How To Build An Online Professional App Portfolio

People who need to survive in this digital world need a professional web presence. Even the corporate world now hires professionals through job-driven websites/applications like LinkedIn. Hence, to showcase yourself and your work efficiently, you need to make extra efforts. There is a lot of competition since the internet is easily accessible, and one can reach out to anyone wound around the globe. 

An online portfolio with flawless website design has taken over the old ways to present yourself, like CV, business card, and project exhibition. Everything jells in this one thing; where all the potential clients or employers will learn about you when they are trying to recruit you.

There’s no second thought that making a portfolio website is an opportunity to showcase your skills and express your voice while also looking as sharp and professional as the rest of your work. But not everyone knows how to make an efficient one. Therefore below, we have jotted down steps to building an online portfolio.

Full Portfolio vs. One-Page Portfolio

A portfolio is often used to introduce a freelancer’s work, while their website is for the clients who want to learn more about them after they’ve been introduced through, for instance, LinkedIn. You can consider LinkedIn as your One-Page Portfolio as it gives you the opportunity to highlight your education, work experience, projects, skills, and endorsements in a one-page format, whilst connecting with other users in the network. 

A full portfolio instead requires a well-coded website that’s both visually appealing for users and functional to display the different applications you wish to showcase.

Step 1: Establish an objective for your online portfolio:

The first step in creating your portfolio is to conduct visual research. Then, look around at other online portfolios to inspire and spark some first ideas, regardless of your sector. It’s essential when you are to establish a website portfolio and look at other people’s websites in your specific creative niche or sector.

You will see how different aims and visions people have in mind. For example, some freelancers are generalists seeking to work with a wide range of clients, while others specialize in a subject and prefer to work with clients who work in that profession, such as a software developer who works in app creation for the financial sector. Others may choose to highlight numerous areas of competence in their portfolios.

Therefore, identify the key role you want your portfolio to fulfil and select among the Themes for Google Slides to give your portfolio a unified look. Using a cohesive visual language across your portfolio helps to establish both its vision and purpose, which is a striking contrast to a portfolio that doesn’t define its hierarchy or that is hard to navigate and get an instant message of the project’s intentions. In general, you have two options: you can establish a one-page portfolio or a full portfolio.

Step 2: Choose the method:

After you’ve decided what kind of online portfolio you want, determine whether you want to create just a landing page or offer an immersive experience with several in-web apps for customers to try and test.

If you opt for the latter, remember to keep an eye on server performance, so your metrics don’t get hurt whenever multiple users test the applications you designed. It works even better if you briefly resume the objective of the app, and the technologies used with their icons for clear references. That way, customers can understand the demands in terms of performance that an app can require.

Step 3: Display your best work:

Prioritize the best work that you are proud of and display these selected experiences in your portfolio rather than including all of your work. Also, concentrate on the work you are looking forward to doing in the future. 

Remember to make your portfolio stand out; you must also give the readers a summary of the project displayed, tell them about the issues you were trying to tackle, and some other insight into how you arrived at the end product. As an extra tip, consider creating a “fake interview” section, in case your projects are student-made and not referenced from actual completed jobs. By adding the interview, you can brief potential customers about what were the intentions of the “customer” who requested such an app to be built, and how did you answer such demands with your skills.

These descriptions are particularly vital since when you merely show the finished result, you may miss out on essential details. On the other hand, do not overdo it with text. To avoid overwhelming the potential client or reader, strike a balance between content and graphics. However, if you doubt your capability to do so, look up pre-designed PowerPoint Templates. They would have the right amount of everything.

Step 4: Create a Captivating “About” Section:

The area of your website allows you to explain to potential clients about yourself in depth. Hence, while you open yourself up, be clear about what people would be hiring you for. Then think of a couple of instances and include them in your sentence.

Don’t just mistake having a whole list of talents; instead, include examples that exemplify those skills. For instance, if you are a UX designer, you could be inclined to say, “I’ve designed websites before, and I’m proficient in various technologies, mobile design, and app design.” However, that isn’t specific enough because it doesn’t indicate what you can do for your clients. Thus, it doesn’t set you apart. Rather than this, you must provide specific information, such as your preferred UX design projects, in which areas you feel more comfortable working, the experience you have with technology frameworks, etc. 

Video resumes are also a great asset to include, as you showcase your abilities to perform professional video editing and how you manage large media files in an app or website.

Step 5: Establish a strong Call to Action:

The majority of online portfolios offer your contact information as well as a button that directs you to potential clients for contacting them through phone or email. This is self-explanatory, but a section or a contact page is also an opportunity to stand out. If you’re using a one-page portfolio, this is where you can address your clients to contact you in order to learn more.

This method has the advantage of allowing you to keep track of who is interested in your work. In addition, it allows you to customize your portfolio according to the clients who contact you. For instance, if you are a freelance graphic designer with experience in a variety of sectors, you may give one portfolio to a prospective customer in the restaurant business and another to a prospect in exhibit design. Finally, this strategy could be useful if you are unable to disclose specific work publicly due to confidentiality agreements.

The value of GitHub

Listing your GitHub profile is a must these days for any IT candidate; however, by doing so, you are also sharing your code with a broad community out there.

First, inquire with former clients if you are allowed to publicly share the code written for that project via GitHub, as part of your online portfolio. Many customers opt against this, instead allowing the developer to show screenshots of the project done.

Any hobby project with relevant value for the position you aspire to reach is a must-include. You should highlight that project via your portfolio website – don’t just assume people will see it because it is included in your GitHub profile.

Make your GitHub page attractive by using markup language. Professional developers acknowledge the potential of GitHub and treat it as an extra asset to their LinkedIn and Website.

StackOverflow

Finally, another element you should highlight in your portfolio is your contributions to StackOverflow, especially for App Development. Include a link in your “About” section to your StackOverflow profile so potential customers can see references for the help you can provide for multiple problems that arise when designing apps.

It is valuable insight into your methodology for problem-solving, your creative skills, and how you handle teamwork. Particularly in positions of high seniority level, this can be a plus that managers mostly welcome.