What Is Most Important To You When Seeing A Designers Portfolio Online ??
 

I'm trying to fine tune my portfolio with a new design/Adult Resource Site, and was wondering as a designer to possible future clients. What do you want to see when going to a designers portfolio online, and trying to chose a good designer? And good designs is the obvious answer :thumbsup

I was thinking of doing a blog on the new portfolio and do a daily write up on what I'm working on, and Sponsors and traffic stats to show convertions.. Think this is a good idea ?

1 thing I think is incredibly important is having the actual coding of the site available for me to see and not just an image of the site you've designed. I want to know you can actually code a website and not just draw one and have a program cut it out for you.

Also, open the examples in a new window because I'm sometimes a fucktard and X out of the example and close out the designers website.

The most important thing for me is that they also can code the designs they do. The absolute worst thing is seeing a designer do a great design, but then coding it using tables instead of valid xhtml and css. Thats like buying Don Perignon and drinking it out of an empty soup can.

Thanks Bama, Very good advice :thumbsup

Thanks again great advice.. I'm trying to make my re-design perfect and fit everyones needs..

I like to see high res naked pictures of hot female designers...

youre not the only one that has let me down :pimp

that would cinch the sale :1orglaugh

1. What did it cost the customer to make what you're showing me?

2. Show populated galleries. We want to see designers' choices of images.

3. If your site looks like crap or is hard to navigate, why would the site you design for us be better? Make sure to have your site under control before trying to sell us a new one. Not that this is personal, I haven't even seen most of the sites.

4. Don't link to an uncut template. Link to live works.

5. Don't try to show off a tour that isn't even in use. If your sample design is showing "bukkakemidgetsonbikes.com" and when I go to bukkakemidgetsonbikes.com it's a different tour, what does that mean?

Again, don't take this personal, the subject is what is most important to me, not what are people doing wrong. I just chose to say what many people are doing wrong ;)

Consistent quality, variety of styles.

In adult, way too many designers appear to only know variations on a single theme.

I like to know where the designer is located, since that may effect our communications, in terms of being in vastly different time zones, and might impede our speaking over the phone.

While I understand that some designs must be quoted on a case-by-case basis, it's also nice to have a price list that allows prospective customers to compare designers basic rates, if price is a consdieration.

Other than that, I think the earlier posts touched on the most salient points, including Deej.

ADG

ok some nice advice so far :) What about a calandar that shows the client the time frame the the designer said that the site would be done on ?? and each client has their own backend to get old zip files and all ...

Cosign "What did it cost the customer to make what you're showing me?". Great idea.

I think a lot of customers would not want what they paid advertised publicly.

Yep thats what I was going to say ... Maybe give an option for the client to say if they want it public, the cost of their design

I think consistancy with quality and diversity so that everything doesnt look the same.

The number one concern of most people is the price.

Though many may try and deny it, but price is the number one...
It's the truth.

I reccomend a BLOG ( I not launched mine yet Link is http://www.ialien.com/press/ ) it may help attract clients but more than anything else it will attract other designers that are looking for idea's to cop and or designers looking for free tips and how to's:)

I want to show examples next to the price of each design so people get an idea of what a $600.00 reality tour looks like, and what a $30.00 gallery looks like compared to a $20.00 gallery etc.

Just make examples for no client in particular and place the price and explain why there's a difference in price.

good idea :thumbsup.. keep them comming

Very nice suggestions :)

your tits :)

newest work on top and regularly updated portfolio is something important.

testimonials

I agree!

This really is good advice or tip here. I ran into this recently myself.

Another thing is I wanna see a full, and updated portfolio. I have some seen some, recently, where I worked with someone years back and their port hasn't been updated since. I am reluctant to give them any more work.

One of the things I find most disappointing is when their work falters. I had a designer recently who came out of the game with some decent designs, but then on 5 projects since his works was disappointing at best.

I do not mind paying for good work, but it has to remain consistent. If I am giving you repeat business, then MY WORK should be top priority. Slack off on some newbie piece of shit.

One more thing that comes to mind is creativity in a designer. I have about 15 bids out on RAC at the moment from everything from CMS to logos and CSS designs. When I am looking at some designs, and point you to templates, and other sites similar. I expect you to take the ball, run with it, and impress me from there.

I do not expect to have to be consulted on every little thing. I spent the time to give you detailed instructions and examples. From there, you should be professional enough to take that "vision" and make it a reality. That is what you are paid to do.

Often I get designers or coders who want me to give them every little detail on things. Not every one, but a lot of times this comes up. Well, I am not a fucking programmer or a designer. I repeatedly have to tell them this.

My job is making money on line. I come up with the vision, and give you the details. You have to design the best way for me to achieve the end goal. That part is very annoying.

:disgust

Well, considering how many bad things I've read about you over the years ... I guess the portfolio not being yours is animportant indicator to me.

Agreed wholeheartedly. It's another thing I see. Where you need three different blog designs and they call come back with different colors but looking the same.

:disgust

This is a business. Of course price plays into it. But.. I think people would pay more for better quality and less hassles. I know I would.

If you can get on the same page, and do what I want, without me having to babysit you, keep tracking you down on the lake, shopping, and doing things other than work when you are blowing deadlines you yourself provided, and then expect me to be understanding.

Taking liberties to change things I did not ask for, then run up the tab because of extra hours worked on things not in my guidelines. While it may have made sense to do it, and better code. It's something that should have been discussed before doing it. Do not do it, then come bawling to me how your have spent hours or days on things not included in the req.

The absolute worst is two fold. The whodini, and unrealistic deadlines. I may be upset it's going to take a week instead of a few days. But if I like your work, I will wait. But, I expect it done by the time given. This is easily one of the most aggravating things in dealing with designers and programmers.

Incredibly bad time management.

:disgust