Published in · 6 min read · 4 days ago
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When deciding to create your portfolio, you might become overwhelmed by the choices and decisions as you navigate from one portfolio building website to another. Looking for the best way to get your work out into the world is a big step to making yourself known and presented to recruiters. Depending on your desired role (ex. Product designer, UI designer, UX UI designer), having an aesthetic/unique portfolio is important so you can stand out in the sea of applicants. You might not need a special portfolio if you’re only looking for UX designer or researcher roles, as you can show your expertise in your process.
I believe that investing in your future with your brand on the internet is powerful in getting you the job you want. I do want to preface that there are many portfolio building sites that are free with a standard template (ex. Adobe Portfolio, UXfolio, Notion, etc.) that can easily help you get a job. However, with mass layoffs and a saturated job market, I recommend increasing your chances of standing out and presenting your work differently from others. One way to do this is by challenging yourself to learn new skills in the form of building a website (little to no code of course) so you can create a portfolio that communicates your personal brand and personality, the way you like it.
Building a website can be intimidating as you don’t know how or where to start. A couple years ago, I also wanted to take the easy way out but I knew that I had a different vision for myself. I wanted my portfolio site to look a specific way and none of the free website builders allowed me to do that. The 4 portfolio building websites I’ll be recommending do require financial and time investment, but I think it is super worth it. All of the sites also allow you to play around with everything for FREE so there’s no consequences in trying them out and seeing if it works for you.
The best known website builder that gives you the ultimate freedom to your vision. Webflow is advertised as a way for you to build with the power of code without actually writing any. With basic knowledge of CSS and design skills, you can create anything you want. Of course, Figma design skills do not translate fully to Webflow as it is a different software which can easily be learned through their designated University page. The possibilities in Webflow are almost endless especially if you know how to code, as you can add code snippets directly into your “no code” site. What’s the catch? Well Webflow offers a free plan for you to start experimenting around before committing but you can only have 2 pages on your site. Or the plans start at $18/month CAD or $14/month CAD billed annually. The cost is on the higher side but it is an amazing tool to create simple and advanced websites without coding. And maybe once you learn the skills of creating your own site, you can branch out to becoming a Webflow developer which just opens up new paths and opportunities.
I personally use Webflow for my own portfolio site. Webflow has the most comprehensive resources and tutorials with a great community so I am always able to reference and build exactly what I want.
The second runner-up for no-code website builders! Within a couple years, Framer made a massive pivot from being a prototyping tool to a website builder. Everybody became intrigued by what the possibilities were. With a different but familiar interface, the notion of using components, and having the ability to paste from Figma or the web, Framer is changing the game. As Framer exists right now, building a simple site (like your portfolio) would work amazingly. I know they had recently added CMS abilities but if you want to build advanced websites, I’d still lean to Webflow (for now anyways). What’s the catch? Framer also offers a free plan that you can create as many hobby sites as you want. The other plans start at $7/month for the mini plan and $19/month for the basic plan, billed annually.
Squarespace is a super common contender for everyone. You can create a portfolio, online store, blog, or anything you put your mind to that you want a website for. The drag and drop interface gives you the creative freedom without needing simple CSS knowledge like for Webflow, Framer, and Webstudio. You can easily create text, drop images in, and change the site styles without needing to invest a lot of time and effort in learning how to do something. What’s the catch? Well, the personal plan starts at $21/month CAD billed annually which is slightly more than Webflow and Framer. Being just a couple dollars more expensive, if you are not wanting to dip your toes into learning basic CSS or how things are developed, Squarespace would be the best website builder for you. It gives you the creative freedom to do almost anything you want.
You may have never heard of Webstudio, but this is an open-source no-code website builder. The interface is very similar to Webflow, so if you find that the price for Webflow is a little too much, you can potentially use Webstudio instead. The hobby plan starts at $0 and has all that you would need to create a portfolio. What’s the catch? As an open source project, there is a lack of resources and functionality so figuring out how to do something might be more frustrating. I was originally going to transition from Webflow to Webstudio, but noticed that I couldn’t quite create password protected pages for each of my case studies. I’d still recommend Webstudio if you’re creating an overly simple site and don’t want to pay a monthly price except for your domain. In a couple more years, Webstudio might become a bigger deal as they add CMS integrations and real time collaboration.
