The work portfolio, also known as a “professional portfolio,” or “job portfolio,” is a way to present a comprehensive collection of the best jobs done by design and development companies to show them to their potential clients.
These portfolios include evidence of their skills, samples, visual demonstrations of their craft, and in some cases, even the client testimonials.
Now, spotting a company with a decent portfolio is pretty easy nowadays, as development agencies know what looks well, sells well, and many agencies even sell their services that way.
Of course, the ability to create something that looks great is especially important for agencies that design and develop apps. But the challenge is that the images in portfolios often don’t tell us anything about what it’s like to work with the agency or whether they can always do a good job.
To get the maximum information out of a company’s portfolio, use the following steps. They won’t get you where you want to be — but will show you the path clearly.
- Look at the portfolio itself.
Did they treat their portfolio as a design issue?
Designers and developers often do not see their portfolio as a solution to their design problems. It gives you a decent perspective about how they create a unique experience for the person reading their portfolio — while enabling them to gather as much information as possible at the same time.
- Then look at each project they’ve mentioned.
Did they understand the project they were working on and solve the key problem in the room?
Only a few agencies do it, and it’s terrible.
Either they’re lazy and not user-centred (the “user” is the person looking at the portfolio), or they value the wrong things in their project’s design.