Let’s knw about Portfolio vs Resume, If you’re already a graphic designer or are hoping to become one, you’ve already heard two very important terms: the graphic designer portfolio and the resume. Some people think they are the same. They are definitely not! A graphic designer portfolio and resume are very different, and both are very important.

In this blog, we are going to discuss:

And don’t worry – we will try to use all simple words that a 5th grader could understand.

Let’s go!

What exactly is a Graphic Designer Portfolio?

A graphic designer portfolio is a compilation of your best design work. It demonstrates what kind of design projects you can accomplish. Think of it like a photo album of your designs. You display logos, brochures, websites, social media designs, or any art that you have created.

Your portfolio says, “Hey! Look at what I can create!”

It is very useful for demonstrating to people who may want to work with you your skills, style, and creativity.

A Good Graphic Designer Portfolio Displays:

Your design style
Your creativity
Your problem solving abilities
The types of work you can deliver

What is a Resume?

A resume is a one-page document that tells folks about your employment history, education, and skills. It is a short life-story of your work-life. A resume does not showcase your actual design work – it simply describes it.

A resume says, “This is who I am, this is what I’ve done.”

It consists of:

Your name and contact information
Your work experience
Your education
Your design software skills
Awards or certifications

Graphic Designer Portfolio vs. Resume: The Biggest Difference

Let’s simplify this!

Topic	Portfolio	Resume
What it shows	Your actual design work	Your job and study history
Looks like	An album or slideshow	A single page document
Purpose	To show your creative skills	To explain your qualifications
Best for	Freelancers, designers, artists	Job interviews, job applications
Contains	Images, projects, design samples	Text only – no images
Format	PDF, website, Behance, Google Drive	PDF or Word file

So, the portfolio is about “showing,” and the resume is about “telling.”

Why You Need Both?

Many graphic designers ask this question: “Do I need a resume and a portfolio?”

Yes! And here is why:

✅ Your Resume Tells the Story

Your resume shares who you are, where you went to school, what software you understand, and what past jobs you performed.

✅ Your Portfolio Shows the Proof

Your portfolio says: “I’m not just talking. I actually can do it! Look at these fantastic designs I created.”

✅ Combined, They are Stronger

If you only send a resume, they won’t understand how great your designs actually are. If you send only a portfolio, they won’t know where you come from. Together, they show the whole picture.

When to Use a Portfolio, and When to Use a Resume?

Let’s take a quick look at some common situations:

Situation	Use Resume?	Use Portfolio?
Applying for a design job at a company	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Freelance work for a client	❌ Not always	✅ Yes
Sharing work on social media	❌ No	✅ Yes
Applying for design school or course	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Corporate jobs (non-creative)	✅ Yes	❌ No

What to Include in a Graphic Designer Portfolio?

Now that we’ve sorted out the difference between a portfolio and a portfolio website, let’s talk about how to create a great graphic designer portfolio.

1. Your Best Work

Take the time to choose your favourite 6–10 projects. These could be:

Logo design
Flyers
Posters
Social media posts
App/web design
Business cards

2. More Details About the Project

For each work piece, you should write a mini story, and you can include:

Who the project was for
What the goal was
What tools you used etc.(Canva or Photoshop)
What the result was

3. Your Story

Write a little story about you, your passion for design, and what kind of work you like to do.

4. Contact Information

Don’t forget to add your email, phone number or website so people can reach you.

What Should Be Included in a Resume?

A resume is short and sweet. Here are the main things to include:

1. Your Name and Contact

This should be at the top of your resume so it is easy to find.

2. Career Objective (Optional)

One to two sentences describing which job you are looking for and what you can offer.

3. Work Experience

A list of past jobs, including:
Job title
Company name
Dates
What you did

4. Education

School, college, or design course details.

5. Design Skills

A list of design tools you use like:

Adobe Illustrator
Photoshop
Canva
Figma
InDesign

6. Awards or Certificates (optional)

Anything you include that shows off your accomplishments.

How to Develop a Portfolio as a Graphic Designer?

Developing your graphic designer portfolio is essentially simple. You just need to identifies the steps.

Step 1: Gather your Work

Look through your past designs, and pick the top selections.

Step 2: Decide your Format

You can generate your portfolio as:

A PDF
A website
A Behance or Dribbble Profile
A Google Drive folder

Step 3: Keep it Simple

Use clean fonts and layout with plenty of white space. Your design is the focus, not the background.

Step 4: Write Descriptions

Write 1-2 lines for each design to explain what it is and how you got there.

Step 5: Update it

Add new work, and delete old work or weak work.

Creating a Resume

There are many different tools you can use to create a resume including:

Microsoft Word
Canva (free templates)
Google Docs
Adobe Express

Professional Tips:

Use bullet points
Keep it to one page
Use simple words

Everything must be correct (spelling mistakes will be noticed!)

Tips to Help Your Portfolio and Resume Stand Out

Want to look more professional? Follow these easy tips.

✅ Be Honest

Don’t include false work or jobs. Be proud of what you’ve actually done.

✅ Show Different Skills

In your portfolio, include different styles — modern, fun, elegant, bold.

✅ Use Good Images

Make sure your design files are legible and high quality.

✅ Keep it Organized

Don’t mix everything together. Group similar work together.

✅ Include Personal Projects

If you’re starting out, create your own sample projects. Design for a fake brand or redo a famous logo.

Things To Avoid

Even the best designers how small traps. Here are a few DONTS:

❌ Don’t send a portfolio with no explanation

❌ Don’t write your resume like your writing a novel

❌ Don’t put every piece you EVER designed in it

❌ Don’t make it difficult to read (too small, too colourful)

❌ Don’t forget to put your contact info in it

Final Thoughts: Be prepared, Be creative

Your graphic designer portfolio is your “show and tell.” Your resume is your “work proof.” both are useful if you want to be successful at being a designer.

Whether you want a job job, or a freelance project, or just want to share your skills with the world, a good portfolio and clean resume will put you on the right track.

So remember:

Show your design work in your portfolio
Tell your story in your resume
Keep both simple, clean, and honest
Keep both up to date as you develop.
Summary Table

What You Need	Portfolio	Resume
Main Purpose	Show design work	Tell your background
Who Needs It	Designers, freelancers, students	Job seekers, professionals
File Format	PDF, Website, Behance	PDF, Word
Length	Many pages with images	One page only
Main Content	Designs, project stories	Work experience, education, skills

Are you ready to build your graphic designer portfolio and resume today?

If you want help or free templates to get started, just ask!

If you want to learn more then click below links: