘You The Designer’, recently published a nice primer: The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide. [...]

  20. [...] If you’re thinking of launching a single-page portfolio, Gino, at ‘You The Designer’, recently published a nice primer: The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide. [...]

  21. [...] that all designers should have an online presence or a website that is at least a portfolio site. YoutheDesigner Blog shares his comprehensive guide on how and why you should have one, and you can do so quickly with a [...]

  22. Vicks   -   July 11, 2008 at 11:57 am

    Nice article, I was just staring at my blank page thinking about the best way to highlight my work and the answer was right there….keep it simple – let my work shine!! ta mate

  23. Tim Kennedy   -   July 14, 2008 at 11:37 pm

    This is a great post. However, I can’t seem to find anywhere to actually get a start on creating my own one page. Any help?

  24. Erik   -   July 17, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    http://www.onepagefolios.com is a nice site of collections of folios, but I do wish that there are site that come with thumbnails for each sites to make search easiser. Does anyone know? I do not mean some CSSbeauty type of website where they show off their design. I am looking for collection of freelancing FOLIOS with thumbnails.

    Erik

  25. [...] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide – Online [...]

  26. Kirk   -   September 18, 2008 at 3:27 am

    I think the information you have provided is very helpful. I viewed the sample you linked to your portfolio, and additionally liked the overall design. This not only inspires me, but motivates me to get back into graphic design.

  27. Holly Wise   -   September 24, 2008 at 7:16 am

    This article was really helpful. I was considering a one page portfolio but wasn’t completely sure yet until I read this article and in no time at all I built myself one.. Thanks, Gino!

  28. Conrad Gorny   -   September 26, 2008 at 8:52 am

    Really helpful stuff. Thanks,

    Conrad Gorny
    Freelance Graphic Designer
    http://www.conradgorny.com

  30. Just[ed]   -   October 17, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    Great guide… it would help a lot…
    http://www.visualjusted.com

  31. Azim.Khamisi   -   October 19, 2008 at 6:48 pm

    Great,Useful Post.

  32. CNASH   -   November 6, 2008 at 11:09 pm

    This is great. As a designer myself, I can barely make time to redesign my website. I like the idea of a one page portfolio. Thanks for the info.

  33. yelena zuko   -   November 7, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    thanks Gino, it helped a lot for me. great guide, i visit your site quite often :)

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  35. C. Stevenson   -   December 21, 2008 at 6:09 pm

    I agree with what you’ve written. I’ve used a few other tricks as a freelancer, someone might find helpful.

    1. While submitting your site to design forums, don’t overlook participating in and submitting your link where your clients will be. I work in publishing design and network with a lot of small publishers, which has become a large part of my business.

    2. Limit expectations. If the average Jane off the street is likely to want to hire you, then don’t assume she’ll be able to download, much less open, even the most basic PDF. By the time you finish explaining browser-based PDFs, Acrobat Reader, allowing downloads, file size, etc., you’ll be reaching for the Vodka bottle. So, if you’re going to do that, also offer alternatives: click-through, basic HTML pages online and even, heaven help us, a .doc file or PowerPoint presentation, if possible.

  36. [...] is an acceptable alternative. For that, I’d recommend WordPress. You might also take a look at: The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide Hope this helps. Diana __________________ Print, Web & Email Design for Creatives and [...]

  37. [...] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide – An article on creating a one page portfolio site with a lot of useful information. [...]

  38. Steve T   -   January 22, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    Great list! I disagree with #10 a bit though, my Google ads pay for my hosting and then some each year. But really that’s only because my portfolio website is full blown portfolio website and I get some search engine traffic. But yeah, for most portfolio/resume website ads are not appropriate.

  39. Bengacreative   -   March 3, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    Insightful guide, check out my one page folio site. http://www.bengacreative.com.
    Here is also a good link. http://www.onepagelove.com

  40. Matthias Dittrich   -   March 17, 2009 at 6:36 am

    Nice Post. Very useful. Thank you!

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  45. ad creative   -   June 20, 2009 at 9:51 pm

    Can somebody review my online portfolio please. I am awaiting your valuable feedback!

  46. muhammad waseem   -   June 24, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    Thanks for the info. Your content is interesting and informative. Keep up the good work Gino!!

  47. IdealHut   -   June 30, 2009 at 9:05 pm

    Great collection!

  48. darkClone   -   July 29, 2009 at 10:53 pm

    Invaluable infomation!

    Real glad I happened upon your site, :)

    Thanks!

  49. Douglas Bonneville   -   September 1, 2009 at 6:39 pm

    I have a one page web design. Of course I’m biased now that I have one, but I think it puts the client first. Clients want to see what you offer as soon as they get to the site. With a little gallery javascript goodness to make a nice no-page-refresh experience, it seems hard to beat the format. It’s basically a business card on steroids. My wife and I worked on the same design together, mine at http://www.bonfx.com and hers at http://www.marybonneville.com

  50. Douglas Bonneville   -   September 3, 2009 at 8:48 am

    I should also mention this great thread on the same topic of one-page layouts. There are some links to other articles and great examples on it:

    http://typesites.com/black-estate/

  51. Jordan W. Lee   -   September 3, 2009 at 11:59 am

    http://getysyncopated.com and http://syncopate.me are nice one page designs as well!

  52. [...] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide http://www.youthedesigner.com/2008/01/31/the-one-page-graphic-design-portfolio-guide/ [...]

  53. Michael Austin's Portfolio   -   September 15, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    Thanks for the tips! I went with a one page portfolio myself :)

  54. Deb Tremper   -   September 18, 2009 at 5:10 am

    Great information. Very helpful. Thanks!

  55. [...] YouTheDesigner: One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide [...]

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  58. TommyMan   -   November 29, 2009 at 5:23 am

    Nice posts thank you very much! As a graphic designer it is great to see how your work can really shine on the web. Out of my own personal favourites, http://www.odonodesign.com has to be on my list.

  59. Jan Kasal   -   December 17, 2009 at 5:39 am

    This post is ageless, as I can see. Almost 2 years later, it gives newcomers like me relevant info. Thanks.

  60. Ne Metzger   -   January 10, 2010 at 7:52 pm

    I just finished designing my online portfolio. Mine is a one page, but only because I wanted to do something different with it. It scrolls horizontal instead of vertical.
    ne.logomasterpiece.com

  61. [...] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide [...]

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