A design portfolio makes or unmakes a graphic artist. It makes that crucial first impression on peers or potential clients and determines your future in the design world.

Here are some dos and don’ts that will take your portfolio from ‘meh’ to awesome.

Do create a unique online portfolio

By unique, I mean out-of-this-world and mind-blowing! Pick out the most interesting and visually powerful works and images and place them front and center.

Here’s an example of a portfolio from Martin Sati. The site itself is pretty minimal but your eyes will be immediately drawn to his powerful, sleek works. In fact, his works are so impactful that they have been featured on numerous design sites. And yeah, exposure counts. A lot.

Don’t steal…ever!

Nowadays it’s pretty difficult to steal/borrow someone else’s work and get away with it. The world has become so much smaller with the Internet. So my advice is… don’t even bother.  One of the biggest mistakes a graphic artist can make in his or her career is to steal/ claim/reference someone else’s work. You’d be surprised how many artists out there have been caught red-faced and their careers cut short due to allegations of plagiarism.  Take popular graphic artist Mijn Schatje. In 2009, a group of ball-jointed doll aficionados noticed the striking resemblance of the women in Mijn’s artworks to their dolls. Side by side comparisons of Mijn’s works and the dolls was enough to have Mijn banned from exhibits and her ‘artworks’ deleted from websites and her name forever linked to the term “art thief”.

Do experiment with technology

Flash can be a very powerful tool for a graphic artist in creating his/her online portfolio. Take Michael Mcdonald’s Organic Grid portfolio site or Lisbon-based design group Alva.  Visiting their sites is a jaw-dropping experience.

Don’t go overboard

On the other hand, there is also such a thing as too much technology. Bottom line is if your visitors can’t wait to get out of there then it might be time to rethink and redo your portfolio.

Do the checklist

Finally, make sure that your portfolio meets the following criteria:

1. Is it a good representation of you as an artist? Is your style clearly conveyed?
2. Is your portfolio user-friendly?
3. Do you have all the information that you need to convey in your portfolio?
4. Does it catch people’s attention?

If you’ve managed to get four out of four “Yes” then congratulations. Your next move is to ensure that it gets out there.  An awesome portfolio isn’t worth much if it isn’t seen. Or if it doesn’t get you that dream job. So what are you waiting for? Move it!