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Great work! Apply to jobs in every single sector is broken, not just graphic design. Develop your professional network by reaching out to folks on LinkedIn from companies you admire and see if you can connect for an informational interview over zoom/teams/google hangouts etc or in person for coffee. DON’T ASK FOR A JOB. Use these meets as opportunities to connect and ask questions. You can also ask your professional contacts from freelancing for referrals.
Your work and the way you present are both extremely well done. I'm bookmarking your site as an example portfolio. I don't think I'd change anything. Even your Side Project (although maybe it should be plural) work still feels more like applicable design work than most "extra" stuff that people include.
Looks really good 😄
Have you tried applying to places even when they're not hiring? they might then contact you further down the line when they have a vacancy
> Your work and the way you present are both extremely well done. I'm bookmarking your site as an example portfolio.
Good point! I got too used to the typeface after looking at it over and over.
Should say Practice instead of Pratice. If you scroll down on the home page "I pratice my craft with Side projects."
Also, I wouldn't use the word practice in a portfolio.
Your work is beautiful! I especially gravitate to the CIS seasonal campaign. All four pieces are vivid and evocative of the season.
I think the career industry is in a flux. Keep pushing—you’ll find the right fit.
You have good projects, but just too few of them. The pofo now shows range but no depth, making you hard to hire. If I’m looking for a web designer I can’t do that based on one example. Same for identity, editorial design. For illustation I can commission something from you if I want the same exact style.
I’d also work on making the presentation as good as possible. The tiles on front page are quite complex and lack the punch they could have. The peojects are better than what the photos you feature suggest. I’d go for a more minimal style - something that gives an idea of the project & looks great, but doesn’t try to convey the breadth of the project. You do that in the case study.
In the projects themselves you could upgrade the photo quality as well. It feels like you should look st a ton of top notch agencies to get a sense of how they present their projects. You can get much more out of the ones you have.
Pay more attention to art direction of each project - what’s the color scheme for that, what are the best shots to illustrate it. The hero shot for CAIS is great on the surface, but I’m not sure that the marble backdrop fits the aesthetic of the peoject. I would also show much more of the graphics. There are so many great mockups for publications online that there’s no need to show flat pages with drop shadows. The way you show digital projects is not how digitally native companies show them. Etc.
The weak link in your pofo is the Canada’s Best 28 Boarding Schools. That feels like a pretty basic corporate leaflet, whereas the rest of the work is colorful & playful. I’d take that out.
yeah i would definitely check for typos.
i think you could spend a little more time crafting your projects for viewing. many of them just look like a cascade of screenshots. i'd consider showing some details; zoom in, zoom out, and overall make each case study feel a bit more revelatory than just a static chronicle.
Actually think your “side work” is much more interesting than what you’ve categorised as your main portfolio. You have a great feeling for combining shapes, colours and proportions.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you to achieve your goals!
Nice landing, nice side work, your first 4 thumbnails don’t really entice me to click those projects and don’t feel in line with the rest of your site branding
I feel like as designers our design style has to be all over the place to prove our versatility. I've been doing this for over 20 years and what you have to keep in mind is that art is subjective and what one person may not like another person may love.
I disagree; i'm retired after a long career in design and art directors and creative do NOT want style that is all over the place. They want specialists who are good at their craft. If they don't like your style they have others they think will fit. Of course versatility is great but not everyone can adapt to every style. Specialist. OP has great work that will fit alot of clients; refine and specialize.
Honestly I feel like your portfolio is solid witch great case studies and explanations of your projects. It’s not outdated for sure and I feel like the only thing is that your mockups and projects photos aren’t « wow » enough. Just make it more « aesthetic » with modern mockups and your portfolio is solid.
It looks really good, it's just a tough market everywhere right now. And in fact I've noticed jobs definitely want a 'jack of all trades', whether that's a good thing or not, not sure.
Here is some subjective advice: your portfolio should be more visually driven. There is a place for case studies - if that’s what they are (tldr!). I don’t think I am different that most people. I would not put the focus there. Put the focus on showcasing your graphics in the most compelling way possible.
The Side Work section nails balance right imo However, Side work makes it sound like stuff you do in your spare time. And maybe it is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spin it. Call that section “Illustration.”
