[Request for Feedback] New Design portfolio
I just finished coding my design portfolio page: https://edgaras.com/portfolio
Besides my bootstrapped business, I offer freelance design services to make a living.
I would love to hear some feedback, would you hire me as a freelance designer if you came across this website?
Just to note, for now I didn't have time go make in-depth case studies for each portfolio project. I am planning to do that in the future. For now I focused on telling a "story" visually and show my credibility.
Also, do you have any advices on pricing (hourly VS monthly subscription VS fixed service pricing)
Your vision, realized - I feel you could be more "less generic"
i.e. I build and design your...
Yeah I was actually working a lot on this one, and maybe condensed too much, but it supposed to be a catchy slogan — a startups have visions, I have practical skills to make it a reality. And then bellow in the second line I explain it more. Not sure if I can make it somehow more clear but still keep it as a first catchy short phrase. 🤔
Very crisp and clear - nice work!
My only observation is that when I first opened the page my eye automatically went to the top left of the page, but there was nothing there. I guess I was subconsciously expecting a logo. Having said that, I have the design skills of a block of concrete, so probably best to ignore!
Thank you that's a good point :D a logo is kind of expected now on every website. I guess I could put my name there for now!
Awesome site! Looks extremely professional and friendly! Maybe this is a bit off-topic, but I was wondering if you utilize Lottie Animations?
That's cool! @edgaras I really enjoy this clean look.
If I can recommend something - I would add some small animations (lottie) here and there to further enhance the experience of your website!
@MichaelNowak Thnx!
Agree, it's on my todo list :D I want to experiment more with Framer Motion and path animations, so I think I will practice that:)
Love how clean and open this looks. And your portfolio has some great work in it!
I would reduce and break up the amount of text under the 'what I can help you with' and 'how i work' sections. It's a little dense and my eye glosses over it.
Overall, I want to see more of HOW you work with clients. Maybe a section that showcases your process -- if I was a prospect, walk me through the steps of how I get what I want from working with you.
Also for the site CTA, I'd be clearer about the call's purpose. What is the compelling reason for them to get on the call? Just to chat probably isn't strong enough. They know YOU want to talk them, but THEY need a reason why they get value from it. (also maybe 15 min vs 30min -- less of a commitment)
This is looking really nice though and you're clearly a talented designer. Best of luck!
Thank you so much Josh for your kind words.
I love all of your points, I will try to improve them! The case studies will be the most time consuming, but surely would be valuable to have them in a long run. Also, when I finish a project I should document a case study right away. I should probably set a reminder for that on every project :D
Thanks again for dropping by!
In general, an effective design portfolio showcases your skills and expertise in a visually appealing manner. The website should be easy to navigate and should include a range of projects that demonstrate your versatility as a designer.
Based on what you have mentioned, it sounds like you have focused on telling a story visually and showing your credibility. This is a great approach, especially if you don't have time to create detailed case studies for each project.
When it comes to pricing, it really depends on your goals and the type of services you offer. Hourly rates can work well if you're doing smaller projects or one-off tasks, while monthly subscriptions might make more sense for ongoing work with a client. Fixed pricing can be effective for specific services that you know the cost of delivering. Ultimately, you should do some research on the market rates for freelance design services and determine what makes the most sense for your business.
Regards
Invasioned
You got it right, yes that's my focus for now as I am searching for a job immetiately and I was not able to complete full case studies. So I am trying to "sell" myself with my credentials and transparency.
Good idea regarding pricing. I think by default I will offer a hourly rate for clients to try out working with me. Once they are more comfortable, I can offer them a monthly fee that is more predictable for them and for me.
Fixed pricing I would have to think more about. I think those, as you said should be for very specific services/products I can deliver in fixed time. For example, a landing page. But in the past I got burned with this pricing model, where I scoped for too little and I had to spend more time than I was getting paid for.
I also heard about value-based pricing, but I never really seen any designers use it or how would that even be possible, to determine a value for the client. It would require a client to be very open about their business and their financials.
Search for 'value based pricing kai davis' on Google (can't post links here). The very first result may help you understand how to interview clients with this pricing model.
Yeah... I've know VBP for some years now. Tried learning about it from different sources. Including seanwes and The Futur. But I've never really managed to make it practical. I could try looking up the "kai davis" take on it, maybe it's different.
Maybe it takes a lot of skill, but I find it difficult to ask clients very "intimate" numbers about their business. Often they just want to pay for a design service and move on. Also, even if I know their KPIs, it's very difficult to promise a significant increase in percentage. Unless it's a specialized service and I have a good track record of raising the business value.
Regardless, thinking more about the business value is always good exercise. Thanks for the reminder!
By the way, from your experience, have you using VBP? How do you do it?
layout, colors, and type look super clean. I think you do a good job with prioritizing the call to action and having your work, work style, and tools all in a single scroll.
What I find confusing is that if I click on your name I end up on a page with a limited view and I don't know how to get back to your portfolio without clicks back on the browser. Is there a reason you need this page at all? I'm referring to: edgaras _co.m
You are right, I have to fix this 😅 Thing is, first I made a personal website, but then I had a need to create a freelancer portfolio, which requires completely different layout and communication. So now it's a bit of a separate thing. Not sure exactly how I should merge them, maybe my personal site layout has to change.
Clean! I love that reviews are at the top of the page. It looks really professional .
Thanks! Yeah it seemed like a good idea to put it on top for an early trust building 👍
Anything I could improve?
As a first time visitor I have all information I would expect to get from the portfolio page. If anything needs improvement is only to share more your portfolio to get even more clients. 😄
Do you have any places to recommend where I could share?:) I find it quite difficult!
I would probably use LinkedIn but I see that you already using it. Maybe for freelancing I would give a try to freelance work platforms like upwork but with a grain of salt because of low prices competitions that there are. Probably making a good connections with clients would be helpful as they could recommend you to other possible clients.