Episode 2 - Q&A Do's and Don'ts in your portfolio
In this episode of Design Office Hours, I'm answering one of the most common questions I get from students and young designers: What are the DOs and DON'Ts of a strong design portfolio? I've seen a lot of portfolios—and I've hired a lot of designers—so I'm breaking down the key things I look for and the pitfalls I see all too often. Here's what I cover in this episode: Why explaining your process is more important than just showing the end result How to highlight your decision-making, your reasoning, and what you learned The importance of clarity—don't make people guess what your project is about Why your portfolio shouldn't be a glossy render show How to communicate more with less using visuals and infographics Tips for using your portfolio real estate wisely, both in PDFs and on websites This is the second episode in a mini-series on portfolios, and I'll be sharing more in upcoming episodes. If you're building or refining your portfolio right now, I hope this gives you some practical insight (and a bit of tough love too). Got questions for a future episode? Send them to me at designofficehours@peterboeckel.com Follow along on IG: @designofficehours And sign up at peterboeckel.com/designofficehours to get updates and extra design career tips in your inbox.