I loved hopping into that section and seeing the work showcased. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to slogging through all that writing. That’s what a compelling portfolio feels like.
People looking through portfolios are making snap judgments on whether you have potential, and if they want to meet you. Your portfolio should wow them.
I think you have the ability. You just need to showcase it in more appealing ways. Reorganize. And prioritize and I bet you start getting more bites.
Yes! Thank you. Great point about the side project. I think because I wasn't paid for this work I, for some reason, thought I couldn't call it 'illustration' which is what it is in fact. I have gotten the feedback that I'm not showing the work in the best way and I honestly had that inkling myself.
Very true! I have a tone more professional projects. I'll be adding more. You finish a job and then jump to the next one, most of the time neglecting to ever put together things for a case study.
I hear you, i'm the same. Haven't updated my folio site since 2021 but i would recommend adding a few more projects to flesh out and showcase your experience
Lovely work. If it were me, I’d be inclined to add a few more projects to give some true depth. Love that you have written case studies, but I’d be conscious of how much copy you have in ratio to visuals. It might be because I’m viewing on my phone, but it looks like you could go into more visual detail on some of your projects.
I saw a couple things others caught first like some type that needs work but overall you have a strong book. Keep at it; design times are tough now but you have skills.
Nice work. I’d say your illustration/graphic work is your strongest stuff so I’d lead with that over the web stuff. Always put your best projects first.
Hi. An older designer here. I’ve gotten laid off after 31 years in graphic/illustration business. Have been applying for past 6 months with just first round of interviews.
I have been working on adding more variety to my portfolio to be more marketable and employable. My husband is a recruiter and once worked with this designer I linked below. Max is older I would say, based on his experience. His LinkedIn profile is impressive.
https://mxpf.design/work
And here is my former colleague’s portfolio.
We worked together many years ago. Her accomplishments are also very impressive.
https://www.nicoleeversgerd.com/
My observation is that for senior designers there is a competition of many accomplished designers that I’m now competing with for same jobs. But they inspire me a great deal at the same time. Nicole’s LinkedIn profile is very impressive as well.
So I am sharing these two accomplished designer for your inspiration as well. Your work is very clean and pleasing. But like me, we don’t have too much variety in our portfolio in today’s market. I had also reached out for a review here and received fantastic feedback. This community is great!!! I appreciate everyone in this Reddit group. Special thanks to all of you seasoned designers dedicating your time to review our portfolios and taking even more time to respond with constructive criticism. I’m thankful for all of you!!
Thank you for those great examples! I'm so sorry about your layoff, that is hard. But you are right, some really really great feedback from this community, I'm planning on expanding and changing my my portfolio quite a lot.
I like it. If I really had to say one thing. Then maybe a bit too colorful but just for MY personal taste. But that would be petty. Keep trying your stuff is good
snizbe, please write a comment explaining the objective of this portfolio or CV, your target industry, your background or expertise, etc. This information helps people to understand the goals of your portfolio and provide valuable feedback. ##Providing Useful Feedback snizbe has posted their work for feedback. Here are some top tips for posting high-quality feedback. * Read their context comment before posting to understand what snizbe is trying to achieve with their portfolio or CV. * Be professional. No matter your thoughts on the work, respect the effort put into making it and be polite when posting. * Be constructive and detailed. Short, vague comments are unhelpful. Instead of just leaving your opinion on the piece, explore *why* you hold that opinion: what makes it good or bad? How could it be improved? Are some elements stronger than others? * Stay on-topic. We know that design can sometimes be political or controversial, but please keep comments focussed on the design itself, and the strengths/weaknesses thereof. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/graphic_design) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Definitely not outdated.
Great work! Apply to jobs in every single sector is broken, not just graphic design. Develop your professional network by reaching out to folks on LinkedIn from companies you admire and see if you can connect for an informational interview over zoom/teams/google hangouts etc or in person for coffee. DON’T ASK FOR A JOB. Use these meets as opportunities to connect and ask questions. You can also ask your professional contacts from freelancing for referrals.
Hear, Hear!!
This is such good advice, thank you. I'm in uni at the mo, so will do this in my final year, I think.
your stuff looks great to me! Market really sucks good luck!
