BrittanyIf you’re a designer, you need a portfolio. And if the portfolio is a good one, you’ll stand out.
But what if you’re competing against 20 other designers who also stand out in their own way with their top-notch portfolios?
They’re clean, they’re professional, you all have case studies to support the texts you put in there, and a grid that repeats over and over. So how can any of it really stick in somebody’s mind? And can you blame them that it doesn’t?
There’s nothing wrong with a basic portfolio. But if you’re making the online kind, you have so many possibilities to get really creative.
For example, you could have a logo that animates as it loads, or a short video that shows how a project comes together.
Now, that’s how you make an impact.
Motion & Sound
Portfolios built with video motion and sound immediately stand out because you can’t help but pay attention to them. And keep in mind that most portfolios are completely static. With a tool for GPT3 AI video generating, you can swiftly create a video that’s themed towards your brand in a style that suits you.
Motion and sound add a whole other layer that makes your work modern and dynamic.
Motion
One of the simplest things you can do is to animate logos and icons.
A flat image could never leave an impression like a logo that moves into place, so that’s where you start. Then, move on to icons. The ones with gentle transitions or glow effects make it all seem interactive, and it suggests how it would work in real life, on an actual project.
You can also bring your entire process to life with step-by-step animations that turn sketches and drafts into a moving sequence. This could show how the final design came together, which is always interesting to see.
Sound
Text is fine, but sound adds personality no text can match.
If your portfolio has a narrated walkthrough, you have the chance to explain why you chose these details over those, which means shorter paragraphs and boring information nobody will bother to read.
It’s even better if you add a subtle soundtrack for the mood—nothing overpowering, just something that will enhance the whole presentation from the background. Small audio cues, like a chime or perhaps a signature tone, can also become a unique part of your personal brand.
If you work with international clients, narration in multiple languages is a huge plus because it makes your portfolio more accessible.
Tools to Use
If you have access to a full-blown production studio, then you’re golden. But if you don’t, don’t worry; you can still pull this off.
There are user-friendly editing platforms that let you create cool animations and transitions, all without having any advanced training. Voice AI and narration tools let you transform whatever’s written into audio that sounds polished and professional, so you don’t need to record everything yourself.
Don’t go overboard, though. If you have too many effects, nobody will be able to focus on design.
Pick a few tools and always make sure to keep the spotlight on the work itself.
How to Present Multimedia in Portfolios
The biggest mistake people make with sound and motion is that they let them take over the work instead of using them as accents. They should never cover anything up; they’re here to explain everything more clearly and to bring attention to the most important features.
Start with placement.
The simplest way to show motion is to embed the video straight on your portfolio site, but video should only be used to highlight something you can’t explain in static images, like an interface in action. If you want to show a lot of work in motion without the site getting laggy, use a showreel. You could also add a QR code that links to an animation or narrated walkthrough so people can experience your work outside the page.
Finally, the polishing touches.
This is how you separate an amateur from a professional portfolio. Transitions should be smooth, and audio should be clear and consistent in volume. No background noise and no sudden jumps.
Branding is another big thing, and it needs to carry through every video or sound clip because you want it all to feel like parts of the same story.
Conclusion
Regardless of what you’re offering, what you want are (paying) clients. Being a designer is no exception to that rule.
And in order to get clients, you’ll need two things: a good-quality product and visibility. But while you can hone your craft, visibility mightn’t be your forte. So one surefire way of amping up your visibility online is to bump up your portfolio. And by adding motion and sound to it, you’ll surely stand out!
There are tools available to designers today that not many take advantage of.
So take a minute, think about your business strategy, and then stop presenting your portfolio that looks like a silent museum when you have the opportunity to present a gallery filled with engaging/active highlights with music playing in the background.
