How to Build a Professional Portfolio
Your complete Guide for Academic Applications and Career Success, whether you are applying for a job or a scholarships portfolio-based competition.
A portfolio isn’t just a collection of work—it’s your creative fingerprint and a strategic tool. It tells the story of your vision, your design process, and your potential. A well-crafted portfolio can be the key to unlocking your future in design, fashion, business. Define your personal storytelling and communication goals precisely, considering each project as a narrative device for presenting your creative talent and experience.
“Everyone is legendary at something.”
Elisa Chiodo, Ph. D.
Professor
Head of School of Business at Domus Academy
Even if you’re just starting out, your portfolio should reflect your curiosity and creative instincts. Include:
- Sketches, drawings, or digital experiments
- School projects or personal creations
- Moodboards or visual research
- Short written reflections explaining your ideas and process
- Introduction Page: Who you are and what inspires you
- Project Showcase: 5-6 projects with clear visuals and brief captions
- Creative Process: It must be included for each project you show, explaining how you think. Remember to include drafts, iterations, and influences
- Future Vision: A brief statement about your goals (bonus point: Domus Academy is your choice)
- Authenticity beats perfection: Show your raw creativity
- Use storytelling: Narrate your journey through the visuals
- Keep it clean: Use a simple layout that lets your work shine
Postgraduate portfolios should reflect maturity, specialization, and strategic thinking. Include:
- Selection of your best professional or academic projects
- Demonstrating research/analysis skills and problem solving approaches. Remember to show the design process and not only the results.
- Competition projects or internship (if applicable)
- Cover Page: title, name and surname, optional image, job title/sector, years of projects
- Professional Short Bio: Your background, interests, and career goals
- Index of your projects
- For each project add a Cover Page (title, brief description, details -academic, professional, personal project-and key elements -years, team…) and 3 or 4 pages of project details
- Contacts and Links: include personal contact information such as email, phone, address, and links to digital resources presenting your portfolio, such as Behance, Instagram (if you have a professional profile), LinkedIn, or a personal website.
If you are applying with a postgraduate portfolio, our Design Professor Aoi Hasegawa suggests showing each project through:
- Project brief
- Research & analysis (texts, diagrams and data)
- Concept
- Target users
- Technical drawings (plans, sections, detailed drawings)
- Visual materials (collage, axonometric diagram, renderings)
Be selective: Quality over quantity.
Remember that “Less is more” by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, architect and designer.
- Decide the project order: place the strongest one at the beginning
- Show evolution: Include early drafts and final outcomes
- Contextualize: Explain the “why” behind each project
- Tone of voice: Consistency and attention to aesthetics
Technical Guidelines for Both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Portfolios
- Format: PDF, landscape orientation preferred
- Language: English
- Naming: Use your full name in the file name
Final Advice
- Start early: Give yourself time to curate and refine
- Ask for feedback: Teachers, peers, or mentors can offer valuable insights
- Tailor it: Align your portfolio with the programme or the job you’re applying for
FAQ – Frequent questions
1. What is the purpose of a professional portfolio for academic or career applications?
A professional portfolio showcases your creative identity, design process, and potential. It serves as both a storytelling tool and a strategic asset for securing scholarships, internships, mentorships, and job opportunities.
2. What should an Undergraduate applicant include in their portfolio?
Undergraduate applicants should highlight curiosity and creative potential by including sketches, drawings, school projects, personal creations, moodboards, visual research, and short reflections explaining their ideas and process.
3. How does a Postgraduate portfolio differ from an Undergraduate one?
A postgraduate portfolio must demonstrate maturity, specialization, and strategic thinking. It should feature your strongest academic or professional projects, research and analysis, problem-solving approaches, competition or internship work, and a clear structure that details each project comprehensively.
4. What is the recommended structure for presenting projects in a portfolio?
Every project should include:
– A brief description or project brief
– Research and analysis (texts, diagrams, data)
– Concept development
– Target user details
– Technical elements (drawings, plans, sections)
– Visual materials such as collages, renderings, or axonometric diagrams
– Organize projects with their strongest work first and maintain a consistent tone and visual aesthetic.