Portfolios
Creating and Developing a Digital Portfolio
A portfolio is an interactive showcase of professional and/or academic work samples. Portfolios can be digital or physical to display this work and are often industry specific, though they can vary in scope.
Your portfolio is unique to your goals and style, making it the most effective way to illustrate your skills and accomplishments in a personalized way. That said, expectations vary based on your level.
- 1ST & 2ND YEARS: Include class projects, assignments, and even personal work
- JUNIORS: Include internship activities, leadership roles, and updated projects
- SENIORS & GRAD STUDENTS: Include capstone work, case studies, and focus heavily on your professional polish
Creating a portfolio is your next step to building a competitive candidacy beyond the basic resume. Let's walk through the steps of developing (or updating) your digital portfolio.
IDEATE
Begin by considering why you are creating your a digital portfolio and who (you hope) will be viewing it. Identify the projects, skills, and achievements most relevant to your goals. Reflect on your uniqueness and decide on the main message you want your portfolio to convey to its audience. Explore digital portfolios from others in your field to gather ideas and inspiration. Utilize the UGA Mentor Program to find a credible mentor in your field who can advice on the project.
Portfolios aren’t just for artists.
A portfolio does not have to be design-heavy to be effective. For many majors, a portfolio is a curated collection of work, thinking, and outcomes that shows how you approach problems, not just what you produce. If your work involves analysis, research, planning, communication, teaching, or decision-making, you already have portfolio-ready material.
Common Ways to IDEATE
- Consider your skills and how they relate to your goals.
- Identify the projects, skills, and achievements most relevant to your goals.
- Explore digital portfolios from others in your field(s) of interest to gather ideas and inspiration.
- Utilize the UGA Mentor Program to find a credible mentor in your field who can advise on the project.
Before moving to the next step, you should…
- Identify the key audience(s) for which your portfolio is intended.
- Establish your unique value proposition as a candidate. (In other words, why should someone hire you/accept you into their program/etc. instead of someone else?)
Watch This video: Crafting value propositions with Lezlie Garr and Madecraft
DESIGN
Plan the structure of your digital portfolio considering how the user will navigate it. What do you want them to see first? How do you want them to find information? You might incorporate sections such as “About,” “Work,” and “Contact,” but other categories like certificates, recommendations, awards, or videos may also be included if they add value relevant to your goals. When designing, consider whether you want your professional work or your individuality to be prioritized.
Designing for Accessibility
Consider all abilities as you design your site. Include alt text for images and captions for videos. Avoid text on images and consider color contrast. Test all of this on multiple platforms and devices when you get to that stage.
Before moving to the next step, you should…
- Build out a basic site map.
- Have your design strategy reviewed by a mentor, UGA career consultant, or other professionals in your target industry.
Extra Credit LinkedIn Learning Courses:
BUILD
This is where you put it all together. Gather your artifacts and write clear descriptions providing context for each, especially case studies or projects. Upload and arrange these materials neatly onto your chosen digital platform using your site map as a guide. Use high-quality visuals to engage visitors and ensure each section is consistent and polished. When in doubt, ask your mentor or Career Consultant for advice on the quality and relevance of individual projects.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Too many projects or poor image quality (consider quality > quantity)
- No clear call‑to‑action (be clear about your goals)
- Overly long text blocks (balance visual elements with text)
- Inconsistent formatting (the devil is in the details)
- Autoplay video with sound (don’t jumpscare your users)
- Not testing on mobile (consider all perspectives)
Professional Considerations
- Keep URLs clean, readable, and professional (when possible, use your name: firstnamelastname.com)
- Avoid inside jokes and class numbers that won’t make sense to an external audience
- Ensure brand consistency across your portfolio, LinkedIn, and email signature
Portfolio Artifacts for Non-Creative Majors
Your portfolio may include written, analytical, instructional, or process-based work. Visual polish matters less than clarity, structure, and explanation. Examples of strong portfolio artifacts include research posters, literature reviews, data analysis projects, capstone projects, marketing plans, policy briefs, program evaluations, lesson plans, curriculum samples, grant proposals, press releases, team projects, and leadership initiatives.
Pro Tip: If your artifact doesn’t look “portfolio‑ready,” add context. A strong explanation often matters more than the artifact itself.
Before moving to the next step, you should…
- Organize your portfolio artifacts (i.e. projects, images, videos, testimonials, etc.) into folders according to your site map.
