Designing your portfolio can be a daunting task. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea, you are not alone. A great way to tackle this project is to do a little research first, visit other artists’ portfolios and analyze your first impressions of them.
Stage 1: Browse Other Artists’ Portfolios
Visit some of our featured artist portfolios or log in as a member to browse the Plio Members directory. Look for portfolios that attract you and try to identify the reasons why they do.
Some aspects to focus on are the content, the navigation and the look & feel. Here are some considerations to keep in mind.
Content
- Examine the artwork organization. Images are arranged by collections, which are sometimes nested. Notice related information: titles and descriptions.
- Consider the quantity of artwork displayed.
- Remark technical information accompanying the art samples.
- Locate additional information about the artist, her practice or her career. For example the biography, artist statement, etc.
Navigation
- Observe the menus and links that are used to navigate the content.
- Detect elements that help you find your way around.
Look & Feel
- Note the way the general layout and color palette are used to enhance the viewing of the work.
Take note of your preferences and what you think may work best with your own artwork.
Visualizing your Art Portfolio from the start helps you to stay focused and gives you basis for decision-making. Remember that your online portfolio is not supposed to be static. This is one of the advantages of Plio as an online support; it can evolve with you and change over time.
Stage 2: Reach out to the Community
Do you have a question? Do you need help?
As a Plio member, now you can get support and participate in the forums. More community aspects are addressed in a later step.
For now, we’ll work on: How to Get your Portfolio Started on the Right Track.
This article was the 3rd step of the series: Get your Plio Portfolio Up-and-Running in 10 Simple Steps.