Including your name on your website allows the viewer to immediately identify who you are. You can simply type your name or use a logo you’ve developed. Be sure the name you use is consistent on your website, resume, and any other professional materials such as LinkedIn.

This is the page where employers will go to learn more about you. It’s where your bio or personal statement should live. This can be long or short but should include who you are and where you are located. It should include what you do and what you make, as well as what inspires you. Include your unique skillsets.

Remember to keep it professional and avoid personal information. Leave out any information about your visa status or age. You can also include a professional photo on this page.

This is the heart of your website, so you’ll want to make sure your work is easy to find on the first page of your website and organized by type of work.

Be intentional about what you include on your website. For tips on this, read “Formatting Your Projects” below.

This is the page viewers will likely click on in order to reach out to you so you want to make it is easy to find. At minimum you should provide your email address on this page. You can also include a downloadable resume, link to your LinkedIn or social account.

Do not include personal information like address or phone number. Be sure to keep this information up to date.

Note that you can also combine your Professional Bio and Contact information into one page.

On the Internet, your domain name (or URL) is your unique address. Having your own domain name helps employers easily find your portfolio and identify the work is yours.

Commonly, portfolio domain names consist of your first name and last name and .com - for example - www.TinkAdams.com. However you can use a studio name or your artist name. This name should be the name you want to go by professionally and it should match the name on your resume and other professional materials.

Most portfolio building websites will come with a standard default domain. In order to change the name of the website you may need to upgrade.

It’s helpful to check if the platform you are using allows you to purchase a domain name through them, but you can also go through websites like GoDaddy, Google Domains, BlueHost, and more.

If a project is sponsored, under certain confidentiality restrictions, or just in progress and you want to hide it from the general public, you can password protect it.

It’s recommended that you only password protect specific projects and not your entire website. Private websites often turn viewers away and you want to make sure your portfolio website is accessible.

Remember! If you are password protecting projects from the public but want to provide a password to employers, you MUST include the password on your resume. You can add it under where you list your website.