- Create your landing page, “about me” page, and at least three project pages.
Available to any UGA student, faculty, or staff with a valid MyID; request the Portfolio template. Perfect for beginners seeking a simple, collaborative, no-code website for portfolios or projects. Customization is limited and there’s no true database back end.
Watch the video linked below:
Google Sites Essential Training with Jess Stratton
Example: Evan Simmons | UGA ’14 | Video Producer
Example: Jeannie Thomas | UGA ’19 | Educator & Artist
Warning: After graduation, your free access to Google sites expires. Visit Google’s Help Center to learn more about how you can transfer site ownership to your personal account.
Available to any UGA student, faculty, or staff with a valid MyID; request the Portfolio template. Perfect for beginners seeking a simple, collaborative, no-code website for portfolios or projects. Customization is limited and there’s no true database back end.
Accessible through Adobe Creative Cloud on campus computers or by checking out a license at the library. Geared toward design, photography, or fine arts majors for polished, professional portfolios integrated with other Adobe tools. Students, be aware that your free access to Adobe Portfolio expires after graduation. Visit Adobe’s Graduation page for steps on how to transfer files under your school account to a personal account.
Watch the video linked below:
Building a Portfolio with Adobe Portfolio with Richard Harrington
Warning: After graduation, you will no longer have access to the free licenses of UGA. Visit Adobe’s Help Center to learn more about how you can migrate your Creative Cloud assets to your personal account.
A user-friendly design platform ideal for someone looking for a simple solution. Canva excels at visually striking single-page sites and portfolios, but notably lacks advanced functionality and back-end/database features. Canva has a free option, but you can pay for premium features like enhanced AI tools, the full library of templates, and the ability to build a brand kit.
Watch the video linked below:
Building Responsive Websites with Canva with Lachezar Arabadzhiev
Example: Megan Silverman | UGA ’23 | Social Media Specialist
Provides robust drag-and-drop design tools and e-commerce features. Recommended for those looking for more customization, dynamic content, advanced apps, or interactive features. Wix offers a free version, but you can pay for a custom domain, site analytics, and to remove the ads.
Watch the video linked below:
Learning Wix with Jen Kramer
Example: Jani Christopher | UGA ‘25 | Designer
Example: Scott Reed | UGA ’09 | Business Systems Analyst
Transforms PDFs into interactive digital Flipbooks. Best suited for those who want to showcase magazines, lookbooks, or multi-page docs, but does not support traditional website interactivity or database integration. Free version available but paid plans include higher page limits and file sizes, full analytics, and removal of Issuu branding.
Example: Hayden Sorrells | UGA ’25 | Landscape Designer
Squarespace is a popular all-in-one website builder known for its clean, modern templates and polished professionalism. It is a strong choice for students who want a visually refined portfolio with more structure without needing to code. Basic plans start at $16/month.
Watch the video linked below:
Squarespace Essential Training: The Basics with Jen Kramer
This is a developer-focused platform that allows users to hose websites directly from a GitHub repository. GitHub Pages is ideal for students who want to showcase coding projects, documentation, or technical skills. It requires comfort with version control and coding, making it less beginner-friendly but far more flexible. GitHub Pages are free.
Watch the video linked below:
Learning Git and GitHub with Ray Villalobos
TEST
Review your portfolio thoroughly for clarity, accuracy, and organization. Seek feedback from others, especially about navigation and tone, by sending your portfolio to your professors, mentor and career consultant. Be sure to test your digital portfolio on various devices and browsers to find and fix any technical issues.
Before moving to the next step, you should…
- Gather thorough and constructive feedback from at least two sources.
- Explore your portfolio on desktops, laptops and mobile devices.
DEPLOY
Publish your digital portfolio online and make it easy for employers and educators to access by linking it on your resume(s) and LinkedIn. Prepare physical versions if needed for interviews or presentations using high quality materials. Commit to regularly updating your portfolio, adding new accomplishments and refreshing your content at the end of each semester. This will serve to maintain your portfolio as a dynamic reflection of your evolving career and skills.
BONUS: Write a LinkedIn post celebrating your portfolio launch and thank/tag anyone who has helped you along the way, including your UGA Mentor as well as the UGA Career Center to share your accomplishment!
- Publish your portfolio to the public.
- Add your portfolio link to your LinkedIn, Handshake account, and resume(s).
- Schedule a session to address necessary updates every 3-4 months.
