Build a Professional ePortfolio

Having a professional ePortfolio has become almost a requirement for instructional design job applications. An ePortfolio can help you showcase your skills instead of simply listing them on your resume.

My own ePortfolio has been a product of many years of hard work. This page is meant to share resources for instructional designers that I hope you will find helpful on your own journey to build your ePortfolio.

Process

I like the process Christy Tucker explains on her blogpost "Instructional Design Portfolio Resources", so check it out. Here is my process:

1. Define your brand: Your heading and subheading should be able to tell site visitors your name, your title and what value you bring in under 30 seconds.

2. Collect: Collect the content that will allow you to showcase your skills. Make sure to chose content that you can share. Sharing proprietary content without permission can get you in trouble.

   • How? Think about your ideal job and just like you would tailor your cover letter to that job, that is how you should tailor your website.

3. Design: We know that the content drives the design. Now that you have the work samples you want to share, you can decide how you want to structure your site: content hierarchy (number and structure of pages), color palette, theme, etc.

4. Development: Chose a platform you are comfortable using. I like wix.com because I like how easy it is and because the content displays well on mobile devices, but you can use squarespace, wordpress, Google Sites, etc. Make sure to get your domain as well. I got mine from Google Domains. 

Inspiration

The ePortfolios below were a source of inspiration for me:

• Jennifer Livengood Portfolio

• Lila Azouz Portfolio

• Tom Washam

• Gallery of ID Portfolios

• 30+ Ideas for eLearning Portfolio Samples

• If you want to see a wild one, check this example.