Should you Include Personal Projects on your Porfolio?
Whether you’re just starting in the world of graphic design, or if you’re a seasoned veteran, you’ll have undoubtedly come across this question before.
It’s something that’s always been a hot topic of discussion within the design community, and a question which has seen many (and I mean many) answers over the years.
Of course, there’s no, one correct answer to this, as everyone is going to have a different opinion on what makes something portfolio-worthy, and what should or shouldn’t be included.
Personally, I believe that there should be a distinction between client work and personal work. For example, when you look at my own portfolio (which you probably are right now if you’re reading this) my personal work is included in the Projects section, whilst client based work appears on the main Work page.
However, I do believe that not all personal projects should be included on your portfolio.
Personally, what I think you should do is include projects that either; accurately represent the work that you want to be hired for, or projects that you think best showcases your design skills.
In terms of the first point there, the work that appears on your portfolio is the same work that potential clients will understand you to specialise in, and will, therefore, be more likely to hire you to complete projects in that same style. If your portfolio contains a lot of lettering work, there’s a good chance that potential clients will want to hire you for just that.
It should also be noted that, if you’re new to the world of design and haven’t had that many clients, including self-initiated projects is an excellent way of showing that you know what you’re doing. It’s always the case that having some work to show off is far better than having none.
So, to summarise:
Yes, including personal work on your portfolio is fine, if it either represents what you want to be hired for, or it shows off your skill set and/or versatility. These personal projects will help to portray you as a well-rounded designer and will fill an absence of client work, if that’s something you’re currently lacking.
Of course, these are my own thoughts. There are plenty of other blog posts and articles on the topic, some sharing the same beliefs, some arguing to the contrary.
Ultimately, it comes down to your situation. If you feel like your personal work is a good representation of your skills, or is more in the direction of what you want to be hired for, then include it!
Are there any other topics that you’d like to see covered here? If so, then please let me know via the contact page, and I’ll see what I can do!
As you can see from being on this site, I’m also a freelance graphic designer, so if you need help with any projects you’re working on, I’d be more than happy to get involved! I’m currently available for both short and long term hire.
Thanks for reading!