For centuries, philosophers have been asking themselves “If a tree falls in the woods, but nobody is around to hear it, does it still make a sound?” Think of your graphic designs in a similar way: if nobody is around to observe your portfolio, does it still make an impact?
Finding the answer to that first question may take a while, but thankfully, we already know the answer to the second. The designs you’ve created won’t help you grow as a designer all by themselves. You need eyes on the prize—the prize being your talent, and the eyes belonging to those who can offer you feedback, criticism, or perhaps even employment opportunities.
Don’t let your design portfolio become a tree falling alone in the woods. Use these graphic design portfolio websites, galleries and communities to promote yourself and connect with others who can help you move forward.
Quick-and-Easy Portfolio Sites
These high-profile portfolio sites allow you to create and share your own online gallery with fellow designers and potential employers. They feature incredibly easy-to-use interfaces; creating your portfolio is often as simple as making a profile and uploading your images.
Behance
Dribbble
Join Dribbble
Carbon Made
Join Carbon Made
Coroflot
Graphis
Dripbook
Voodoo Chilli
FigDig
Join FigDig
Creative Binge (No longer available)
Flavors Community
Join Flavors Community
Creattica (No longer available)
Shadowness
Join Shadowness
Design Related (No longer available)
Behance ProSite Showcases
Consider registering at any of these Behance ProSites to gain extra exposure for your portfolio.
Pantone Canvas
Join Pantone Canvas
Adweek Talent Gallery
Student Show
Join Student Show
AIGA Member Portfolios
Join AIGA Member Portfolios (for AIGA members only)
Design Inspiration Sites
If you have a particularly amazing design that you think deserves some recognition, consider submitting it to these design inspiration blogs and galleries to reach a wider audience.
Abduzeedo
Submit to Abduzeedo
Design You Trust
(No longer accepting submissions.)
AdAge Creativity
Submit to AdAge Creativity
Communication Arts
Ego-AlterEgo
Submit to Ego-AlterEgo
The Inspiration Room
Submit to The Inspiration Room
Design is Kinky
123 Inspiration
From Up North
Use “Submit” button in From Up North’s header to submit designs.
Inspiration Grid
Design Work Life (No longer available)
Daily Inspiration
Submit to Daily Inspiration
The Design Blog
Youandsaturation (No longer available)
Visual Sundae
Submit to Visual Sundae
Creative Shares (No longer available)
The Design Inspiration
Submit to The Design Inspiration
Graphic Design Competitions
Submit your best designs to these competitions for a chance to win extra prestige and recognition.
International Design Awards
GDUSA Competitions
Creativity International Awards (no longer available)
How Design Competitions
Regional Design Annual
Specialty Galleries
These design galleries only allow you to submit one type of design media, but each allows you to reach a wider audience for that particular medium.
Card Observer (Business Card Designs)
Card Nerd (Business Card Designs)
Submit to Card Nerd
For Print Only (Print Designs)
Company Folders (Folder Designs)
Submit to the Folder Design Gallery
Oh So Beautiful Paper (Paper/Print Designs)
Submit to Oh So Beautiful Paper
PaperSpecs (Paper/Print Designs)
Must Be Printed (Print Designs)
Submit to Must Be Printed
The Beauty of Letterpress (Letterpress Designs)
Submit to The Beauty of Letterpress
The Beauty of Engraving (Engraved Print Designs)
Submit to The Beauty of Engraving
Print.PM (Print Designs)
Submit to Print.PM
Printed Matters (Print Designs)
Submit to Printed Matters
The Dieline (Product and Packaging Designs)
Lovely Package (Packaging Designs)
Logo Design Showcases
The following sites all promote high-quality logo designs in some way. Keep in mind that some are galleries open to registration while others are inspiration blogs, which may require you to send your work through a submissions process before they are published.
Logopond
Logo Lounge
Logo Faves
Submit to Logo Faves
LogoMoose
Submit to LogoMoose
Logo of the Day
Submit to Logo of the Day
LogoGala
Logoed (No longer available)
LogoBliss (No longer available)
Job Recruitment Sites
These sites are specially made to cater to both designers and the professionals that employ them. In addition to hosting or promoting your portfolio, you can use these sites to search for design jobs and engage with employers.
Krop
Creative Hotlist
Shown’d (No longer available)
Jobrary (No longer available)
CreativeShake
Join CreativeShake
Portfolio Creation Tools
If you’re more the do-it-yourself type, these websites will provide you with the tools needed to build your own online portfolio from the ground up.
Behance ProSite
Squarespace
Dunked
Portfoliopen
Subfolio
Crevado
Viewbook
Cargocollective
Indexhibit
Portfoliobox
WordPress
Social Media Sites
Practically everybody has a Facebook and Twitter, but the following social media sites provide better tools for showing off your portfolio and connecting with other designers.
deviantART
Join deviantART
Tumblr
Flickr
StumbleUpon
Join StumbleUpon
Glossom
Join Glossom (now known as Arthewall.com)
Conclusion
Whether you’re fishing for work or constructive criticism, you’ll want to cast as wide of a net as possible so that a potential opportunity doesn’t swim away. The more places you post your portfolio, the greater your chances of having your work seen by the right audience. Don’t be shy. Get out there and show the world what you can do.
Did we miss a great portfolio site that you like to use? Do you have a portfolio you want to show off? Leave your comments below and let’s make some connections.
I have two to suggest:
http://www.punkgraphic.com and
http://hariscizmic.com
awesome sites