Architecture & Design Portfolio Tips.
Portfolios are vital for the proper transition from student to professional life. They are not only representations of your design skills — they show who you are as a creative, critical thinker, and convey what you bring to the table to potential employers.
It’s important to knock your portfolio out of the park, so here are my best tips for designing a great one.
Letting your pages breathe is very important for legibility. Don’t try to fit every drawing on one spread. It’s ok if your portfolio gets a little longer so each of your drawings are big enough and easy to read.
Note the use of white space in the spreads below. Treat negative space as an object in your compositions that leads a viewer’s eyes to the most important elements.
You have a short period of time to make a strong impression. Include only your BEST work and keep it within 3–5 projects, starting with your best and ending with your second best.
If you want to include an older project, don’t be afraid to go back and update it. You want all of your projects to feel around the same level of resolution.
Also include creative work outside of architecture projects. Photos, drawings, paintings, hobbies, publications, web and graphic design, etc. are great for showing a well-rounded designer.
Once you have your projects picked out, organize them in a way that highlights the strengths of each project. Think about your Table of Contents — is it easy to navigate?
- Strongest to second strongest
- Project type (residential, cultural, commercial)
- Project categories (architecture, landscape, urban, graphic)
- Size and scale
- Student work to professional work
Keep it simple and use no more than two fonts. My favorites: Abel, Trade Gothic LT Std, Roboto, Avenir LT Std.
Use and stick to a grid and margins to create strong compositions. Keep text out of the edges of your page. Make sure your drawings and text align.
Take great, high-quality pictures of your models and include them in your portfolio. Think about how the background affects your spread composition.
Do not take pictures of your hand drawings. Scan them instead, then edit in Photoshop to get rid of the paper background.
Strategically include process sketches and/or study models in the project spreads.
Don’t be afraid to go back and update your older drawings. Portfolios are meant to show your current skillset.
Create a logo and define your visual style. What’s your favorite color, and what does it say about you?
Pick the paper size that best fits all of your work. Should it be portrait, landscape, or square?
LANDSCAPE 7×5 · 7×6 · 8×5 · 8×6 · 8×7 · 9×7
SQUARE 6×6 · 7×7 · 8×8 · 9×9 · 10×10
Depending on submission requirements, you may be asked to submit work samples — single-page previews. Use 8.5×11 or 11×17 so an employer can print them.
Typos are the quickest way to get your portfolio overlooked. Get others to read it to catch mistakes.
Put as much time into it as you would any project inside it. Consider cover material, binding, paper type and thickness, and size.
Below is my last design-school portfolio — a Do-Si-Do style with two front covers.
Each firm is different, so don’t be afraid to customize your portfolio to fit the firm you are applying to.
Keep your portfolio and resume separate, as your resume is likely to change more often.
Consider total page thickness when designing your cover. In InDesign, the first single page is the first page visible when opening the book — not the cover itself when printing.
Check out blurb.com for printing and binding. They provide amazing services including lay-flat perfect binding.
Give yourself months in advance to compile your work, create your layouts, fine-tune your spread compositions, and consider its materiality. Honor the countless hours you put into your design education with a well-crafted portfolio.
Interview portfolio tips.
In an interview where your portfolio is being presented, you may only get through the first two or three projects before a potential employer has made up their mind about you. Gauge their interest as you present.
You are not obligated to show every project. If you present one or two and then the rest of the interview is conversation, that’s a good thing — it means the employer has already seen enough.
Do your research on the firm. Know which of your projects align most closely with the firm you’re interviewing with, and present those first.
Need extra eyes on your portfolio?
I’d be glad to review your portfolio and provide critical feedback over a call. Reach out and we can go over details.