An online portfolio is a must-have tool for modern architects to further their careers. Not only will this be a requirement when you’re applying for jobs and internships, but it’s also one of the best ways to establish your brand as a designer, or to connect with potential clients as an independent or freelance architect. 

A standout digital portfolio should be a reflection of, not just the work you’ve done, but you as a professional. It does this by showcasing projects you’ve worked on, highlighting your strongest skills and design aesthetic in the process. Whatever stage you’re at in your architecture career, creating and maintaining a strong online portfolio can help you continue to grow. Here are steps and tips to follow as you go through this process. 

The importance of a digital portfolio for architecture professionals

For architects, a portfolio serves as a visual representation of your skills and style as a professional. It’s the best opportunity for potential employers or clients to see the type of projects you work on, the past designs you’ve created, and examples of your work in the real world. 

Architects have long used portfolios as ways to showcase their abilities, creativity, and design process to people who want to hire them. In the past, this meant physically gathering photos, plans, drawings, and other materials into a folder. A digital portfolio streamlines this process. Instead of lugging a physical portfolio with you to interviews, you can simply send the link to a potential client or employer along with your resume to give them easy access to samples of your past work. 

Digital portfolios have another advantage, too: you can make them viewable to anyone who is interested in your work, not just the people you’re already in communication with. A high-quality online portfolio can serve a second purpose as a marketing and branding tool, building your reputation as a professional for anyone who comes across your website, LinkedIn page, or other social media channels where you link to the portfolio. This puts it among the best tools for architects to achieve their career goals. Not only does a well-made portfolio help you to secure jobs you’re actively pursuing, but it can also open the door to new opportunities you may not have even been aware of otherwise. 

Steps to create an online portfolio 

Step 1: Choose a portfolio platform. 

There are a variety of websites where you can host an online portfolio. If you already have a website through a platform like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace, the easiest approach may be to simply create a new page on that site dedicated to your portfolio. 

There are also both free and paid options that are specifically designed for hosting creative portfolios, including some that are focused specifically on the architecture industry. These can often be a better option from a layout and presentation standpoint, especially for those who don’t have website design skills, since the templates and tools on these sites make it easy to showcase your expertise in a professional way. 

The most popular websites for creating a digital architecture portfolio include:

• Coroflot – Coroflot is more than a portfolio hosting platform. Its primary function is as a job board to connect designers with people who hire them. Because of this, it can be an excellent way to connect with opportunities, or to get feedback on your portfolio from other industry professionals, in addition to providing a space to host your portfolio. 
• Archinect – Another multi-function option, Archinect is an employment and networking community specific to the architecture industry. You can host your portfolio right on the site to display as part of your profile, making it easy for firms or other employers seeking architecture talent to gain insight into your ability and design thought process. 
• Behance – Owned by Adobe, Behance is a social media platform focused on showcasing creative work. Like Coroflot, there is also a built-in listing of creative jobs, though the majority of these are in areas like web and graphic design rather than architecture. Still, while it may not be as useful as a place to find jobs, its easy integration with Adobe design software makes it an appealing choice for some architects and designers. 
• Carbonmade – If you want full control over the layout and design of your online portfolio, Carbonmade is an excellent choice. This site aims to give creative professionals from a range of industries a place to showcase their work. While they provide starting point layouts based on your profession, you can customize the format to match your vision, using an easy drag-and-drop editor, and there is no limit on the number or size of images and videos you upload. 

There are plenty of other options out there, too, though these are the most widely used. Consider the user experience when you’re deciding which site to use and how to upload your portfolio. A portfolio that viewers can click through and engage with is a better choice than an uploaded PDF, which can be more difficult for users to navigate.

Step 2: Choose the right projects to include. 

The projects in your portfolio should give people viewing it insights into your overall aesthetic and capabilities. To do this, it’s best to include a variety of work that shows your range as a designer. That said, you don’t want to include every single project you’ve ever worked on, especially as you grow your career and have a lot of potential work you can include. 

The portfolio is your chance to make an excellent first impression, and that’s the main thing you should keep in mind when choosing what to include in it. Pick projects that you’re proudest of and that you feel demonstrate your best work. Also consider your interests and the types of projects you want to work on in the future. Including an example of something similar in your portfolio can help you to attract clients and employers from that area of the field. 

There’s no set rule about the exact number of pieces to include in an ideal portfolio. It’s typical to include 5-6 projects, but you’ll also see plenty of high-quality portfolios that fall outside this range. Less is often more, particularly for students or early-career architects. It’s better to have a sparse portfolio with just a few excellent projects than to dilute these strong entries with work or photos that are mediocre. 

Step 3: Design the portfolio and organize your projects.

Just like with a resume or CV, your portfolio should be easy for someone to skim and get a broad overview of your identity as an architect. You don’t need to order them chronologically or outline every step of your career journey as it happened. That will come across naturally as people look through the entire collection. 

Instead, it’s often best to lead with your strongest work, or the projects that you felt the most passion for. Including recent works first can also be a smart choice. This shows that you’re active in the industry, for one thing. Things that are more recent are also the most likely to showcase your full skills and potential. 

