Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Self-Made Portfolio
The Self-Made Portfolio: How to Build a Professional-Quality Design Portfolio Without Clients, Experience, or a Big Budget | Ruben Cespedes
3 posts | 1 read | 1 to read
The Self-Made Portfolio How to Build a Professional-Quality Design Portfolio Without Clients, Experience, or a Big Budget Your portfolio is more than just a collection of workits your ticket to opportunities, your personal brand, and the key to unlocking your design career. But what if you dont have real-world experience? What if youre struggling to figure out what projects to include, how to present your work, or how to make your portfolio stand out? The Self-Made Portfolio is the ultimate guide for aspiring designers who want to break into the industry, land their first job or freelance gig, and create a portfolio that opens doorseven without formal experience. This book walks you through every step of the process, from choosing the right projects (even if you dont have paying clients) to structuring compelling case studies that showcase your problem-solving skills. Youll learn how to build an online presence, pitch yourself confidently, and turn one opportunity into manyall while developing a personal brand that grows with you. Inside, youll discover: ? How to create portfolio-worthy projects that prove your skills, even as a beginner ? The essential elements of a high-impact portfolio that impress hiring managers and clients ? How to structure case studies that tell a compelling story, not just display visuals ? The power of networking, cold outreach, and positioning yourself for bigger opportunities ? How to update and refine your portfolio over time so it grows with your career Whether you're an aspiring UI/UX designer, graphic designer, or creative professional looking to transition into a new field, The Self-Made Portfolio gives you the practical tools and strategies to build a portfolio that gets resultswithout waiting for permission or experience to come to you. Your dream design career starts with how you present yourself. This book will show you how to craft a portfolio that reflects your skills and gets you hired.
LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
jen_the_scribe
post image
Pickpick

I can‘t fully express how helpful this book has been. I had been feeling stuck for a long time, not knowing even where to begin when it came to building my portfolio. This book is like a roadmap, it doesn‘t do the work for you but it shows you the way. Cespedes discusses everything from the type of site you should use, to the kinds of portfolio projects you should work on when you lack experience, and even how to present your work during… ⬇️

jen_the_scribe …interviews. He even discusses how to maintain and update your portfolio as time goes on. He gave me so much clarity on case studies (which I struggled with in school). And somehow the gates opened for me as I read this, and ideas came to me for the actual design of my portfolio site. I had nothing before this. This is definitely one I‘ll come back to as I go through the process of building my portfolio, but now the real work begins. 5d
16 likes1 comment
quote
jen_the_scribe

“Confidence doesn‘t come first—action does…Start where you are, show your process, and keep improving. The confidence will follow.”

blurb
jen_the_scribe
post image

Time to stop thinking about my portfolio and actually build it…

15 likes1 stack add