What Are Clients Really Looking for in Your Design Portfolio?

What exactly are clients or employers hoping to see when they flip through your work? Short answer: it depends on the job. Slightly longer answer... they’re looking for skill, personality, and a sense of how you work, not just what you make, but how you got there.

Tailor It to the Job

If you’re applying for a graphic design role, your portfolio should be a polished presentation of your design fundamentals. Think of it as a resume in visual form, clean layout, clear sections, and no fluff. Employers want to see that you can create purposeful, communicative design, not just decorate a page.

You'll find a free layout template in this post (and a few fully built examples available in the store) to help get your structure dialed in. There’s no shame in using a template. Work smarter, not harder.

Take Them on a Journey

Don’t just drop your best work on a page and call it a day. Invite people into your creative process. Let them see how a project evolved—from concept sketches and client briefs to final files and brand rollouts. You’re not just showing design work—you’re showing how you think, how you solve problems, and how you collaborate.

I include snapshots of my own workflow in the examples—everything from client notes and mood boards to approval stages and finalized brand elements.

Show Your Personality

People want to hire you, not a robot with Adobe skills. So, include a few pieces that speak to your style and passion. Illustrations, personal projects, quirky experiments—anything that helps show your voice and artistic identity.

If you’ve worked with clients you loved, share those too. And if you’ve got a piece, you’re proud of that didn’t get client approval? Include it anyway. Not every piece has to be a final logo or approved campaign. Sometimes the most you work is the stuff that never made it past round one—but it might catch the eye of someone who wants exactly what you do.

Perfection Isn’t the Point. Connection Is.

A great portfolio doesn’t need to be massive; it needs to be meaningful. Curate your work with intention. Tell your story. And above all, remember you’re not just proving you can do the job. You’re showing someone why they’ll want to work with you.

Here are a few of my favorite portfolio examples:

Sonja van Duelmen

Alex Fisher Design

Alayna Danner

Links (left to right):

1. Sonja van Duelmen

2. Alex Fisher Design

3. Alayna Danner

I love how creative each portfolio is. Such talented artists all with their own styles.

You don’t need to be the flashiest or most experimental designer in the room. What matters is presenting yourself with honesty, clarity, and a little bit of flair. Do that, and the right clients will find you.

One of my favorite current examples? Artist and creator Oliver Latta (also known as extraweg). His bizarre, surreal animations caught the eye of Ben Stiller, yes, THE Ben Stiller, who reached out via Instagram with little more than the script. The result: the unforgettable, Emmy-winning opening credits for Severance Season 1. Latta was then tapped again for a haunting follow-up sequence in Season 2. Be like Oliver: hone your craft, stay consistent, and let your work speak loud enough to be discovered.

Need help writing your intro or deciding which pieces to include? Drop your questions below or reach out, I love nerding out about portfolios and helping you figure out what clients are really looking for!

XOXO