The visual design of the portfolio itself is important, too. This gives you another opportunity to showcase your professionalism, attention to detail, and creativity. Be thoughtful in your choice of colors, fonts, and similar details, to make sure the items in your portfolio are both easy to view and visually appealing to your intended audience. 

Step 4: Include multimedia content like photos, videos, sketches, and 3D models.

Another advantage of digital portfolios over the traditional print versions is that you can include more types of visuals. For a finished product, consider including video of the structure in use, in addition to photos or other images of the completed design. Along with this, you can go behind the scenes and give people insights into your workflow by including hand sketches, 3D renderings, construction documentation, and similar material that shows, not just what you do, but also how you work. 

Whatever media you include, keep the quality level high. A grainy, poorly-lit photo isn’t going to show your work in its best form. If you don’t have strong photography skills, consider hiring a professional who specializes in architecture photography and can capture your designs at their best.   

Step 5: Add project descriptions and other text.

The visual elements of your portfolio should take center stage, so as a rule you don’t want to include large blocks of text on the individual pages. However, a brief text description can be helpful to provide context for the images. This can also be an opportunity to explain your design choices, or outline your strategies for approaching a new project, which can be beneficial knowledge for firms who are considering whether you’ll fit into their team. 

Just like with everything in your portfolio, the text you include should be clean and professional. Thoroughly proofread for spelling or grammar issues, and position the text to ensure it’s easy to read and clear which picture it accompanies. While the tone should be professional overall, you don’t need to be overly formal. Infusing the text with your personality shows your audience who you are as a person as well as a designer.

Tips for designing a digital portfolio as an architect

Focus on your best, most relevant projects.

This idea has come up already in this article, but it’s important enough that it bears repeating. Your portfolio should showcase you at your best, and the projects you include need to reflect that. If any of your designs have won awards or other accolades, absolutely include those front and center. It can also be smart to include projects that show you’re aware of current design trends, or that exemplify the styles or structures that you’re most excited to work with in the future. 

Something else to keep in mind is that you don’t need to limit yourself to a single portfolio. If you’re sending the portfolio as part of your application for a specific role, tailoring its content to their requirements can ensure you’re demonstrating the right kind of value and make you more appealing as a potential hire. Having multiple portfolios can also be a smart move if you work in multiple specializations. For example, you might have one portfolio for the residential homes you’ve designed, and another that shows your work on commercial buildings. The same goes if you also work in areas like interior design or landscape architecture.

Include testimonials from past clients.

Design skills are just one aspect of what clients and employers look for in an architect. Including testimonials gives people a sense of what it’s like to work with you, along with establishing your credibility and ability to deliver work that meets a client’s requirements, needs, and timeline. 

Testimonials can be included right on the project’s page or listed on a separate page, whatever makes most sense for your portfolio format. If you’re early in your career and don’t yet have testimonials to share, consider reaching out to others who know your work, like mentors, professors, or colleagues. 

Update your portfolio regularly.

If all of the work in your portfolio is from a few years ago, this can raise questions in a potential employer’s mind. They might question whether you’re still active in the industry, or assume you haven’t done any work since then and wonder why no one has hired you. Even aside from these concerns, an outdated portfolio doesn’t show your growth as a professional as well as one that features your most recent projects. 

Once you’ve created your portfolio, make a point of checking in on it about once a month. Add new projects you’ve completed since your last check-in, and remove any older work that’s outdated or no longer fits with the rest. 

Make sure it looks professional on both computers and mobile devices.

More than half of website traffic comes through mobile devices instead of computers. You can’t control or anticipate how people are going to access your portfolio, so the best choice is to make sure it looks great no matter what device they’re using. Before you publish or share your portfolio, visit the site using both a phone and a laptop, and make whatever adjustments are needed to ensure it shows you in your best light, however people access the page. 

Architecture portfolio FAQs

What do firms look for in architecture portfolios?

On their initial pass, most employers will be in skimming mode. Many firms receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applications for any given opening, so they don’t have time to review every single portfolio they receive in-depth. This is why it’s important to lead with your strongest work and organize your projects clearly, making it easy to see what value you offer a firm just from a quick glance. 

On this first pass, firms are looking for an engaging portfolio that demonstrates professionalism, as well as an alignment to their aesthetics. They also want to see what skills you bring to the table, so you should be sure these are clearly conveyed by the materials you include. 

What should I include in my portfolio if I’m still a student?

As an architecture student, you likely don’t have any completed real-world projects that you can include. This doesn’t mean you have to wait to create a portfolio, though. It’s still a good thing to have when you’re applying to internships, graduate programs, or for your first foray into the job market. Include other design work you’ve done in class or independently, such as sketches, models, and photos. The focus in this case will be on your ideas, imagination, and inspiration as a designer. 

What are the most common mistakes architects make when designing their portfolio?

The most common mistake is including too many projects or images. It’s a natural impulse to want to show off everything you’ve done, but this can work against you in the long run, overwhelming the viewer and making it more challenging for them to spot your strongest work. Limit yourself to just the most relevant, most recent, and strongest work you’ve done, and your portfolio will be more effective. 

Another common mistake is that architects only include images and media without providing textual context. While you don’t want to overload your portfolio with text, brief explanations of the work help you to tell your story, explaining what makes your designs unique and how you approach your work.