From the outside it seems like a quick and easy way to share your work and who you are as a designer, with a lower entry level than customising your own website, but is it too good to be true? We share the results of a recent Twitter poll on what the design community thinks about this new trend, along with our thoughts on whether this is a cool and creative idea or something to avoid if you want to make the right first impression.
If you are using a doc format to present your work don’t forget to consider the hierarchy of the information you’re presenting. Does the platform you’re using give you navigation options and have you utilised them so people can find the information they’re looking for easily?
Many designers feel the pressure of an unspoken rule that you have to redesign your portfolio every year. This isn’t the case but going down the route of using a doc format can relieve the pressure of having to design an entire website that reflects who you are as a designer and the work you can do. A doc is flexible and allows you to update it over time without the barriers you might face with a customised website.
Reconsider using pdfs. Without your commentary to break down and explain projects, they can be large, cumbersome and take up space in the recipient’s downloads folder that they’d rather you didn’t.
Consider how user-friendly a link to a prototype really is. Unless the hotspots and navigation is seamless, you might confuse the person looking at it, more than you inspire them to hire you. It also leads them away from the rest of your work and the information you’ve shared with them.
01.40 – Catch up
04.54 – Our initial thoughts of Notion docs as portfolios
11.45 – Using Prototypes
22.48 – Submission tips and pointers
23.50 – Our advice for mentees
