We've all seen the most visually stunning personal websites belong to people in the creative industries. After all, they have extensive portfolios of work to display on their websites, showcasing their stories and abilities rather than simply writing a block of text to tell people about it.
But what if you don't work in a particularly visual position or industry? How can you have a "gallery" of your work if you don't have anything tangible to show off? What if your strongest suits are soft skills such as leadership and communication? How do you picture that?
Continue reading for five tips on how to add more imagery to your website or portfolio. There's bound to be a solution for you, whether you're trying to present a project that isn't particularly visual or looking for ways to creatively show off soft skills. While designers provide a lot of inspiration, these are ideas that anyone can use.
This is a quick and dirty way to make your site more visually appealing. Instead of simply writing about the clients you worked with, include their logos to add visual interest.
If you work in sales, you can use this to highlight major clients you've worked with (as long as nothing is proprietary or prohibited by your employer). Consider the companies with whom you have formed alliances in marketing. If you work in business or finance, you may have consulted for a number of companies. Alternatively, if you're a writer or speaker, include logos from publications or conferences to which you've contributed.
Whatever your industry, if you have more than three or four compelling, recognizable logos to choose from.
- Create a Story Using Photos
Just because you don't have images of your work doesn't mean you can't find images that represent it.
Consider how you can use general imagery to explain what you do or to describe projects you've worked on. Perhaps you work in human resources and are discussing a project you completed to improve team culture. Could you include a photo of your team smiling or a stock photo of a group gathered around? Could you find a general photo of people brainstorming to visually represent the hard work you put in if you work in operations and are describing a new process you implemented?
Could you find a general photo of people brainstorming to visually represent the hard work you put in if you work in operations and are describing a new process you implemented?
Even if the image isn't of you or the specific work you did, someone reading your site will be able to connect the idea of the image with what you did—and will be much more likely to remember it.
You could follow in the footsteps of "creative communicator" Hannah Silverton and simply have small images associated with each of your skills, representing the concept and complementing your aesthetic.
- Use Icons to Demonstrate Your Skills
If photos aren't your thing, you can achieve a similar effect with icons. Find a simple little icon that represents each of the skills you want to describe on your site. You might see an email icon or a microphone for communication skills. An upward-trending graph may indicate exceptional sales abilities. You could look for a light bulb (for ideas) or a gear for product development.
Designer Bo Kristensen does an excellent job of this on his website, even including some personal information.
- Use charts or infographics to communicate information.
Speaking of data, why not make some graphs or charts using data from your work to add a visual element to your site?
This is a great route if you work in a more analytical or numbers-oriented field, but even if you don't, there's still data you can show off!
Check out Lily Zhang's advice on how to quantify your work even if you don't work with numbers.
The key is to avoid being overwhelmed by charts. Simply choose a few that best represent you and are most impressive, and make sure they are visually consistent so they look good together on your site. Check out developer Ana Enders' website for a great example.
Make use of Smart Typography.
Sometimes there is simply no imagery that makes sense. In that case, experiment with typography to make your site more visually appealing.
Consider how you can use colors, italics, or different fonts to highlight aspects of your skills or experience. The simplest method is to create an image in Photoshop (or a similar free service) and then embed it on your website.
Working in a non-visual field does not have to prevent you from creating a visually appealing website. A picture is worth a thousand words, and everyone has a story to share. You may have to get a little creative in order to tell your story.
