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Articles - Written by Gino on Thursday, January 31, 2008 15:58 - 25 Comments

The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide

graphic-design-portfolio-2.jpg

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!

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25 Comments

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Luke
Jan 31, 2008 16:50

This will really help me. Thanks, Gino.

Online portfolios « nu fashion
Feb 1, 2008 2:36

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

Bloom tools
Feb 1, 2008 7:57

thanks for the post. Is very useful.

Sodinedia
Feb 1, 2008 13:51

I need to get my butt in gear.

Loïc SATTLER
Feb 3, 2008 19:29

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

luis landero
Feb 8, 2008 10:56

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

Fernando Bittar
Feb 8, 2008 12:41

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

Zoe
Feb 11, 2008 13:22

Great suggestions. Thank you.

a
Feb 18, 2008 1:12

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

The Best Graphic Design Articles from February 2008
Feb 29, 2008 2:56

[…] 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. […]

ela
Mar 6, 2008 10:58

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

erik
Mar 10, 2008 12:53

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

KDaniel
Mar 28, 2008 13:10

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

Pherm
Apr 1, 2008 16:12

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

kat
Apr 26, 2008 14:54

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.

Dexterous SEO India
May 3, 2008 3:22

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

23 Kick Ass Portfolio Designs | + fuel your creativity // find your spark +
May 22, 2008 22:27

[…] 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 […]

Rookie Designer Podcast :: Learn Graphic Design via Free Podcast
Jun 25, 2008 20:59

[…] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide […]

Why are designers never 100% satisfied? | David Airey :: Graphic and Logo Designer
Jun 30, 2008 19:04

[…] 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. […]

Why are designers never 100% satisfied? | Dalton Trent's Blog
Jul 8, 2008 9:50

[…] 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. […]

Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog » Meta Design Links: 10 July 2008
Jul 10, 2008 1:58

[…] 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 […]

Vicks
Jul 11, 2008 11:57

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

Tim Kennedy
Jul 14, 2008 23:37

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?

Erik
Jul 17, 2008 12:23

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

Innovative Graphic Design Resume CV and Portfolio Tips
Jul 20, 2008 8:35

[…] The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide - Online […]

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