Best Design Portfolio Templates for Researchers

In the realm of research, a Design Portfolio serves as a transparent window into the researcher’s thought process, showcasing the evolution of their projects and the methodologies employed. A well-organized Design Portfolio template in Notion can streamline this showcase, neatly cataloging projects and research outcomes in a manner that is both accessible and engaging for the audience.

Before you embark on crafting your own Design Portfolio template, consider exploring the following curated templates to simplify the process and ensure your work is presented in the best light possible.

What Should Design Portfolio Templates Include?

Choosing the right design portfolio template is crucial for showcasing your work effectively. Here are key components to look for in a Notion template:

Visual Appeal: The template should have a clean, attractive layout that complements your design work without overshadowing it.
Easy Navigation: It's important that your portfolio is easy to navigate, with clear categories or tags for different types of work.
Responsive Design: Ensure the template works well on both desktop and mobile devices to accommodate all potential viewers.
Contact Information: There should be a dedicated section for your contact details, making it easy for potential clients or employers to reach out.

Ultimately, the best template is one that reflects your personal style while remaining functional and user-friendly.

What Should Design Portfolio Templates Avoid?

Choosing the right template for your design portfolio is crucial. It's not just about what you include, but also what you should avoid to maintain clarity and professionalism. Here are three key components to steer clear of:

Overly Complex Layouts: Avoid templates with excessive boxes, frames, or sections. They can make your portfolio appear cluttered and distract from your work.
Non-Responsive Design: Ensure the template is responsive across all devices. A non-responsive design can frustrate viewers and make your work look unprofessional on mobile or tablet devices.
Heavy Use of Generic Stock Images: Relying too much on stock images can detract from the uniqueness of your portfolio. Choose a template that allows your real work to stand out.

Selecting a template that avoids these pitfalls will help present your work in the best light, ensuring it is both impactful and memorable to your audience.

1Personal Portfolio

Set up your portfolio in Notion to showcase and highlight your projects, skills, and achievements to potential clients, customers, or employers.

A template preview for Personal Portfolio

2UX Portfolio

Key Features of the Template:

Personal Introduction Section: Begin with a personal touch. Introduce yourself with a brief bio, your design philosophy, and what drives you in the UX field. This section sets the tone and gives a face to the portfolio.

Case Studies and Project Showcases: Dive deep into your most significant projects. This section is designed to present your case studies with clarity, focusing on the problem, your process, the solution, and the impact of your work.

Professional Overview: Here you can upload your CV for employers to quickly view your professional and educational trajectory

Testimonials and Endorsements: Feature testimonials from colleagues, clients, or mentors. This social proof can significantly enhance the persuasive power of your portfolio.

Contact Information and Call-to-Action: Clear call-to-actions with your contact information and social presences making it easy for potential employers or clients to reach out to you.

3Workfolio | Your Personal Portfolio

Let's showcase your expertise with a clean and modern portfolio, this template is a great landing page portfolio.

It includes an About section, Projects portfolio, contact information, and more.

You can customize each page to match your personal brand and style, and add your own images and content to make it more amazing.

A template preview for Workfolio | Your Personal Portfolio

4Minimal Designer Resume

Short and crisp resume template that you can duplicate to create your own designer resume or basic resume for representing your achievements and expertise. Hope you gonna like this simple yet amazing template.

A template preview for Minimal Designer Resume

5Design Portfolio

Use this template to showcase creative projects you’ve worked on and offer more context on their purpose and the development process you or your team followed.

6Designer portfolio

A portfolio for designers or product managers, where you can showcase your featured projects, about section, and links to your social media.

A template preview for Designer portfolio

7Graphic Design Portfolio

his Notion template is designed to help designers create a beautiful website that highlights their skills, projects, and experience.

With a sleek and modern design, this template features pages for your portfolio, about section, services, contact information, and blog posts. You can customize each page to match your personal brand and style, and add your own images and content to make it truly unique.

A template preview for Graphic Design Portfolio

8UX Portfolio

Lot's of entry level designers are confused on how to build a industry standard UX Portfolio.

Effective UX portfolios show recruiters and hiring managers/teams what a skilled, proactive, collaborative designer, like yourself, can add value to the organisation.

Here I created a simple-to-customize template so you can focus on the writing, instead of the design.

The ultimate goal of this template is to get you hired as a UX Designer.

9Marketing Portfolio Template

This template includes a homepage for marketers to share their work experience, their philosophies on success, personal projects, and options to get in touch for job opportunities. The benefit of using this template is you get a great starting point with a variety of "blocks" and predetermined format that allows job seekers to simply fill in the blanks and save time creating their website.

A template preview for Marketing Portfolio Template

10UX Portfolio & Case Study + Tips

I used to struggle with creating a realistic case study for my portfolio. The examples online and from bootcamps seemed out of touch with my real work experience in software houses and as an in-house designer. They talked about many steps in the design process that I never really went through. For example, I've only created one persona in all my years of working on real products. Usually, we designers work on parts of a project, not the whole thing from start to end.

So, I made this template to focus on real problems and solutions from my UX designer journey. It helps show your value in the projects you've worked on. This way, recruiters can easily see what you did to make things better. My approach is simple: introduce the client and project, share your research, talk about the features you worked on with the problem and solution, and wrap up your case study. This template is all about showing your real contribution without getting lost in fancy process terms.

A template preview for UX Portfolio & Case Study + Tips

Closing Thoughts

Utilizing these templates streamlines the process of showcasing your research in a visually appealing manner. They are designed to highlight your findings effectively, saving you time and effort.

Adopting these layouts can significantly enhance your professional visibility. They provide a structured way to present complex information, making it accessible and engaging for your audience. Start implementing them today to elevate your portfolio.

What is a Mood Board?

A mood board is a visual tool that communicates the general aesthetic and feel of a project, often used by designers to collate inspirational elements and ideas.

What is a Wireframe?

A wireframe is a schematic or blueprint, often used in the early stages of digital design to layout content and functionality on a page which takes into account user needs and user journeys.

What is a Style Guide?

A style guide is a set of standards for the design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization, or field, which ensures consistency and coherence in the style and formatting of design elements.