Our monthly theme for June is dedicated to the idea of Expansion: “The action of becoming larger or more extensive; The process of increasing in size, volume, or importance; The state or quality of spreading out, elaborating, proliferating.”
When we think of these ideas in a creative infrastructure, one of the first things that comes to mind is our own portfolio - a place which acts as an extension of ourselves. It is our online home, where we get to share who we are with the world and extend ourselves outwards for people to see us and hopefully interact with us.
Exciting, right? However, designing and building your own portfolio is probably one of the most challenging projects we creatives are tasked with. How do you create your own personal branding? How do you choose which projects to include? What goes in the About Page? What do you write about each project? Which color palette to go for? And how do you choose a typeface that best represents your style?
These are just a handful of questions that arise as you embark on the portfolio journey. And trust us, there'll be so many more decisions—big and small—to take, as the process slowly unfolds.
As with every creative project you tackle, one of the best things you can do is learn from other people’s experiences. Hear their stories, gain some valuable insight, and perhaps pick up a few inspirations on the way. This is exactly why we’ve gathered some precious behind-the-scenes thoughts from six recent graduates of the Wix Playground Academy, as they talk about the process of creating their portfolio.
Over to you, graduates!
Roni Levi | https://www.ronilevi.com/
Describe your website in 3 words
Collection of experiments
With 1 being ‘easy and clear’, and 5 being ‘messy and chaotic’ - how would you describe your design process?
3
Favorite detail in your website
The 3D scanned objects I added to my projects index.
The biggest challenge in designing and building the website
Figuring out how to maintain balance between the materialistic vibe I wanted to achieve and still keeping it not too chaotic.
An unexpected thing that inspired you during the design process
Using CSS code! At first I was terrified of even trying to play with it, but after using the help of the tech designers that assisted me in the design and building process, I tried it a bit on my own and I feel that I would like to learn and use it a bit more in the future.
The best response I received about your website
That it seems like it sums up the general aesthetics that I'm going for in my latest projects, which was what I intended to achieve! It was one of my professors from uni who said that, when I asked for his opinion during the end of the playground.
Adam Shams | www.adamshams.com
Describe your website in 3 words
Nostalgic, fun, bubbly
With 1 being ‘easy and clear’, and 5 being ‘messy and chaotic’ - how would you describe your design process?
5
Favorite detail in your website
The Interaction in the homepage.
The biggest challenge in designing and building the website
Narrowing down where I am as a designer at the moment.
An unexpected thing that inspired you during the design process
The early internet.
The best response you received about your website
“It is so u”: my friend texted me when I sent her the link.
Eylon Malkevich | www.eylonmalkevich.com
Describe your website in 3 words
Experimental, retro-futuristic
With 1 being ‘easy and clear’, and 5 being ‘messy and chaotic’ - how would you describe your design process?
2
Favorite detail in your website
When someone clicks on the icon of the colored circle that reveals all the project stickers on the homepage that also function as logos for each and each project.
The biggest challenge in designing and building the website
Finding an elegant way to convey a lot of information without incorporating a lot of scrolling on the site.
An unexpected thing that inspired you during the design process
The creation of a "second view" for each project at the click of a button, so I could show the "easter eggs" I planted in them, or the work process and what is behind it. Something that, in my opinion, is just as important as the final result.
The best response you received about your website
From a colleague: “I want it as my home screen!”
Lior Swisa | www.liorswisa.com
Describe your website in 3 words
Versatile, typographic, minimalistic
With 1 being ‘easy and clear’, and 5 being ‘messy and chaotic’ - how would you describe your design process?
1
Favorite detail in your website
The typographic playfulness and the hybrid grid which allowed this to happen
The biggest challenge in designing and building your website
Creating a stand-out design which will represent me and my abilities on the one hand, but won’t overshadow the projects in the portfolio on the other hand.
An unexpected thing that inspired you during the design process
Discovering my own projects as the inspiration for the visual identity of the website. Placing my projects together made me see how each of them has its own visual strength, and that I can allow myself to use a minimalistic monochrome palette and let the projects shine.
The best response you received about your website
From a fellow schoolmate who knows my style better than anyone: “Even if your name wasn’t on it, I’d recognize it is your website”
Rony Mosco | www.ronymosco.com
Describe your website in 3 words
Detailed, rich, organized
With 1 being ‘easy and clear’, and 5 being ‘messy and chaotic’ - how would you describe your design process?
3
Favorite detail in your website
The cute custom cursor, and the folded cards in the homepage.
The biggest challenge in designing and building the website
Find the right balance so I can display my detailed works and keep an organized clean aesthetic so the focus will be on the works.
An unexpected thing that inspired you during the design process
Folding methods- while searching for a way to organize things I started exploring folding methods and typography.
The best response you received about your website
We had a website review with Talia Cotton and her response to my website was amazing. It was very exciting and meaningful to receive such feedback from a talented designer as Talia.
Atara Celia | https://www.ataracelia.com/
Describe your website in 3 words
Nostalgia, grid, twist
With 1 being ‘easy and clear’, and 5 being ‘messy and chaotic’ - how would you describe your design process?
3
Favorite detail in your website
My favorite detail in my website is the [SOMETHING HIDDEN] page! I like how it breaks the grid of my website and is a little sneak peek into my drawings.
The biggest challenge in designing and building the website
Figuring out how to make my different designs work together in one space.
An unexpected thing that inspired you during the design process
My friends! It was so lovely sitting side by side with some of the best designers, learning from their process and work. I loved seeing how diverse the results were, and how each portfolio truly reflected the personality and style of the designer.
The best response you received about your website
The best response I received about my website was during a portfolio review with Talia Cotton and Felix Pfäffli. Both fantastic and admirable designers in their own right I felt extremely lucky to be able to present to them and receive amazing feedback from them.
Adi Weintraub | https://www.adiweintraub.com/
Describe your website in 3 words
Minimalistic, Typographic, Contrast
With 1 being ‘easy and clear’, and 5 being ‘messy and chaotic’ - how would you describe your design process?
2
Favorite detail in your website
The info/contact box
The biggest challenge in designing and building the website
To create a website that not only aligns with my aesthetic preferences but also serves as an effective platform for showcasing the works featured in it.
An unexpected thing that inspired you during the design process
As I gathered inspiration, I discovered that I could extract values from the content that truly reflect my preferences and priorities in design, which I hadn't considered before.
The best response you received about your website
From Iris Koutchmar, when I was considering two options for my design: the first split the layout in half and showcased the entire work, while the second presented the work as a teaser. The feedback I received favored the second design because it was more intriguing and encouraged viewers to visit the project page, which wasn't as likely with the first option.