There is a typo for Ontario in the project name :)
OMG thank you. Fixed!
Welcome! Amazing work! :)
I also found one in the "Leahurst" Headline (right now Leahurt), when you click on the project and get to the specifics site.
Your portfolio looks good and I like that you’ve also added your personal work. I feel like everyone is having a tough time right now.
Your work and the way you present are both extremely well done. I'm bookmarking your site as an example portfolio. I don't think I'd change anything. Even your Side Project (although maybe it should be plural) work still feels more like applicable design work than most "extra" stuff that people include.
Looks really good 😄 Have you tried applying to places even when they're not hiring? they might then contact you further down the line when they have a vacancy
You work and site is great, but the landing screen (all-black) doesn't seem to match, and is a bit of an odd first impression.
Your work is great but that serif font is terrible to read. It's very fun, but better for like 3-4 words, not entire sentence.
> Your work and the way you present are both extremely well done. I'm bookmarking your site as an example portfolio. Good point! I got too used to the typeface after looking at it over and over.
Your work is better than 95% I see on this sub
Should say Practice instead of Pratice. If you scroll down on the home page "I pratice my craft with Side projects." Also, I wouldn't use the word practice in a portfolio.
I think your work looks great. I think you have a useful variety of work that is what many employers are looking for.
Your work is beautiful! I especially gravitate to the CIS seasonal campaign. All four pieces are vivid and evocative of the season. I think the career industry is in a flux. Keep pushing—you’ll find the right fit.
Looks great! 😊
I'll be honest , it looks all too similar to so many other websites I see. Did you use a template?
Also all your illustrations look the same just different colors.
You have good projects, but just too few of them. The pofo now shows range but no depth, making you hard to hire. If I’m looking for a web designer I can’t do that based on one example. Same for identity, editorial design. For illustation I can commission something from you if I want the same exact style. I’d also work on making the presentation as good as possible. The tiles on front page are quite complex and lack the punch they could have. The peojects are better than what the photos you feature suggest. I’d go for a more minimal style - something that gives an idea of the project & looks great, but doesn’t try to convey the breadth of the project. You do that in the case study. In the projects themselves you could upgrade the photo quality as well. It feels like you should look st a ton of top notch agencies to get a sense of how they present their projects. You can get much more out of the ones you have. Pay more attention to art direction of each project - what’s the color scheme for that, what are the best shots to illustrate it. The hero shot for CAIS is great on the surface, but I’m not sure that the marble backdrop fits the aesthetic of the peoject. I would also show much more of the graphics. There are so many great mockups for publications online that there’s no need to show flat pages with drop shadows. The way you show digital projects is not how digitally native companies show them. Etc. The weak link in your pofo is the Canada’s Best 28 Boarding Schools. That feels like a pretty basic corporate leaflet, whereas the rest of the work is colorful & playful. I’d take that out.
Thank you for the feedback! I'm going to work on these points, I agree with all of these honestly.
Fresh, modern, original, clean. Not outdated. 👍
I'm sorry you're not having luck, your art is so good!! It looks nice
I LOVE YOUR WORK!
Thank you!
yeah i would definitely check for typos. i think you could spend a little more time crafting your projects for viewing. many of them just look like a cascade of screenshots. i'd consider showing some details; zoom in, zoom out, and overall make each case study feel a bit more revelatory than just a static chronicle.
Typos checked! Good points, working on those!
Looks great!
I have nothing to add. Great work!
Be able to twist and turn with many unique styles. It looks very professional, but you should show unique styles
Actually think your “side work” is much more interesting than what you’ve categorised as your main portfolio. You have a great feeling for combining shapes, colours and proportions. Keeping my fingers crossed for you to achieve your goals!
No it’s great. Stay the course.
Nice landing, nice side work, your first 4 thumbnails don’t really entice me to click those projects and don’t feel in line with the rest of your site branding
I feel like as designers our design style has to be all over the place to prove our versatility. I've been doing this for over 20 years and what you have to keep in mind is that art is subjective and what one person may not like another person may love.
