So you’re interested in becoming a graphic designer because you heard all about how you can do it while working remotely, or you’re interested in working visually with your ideas, or you may just like solving problems. You also heard that being a graphic designer comes with the need to have what they call a design portfolio. But what if you’re just starting without any experience at all? Where do you start when it comes to building a design portfolio?

Building a design portfolio without any experience can be very simple as long as you approach it correctly. This involves understanding your career goals, choosing an area of design to focus on, building up your skills with projects, and over time you will have a design portfolio you can be proud of that you built without any experience.

Building a design portfolio with or without any experience is not a task that is completed within a matter of hours or even days. Design portfolios can take time especially because they are one of the most important tools you will use in your career as a graphic designer. In this article, I will go over all of the steps you need to take to build your design portfolio without any experience so you can be on your way to becoming a well-versed successful graphic designer.

1. Define Your Career Goal

The very first step to building your design portfolio without any experience requires no work at all except a little thought and perhaps a pen and a piece of paper if you choose. Step one of building your design portfolio without any experience is to define your goal. As a graphic designer, there are mainly two career paths that come to mind: Full-Time and Freelance.

They both have their pros and cons of course, but considering which path you would like to choose before actually building your design portfolio will help tremendously as it can determine how you structure and present your portfolio. Of course, you can always change your goal as you grow in your career as a graphic designer but for now, let’s choose one and stick with it for a while.

If you are interested in pursuing a full-time job as a graphic designer then you should know that companies or agencies offering full-time roles will want to see more than just the design work you include. They will want to see information regarding the steps you’ve taken to become a graphic designer—whether that be school, online courses, internships, or design challenges. They will also want to see if you can share any information regarding working with others in a team environment. Don’t be scared or discouraged by this list. This is an article about building your design portfolio WITHOUT ANY experience, but it is always helpful to know these things ahead of time so you can be prepared when it comes time to apply and interview.

If you are interested in pursuing the freelance career path as a graphic designer then you should know that potential clients will tend to focus more on your quality of work. But don’t let this deter you—being an independent designer also comes with the responsibilities of running and maintaining your own business. If you want to learn more about freelancing as a graphic designer, check out Everything I Wish I Knew Before Freelancing here.

Building a design portfolio to pursue a freelance career will also require you to show variety in your design portfolio. When I say variety, I don’t necessarily mean showing a variety of projects but more so a variety of clients. Showing clients in different industries with different business goals will help showcase your versatility. In the next section, I’ll also go over why showing a variety of projects can work against you and why you should focus on one area of work.

2. Pick a Design Focus

Now that you have outlined your career goal as a graphic designer, your next step is to pick an area of design that you would like to focus on and create work for. There are a ton of different areas of design for you to choose from, and picking one will help not only in the portfolio-building process but also when it comes time to look for new projects.

As creative people, we love to showcase all of our visual talents and skills. While that is great, when pursuing a career as a graphic designer, it is easier to “market yourself” when you are focused on one area. This was something that took me a while to learn, but after battling with myself for a few years I finally made the change and haven’t looked back since.

Here’s a quick list of design areas you can choose from to get started. I’ve also linked them to some galleries on Behance:

• Branding Design

• Website Design

• UI/UX Design

• Advertising Design

• Editorial Design

• Poster Design

Tips for Choosing a Design Focus

• Choose one area to focus on today.

• Don’t worry about only doing this type of work forever. You can always expand later.

• Choose the type of work that is most interesting to you.

• Don’t overthink this step.

3. Get Inspired

After you’ve selected your design focus, it’s time to get inspired and seek out other designers creating the work you would like to create. This step is essentially a crash course in design. Take the time to learn as much as possible about other companies, design agencies, and designers making the type of work you want to create.

You can start by browsing Behance, Dribbble, or our list of design studios all designers should know. Then, use an app like Pinterest or Figma to create a board of inspiration so you can reference it throughout your career and keep adding to it. These sources of inspiration will help guide your work and growth.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

Now it’s finally time to do some real design work—or at least to start practicing. Considering your goal, design focus, and inspirations, use free resources called brief generators to create projects you can put into your portfolio.

Recommended brief generators:

• Good Brief – Top Choice

• Sharpen – Great for branding, marketing, and UI/UX

• Daily Logo Challenge

• BRIEFZ.BIZ

• Daily UI

Take your time on these projects and continue referencing your inspiration board. Try to replicate—not copy—your favorite designers’ work as a way to learn. A great book on this process is Steal Like an Artist.

By the end of this step, aim for 4–6 completed briefs in your chosen design area.

5. Assemble Your First Design Portfolio

Now it’s time to actually assemble your portfolio. The fastest way is to use a free platform like Behance, created by Adobe for creatives to share their work. With your 4–6 completed projects, pick your best 3 and upload them.

Tips for Uploading to Behance

• Title your design project correctly.

• Include a brief description with context and your design solution.

• Try to include at least 5 images per project.

• Fill out all extra details Behance provides—it helps visibility!

6. Reach Out to Friends, Family, and Community

At this point, you’re ready for your first real design projects. Start by offering your services to friends, family, or local businesses. These may not always be paid, but they provide real-world experience and portfolio pieces.

Tips for Finding Work Through Your Network

• Decide what you want to offer (logo design, web design, social campaigns, etc.).

• Set revision limits to manage time.

• Start with local nonprofits, schools, and small businesses.

• If charging, set a small fee for your first project, then increase for future ones.

7. Update Your Design Portfolio

After completing projects within your network, update your Behance profile. Add process details like: who the project was for, why you took it on, and how you solved the problem. This builds credibility and shows growth.

8. Apply to Jobs or Search For More Clients

Now, apply your career goal from step 1. With portfolio projects and real-world work in place, it’s time to either apply for full-time jobs or seek new freelance clients. Everything you’ve done so far has prepared you with both a portfolio and valuable experience.

Next Steps

As you grow in your career, your portfolio will evolve. After applying for opportunities, consider building your own website portfolio. Owning your URL allows you to express your style and vision more personally. For platforms to use, see the “Build Your Own” section here.

If you need extra help, consider a free 1-on-1 creative session. You can also connect with me on TikTok or Instagram. See you in the next article!