【Entrepreneurship Diary】 Vol.6 About Portfolio Website

This is an "Entrepreneurship Diary" written by CD, who worked at an agency in Tokyo, documenting the process leading to independent entrepreneurship. We will be sharing the journey to entrepreneurship, realizations, failures, and more as content.

Starting with the Portfolio Site

First and foremost, what I prioritized was creating a portfolio website. The reason being that it allows for marketing even before officially starting the business. I used Wix and Square Space to create mine in just two weeks.

Even when creating a company's website, there won't be any work to showcase initially. Of course, it's not appropriate to feature past works from a previous company. So, my conclusion was to create separate websites for the "company site" and the "portfolio site." For now, let's talk about the "portfolio site."

Roles of Two Websites

I divided the roles of the "company site" and the "portfolio site." It may vary for each person, but I categorized them as follows:

Company Site >> Emphasizing branding, company information
Personal Site >> Showcasing a comprehensive portfolio of work

For the company site, I focused on simplicity and branding, while for the personal site, I aimed to cover a wide range of work.

People Don't Closely Examine Websites

It's unfortunate, but as a practical matter, people don't closely examine websites. Even family and friends won't scrutinize every detail. However, each person looks at different places, and the points that capture their interest vary. That's why it's still necessary to refine your website.

Consider Your Purpose

As a CD, I regularly view the portfolio sites of various individuals in my daily work. Many people put a lot of effort into their sites, and there are some fantastic ones out there. However, when collaborating on a project, what I want to know is "What can this person do?" We work as a team, so if we were to use a soccer analogy, having a high scoring ability is great, but can they pass the ball? Are they someone who can run for the team's benefit? These are the things that need to be conveyed. In the context of job applications, this is the opposite. There's no need to be comprehensive; instead, select about five projects that represent you best. Interviewers have to make decisions quickly from a large pool of candidates, so impact is crucial.

A Site That Caters to Demand

It's essential to communicate what you excel at. However, in most cases, what clients want and what you want to do don't align perfectly. Plus, when pitching yourself, you often don't know what specific skills the client is looking for. In that sense, a site that lists various categories like "Advertising," "SP (Sales Promotion)," "CI (Corporate Identity)," "Editorial," "Digital," "Small Graphics," "3D," "Events," "Campaigns," and "SNS Content" in a comprehensive manner can better cater to demand.

Concise Descriptions for Each Project

Clients probably won't read much text, if any at all. They'll mostly just look. Nevertheless, I've tried to keep it as simple as possible while ensuring that the charm comes through. I've also included credits and details about what I worked on in each project. When the business starts running smoothly, I believe I'll integrate the portfolio into the "company site." So, for now, I'm keeping it concise.

That's it for this time.