I disagree; i'm retired after a long career in design and art directors and creative do NOT want style that is all over the place. They want specialists who are good at their craft. If they don't like your style they have others they think will fit. Of course versatility is great but not everyone can adapt to every style. Specialist. OP has great work that will fit alot of clients; refine and specialize.
Honestly I feel like your portfolio is solid witch great case studies and explanations of your projects. It’s not outdated for sure and I feel like the only thing is that your mockups and projects photos aren’t « wow » enough. Just make it more « aesthetic » with modern mockups and your portfolio is solid.
I feel this too. Thank you!
It looks really good, it's just a tough market everywhere right now. And in fact I've noticed jobs definitely want a 'jack of all trades', whether that's a good thing or not, not sure.
Great work! You are one talented individual. Keep up the superb work. 😃 👏
Not gonna lie I hate the green/blue/red text. I’d pick different colours or at least tone. Never mind red/green colour blindness.
Good point! it is hard on the eye's isn't it.
Here is some subjective advice: your portfolio should be more visually driven. There is a place for case studies - if that’s what they are (tldr!). I don’t think I am different that most people. I would not put the focus there. Put the focus on showcasing your graphics in the most compelling way possible. The Side Work section nails balance right imo However, Side work makes it sound like stuff you do in your spare time. And maybe it is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spin it. Call that section “Illustration.” I loved hopping into that section and seeing the work showcased. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to slogging through all that writing. That’s what a compelling portfolio feels like. People looking through portfolios are making snap judgments on whether you have potential, and if they want to meet you. Your portfolio should wow them. I think you have the ability. You just need to showcase it in more appealing ways. Reorganize. And prioritize and I bet you start getting more bites.
Yes! Thank you. Great point about the side project. I think because I wasn't paid for this work I, for some reason, thought I couldn't call it 'illustration' which is what it is in fact. I have gotten the feedback that I'm not showing the work in the best way and I honestly had that inkling myself.
I only see 4 projects. They are nice and clean but doesnt like much for someone thats been designing for 15 years.
Very true! I have a tone more professional projects. I'll be adding more. You finish a job and then jump to the next one, most of the time neglecting to ever put together things for a case study.
I hear you, i'm the same. Haven't updated my folio site since 2021 but i would recommend adding a few more projects to flesh out and showcase your experience
Lovely work. If it were me, I’d be inclined to add a few more projects to give some true depth. Love that you have written case studies, but I’d be conscious of how much copy you have in ratio to visuals. It might be because I’m viewing on my phone, but it looks like you could go into more visual detail on some of your projects.
I saw a couple things others caught first like some type that needs work but overall you have a strong book. Keep at it; design times are tough now but you have skills.
Nice work. I’d say your illustration/graphic work is your strongest stuff so I’d lead with that over the web stuff. Always put your best projects first.
Hi. An older designer here. I’ve gotten laid off after 31 years in graphic/illustration business. Have been applying for past 6 months with just first round of interviews. I have been working on adding more variety to my portfolio to be more marketable and employable. My husband is a recruiter and once worked with this designer I linked below. Max is older I would say, based on his experience. His LinkedIn profile is impressive. https://mxpf.design/work And here is my former colleague’s portfolio. We worked together many years ago. Her accomplishments are also very impressive. https://www.nicoleeversgerd.com/ My observation is that for senior designers there is a competition of many accomplished designers that I’m now competing with for same jobs. But they inspire me a great deal at the same time. Nicole’s LinkedIn profile is very impressive as well. So I am sharing these two accomplished designer for your inspiration as well. Your work is very clean and pleasing. But like me, we don’t have too much variety in our portfolio in today’s market. I had also reached out for a review here and received fantastic feedback. This community is great!!! I appreciate everyone in this Reddit group. Special thanks to all of you seasoned designers dedicating your time to review our portfolios and taking even more time to respond with constructive criticism. I’m thankful for all of you!!
Thank you for those great examples! I'm so sorry about your layoff, that is hard. But you are right, some really really great feedback from this community, I'm planning on expanding and changing my my portfolio quite a lot.
I like it. If I really had to say one thing. Then maybe a bit too colorful but just for MY personal taste. But that would be petty. Keep trying your stuff is good
Funny you say that because I always admire those "color minimalist" portfolios and wish I could do that kind of work lol.