How to create a designer portfolio that wins clients and saves time

I've spent months on my portfolio but still can't find clients.

Most designers face this painful truth. You polish your work for hours, add every project you've ever done, and still end up with nothing. You try paid marketing and clever hacks, but your inbox stays empty.

I've been there too. But what if the problem isn't your design skills—it's your approach to your portfolio itself?

Today, I'm going to show you how to make your portfolio more effective. This approach is all about making a few strategic changes and building genuine connections with clients.

Not Every Project in Your Portfolio

I see too many designers trying to add everything to their portfolios. I do everything including web design, app design, dashboard design, branding, marketing, and so on... However, this can make potential clients doubt your expertise.

When your portfolio displays a wide range of skills, it might look like you can do everything but excel in nothing.

This could make clients wonder about your specialization and question if you can deliver top-quality work. In my perspective, selecting the most relevant works to showcase can provide a better understanding of your core skills and make your chances higher.

Choose 2-3 Case Studies

You see, when it comes to your portfolio, less is often more. Having 2-3 carefully crafted case studies is the sweet spot. Imagine a client lands on your website. They've got just 4-5 minutes to decide if you're the right fit for their project. What they'll focus on most are your case studies. That's where they'll make their decision.

Of course, if you want to add more, you can. You can even publish additional case studies on Behance or another website rather than your portfolio.

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a phenomenon that states that about 80% of outcomes are generated by 20% of causes.

The Key to Finding Clients

I want to say honestly, there are no hacks or tricks to finding clients. Believe it or not. In personal experience, most of the time I get clients through networking, helping others, sharing work, selling my services transparently, and even having satisfied clients recommend me to others.

A valuable client can generally be defined as someone who:

• You can network with
• You can help with
• Can be a customer of your products or services

Build Automate the Process

Maybe this has happened to you many times. A client sends you a message, and the next moment you reply with, "Do you have time for a call or is it even worth one?" This is where we often lose potential leads, but there is a better way to handle it.

You can automate almost everything:

1. Create a Calendly link: Instead of going back and forth to find a suitable time for a call, you can create a Calendly link and share it directly with your client.
2. Utilize forms to gather data: Instead of bombarding clients with multiple questions, consider setting up a form on Airtable or a similar platform where clients can provide all the necessary project information in one go.
3. Save quick replies on Instagram: This allows you to save common responses and easily send them to clients, making communication super easy.
4. Use a CRM system: I personally use my Notion CRM OS to track clients, leads, proposals, and payments all in one place.

By automating these processes, you can save time, minimize back-and-forth communication, and have higher chances of onboarding new clients.

Today's Action Steps

1. Review your portfolio and remove projects that don't align with your core expertise
2. Identify your 2-3 strongest case studies and ensure they're prominently featured
3. Set up at least one automation tool this week to streamline your client communication

If you found this helpful, share it with other designers who might need it too.

See you in another one!
Let's grow together 🙌