What to Look for in a Portfolio of a Young Designer?

Skill is key to anything you want to do at the best level. There is no point in having a great idea and not being able to execute it in the most effective way. There is a lot of skilled talent out there and usually, this is the easiest to spot as the work looks good when you see it.

The initiative is bringing more to the table, be it ideas, questions or proactiveness. This is a little harder to gauge, as lots of portfolio projects are co-owned. It’s important to understand how much the person in question has contributed to the projects. Interviews are also a good way of assessing involvement.

Lastly, and this is the hardest to find, originality and refreshing work. With so many references available online, and the constant bombardment of trending design styles, all work created seems to follow the same aesthetics and styles, so I’m definitely looking to be surprised.

A good thought drawn out on a wireframe, sketches and concept boards building up to designs are clear winners for me. Also having a good conversation during the interview looking at a co-creative future is much more promising than making it too focused on the portfolio and resumé.