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How to create a portfolio for a beginner designer. Primary and high school student’s portfolio: ready-made title page and sheet templates for boys and girls

The profession of a designer is currently considered quite popular. This is true; specialists in this field are in great demand on the labor market. There are also a lot of designers themselves; educational institutions have long opened the direction of training such specialists. However, a large number of designers are those who have independently mastered all the necessary work tools thanks to the information available today. It is both on sale and in the public domain. Of course, for any specialist, especially a beginner, one of the most important points is creating a designer portfolio.

A little about the profession

Designers are very versatile specialists and are required in many areas. Each area has its own specific features that must be taken into account. This is why specialization is very important in the design profession. This is not just a word here, since, for example, interior design is very different from costume design. We can say that these are completely different directions. Of course, this is not entirely true, since all designers share common basic knowledge, such as color theory, knowledge of the basics of composition, etc.

What are the specializations?

There are really many design directions. It is worth noting the most famous and popular specializations.

  • Environment design

This is one of the popular design trends. His main task is to develop solutions for the artistic design of interiors, premises, ideas for lighting design and much more.

  • Graphic design

Graphic design can rightfully be recognized as the most popular direction today. This includes printing, branding, web design, in a word, everything that is created using graphic programs.

  • Industrial Design

Also an important area. Here you can highlight the design of household appliances, furniture, cars and other goods. It is especially interesting that there is even a mechanism design. It allows you to combine extraordinary precision and beauty.

  • Landscape design

Specialists in this area are engaged in the design and improvement of various sites and territories. Their main activities are the creation of artificial and natural landscapes, in some cases even their restoration, environmental landscaping, and floristry.

A little about the designer's portfolio

To find a permanent job or simply interact with a customer, the designer is required to provide his work. Of course, they must be designed in such a way that will interest the employer and push him to choose this particular contractor. The task is indeed not easy, but there are many examples of designer portfolios. Examples can be easily found in specialized literature; it is also worth asking for advice from more experienced colleagues.

If we return to the term itself, “portfolio” means a selection of samples of work, which in a short period of time allows you to get acquainted with the capabilities and style of a specialist’s creative activity.

How to approach this issue correctly?

It is better to take care of the selection of works in advance. As soon as a designer begins his activity, he must carefully analyze all his work to determine whether it is worth showing it to customers in the future. There is no clear answer to the question of how to design a designer’s portfolio. Here everyone should focus on their own capabilities and level of professional training.

What can be included in a portfolio?

Naturally, these must be the best works of the designer. The most important thing is to organize them correctly. All work should be divided into categories: vector graphics, sketches, icons, etc. You can also develop a sorting by type of work, for example, separate business cards, flyers, logos, brochures, posters and other materials. For each work, it is advisable to make a short description and note when the work was done, for whom, what project it was dedicated to, what was the purpose of its implementation, how much time was spent on it. With this approach, you can quickly put together a full-fledged designer portfolio. You can always ask more experienced colleagues for a sample design, but it would be better to develop your own methodology. After all, an individual creative approach is noticeable not only in the works themselves, but also in their organization. To develop your own method, it is worth looking at the best portfolios of designers, especially famous ones.

Designing a designer's portfolio: which method to choose?

There are several ways to design a portfolio. Of course, it will be much more convenient for an employer to view a potential employee’s work electronically. In addition, modern technologies allow you to realize your ideas on how to make a designer’s portfolio unusual and original. Many people still rely on the printed version. For a graphic designer, this can also be a good method, since he can show his real work live. For example, provide the employer with business cards, booklets, books that the specialist has developed.

There are several ways to create a designer's portfolio in electronic form. You can create a website, video, presentation, or simply make a pdf file that can be easily sent by email.

Now it’s worth taking a closer look at all the advantages and disadvantages of the listed methods.

Portfolio website

The first thing you need to pay attention to is that you should not use free services to create websites. Websites created in this way are usually filled with a huge amount of advertising. Also, free tools usually do not allow you to create a full-fledged design that you are not ashamed to show to employers and customers.

When searching for the right employee or client, the company manager or customer is primarily interested in his portfolio and work experience. A beautiful, thoroughly compiled portfolio is the key to a specialist’s future success. After all, you can first assess the professionalism of an employee only by examples of his work.

A portfolio is a well-executed list of a specialist’s work. A performer is judged by his level of preparation, therefore, it is worth paying close attention to him. Start by choosing your areas of specialization. For a copywriter, this is: texts written for websites, commercial offers, slogans. The photographer does: portrait photos, landscapes, wedding photography, reports from the scene. Whatever direction you choose, it must be supported by examples. Find the most successful ones. For each area, the best option is 10-20 works. This is quite enough to give an initial impression of your level.

Sample portfolio structure:

  • title page (project name);
  • portfolio goals;
  • autobiography;
  • working materials;
  • achievements;
  • external reviews.
Think over and choose a beautiful portfolio design. For a freelance copywriter, this could be a text file typed in Word in which you present all your business proposals. Another option is that each individual article describes one job. The most important thing is that the texts are written correctly, clearly, and compactly. If you have chosen several directions, then distribute the work on them into folders. Decide where to place your portfolio. The most progressive placement option is the Internet. You can place it on special sites - exchanges, on your personal website. It would be a good idea to write it down on a flash drive or disk and always carry it with you. It is unknown when and where you will meet your future employer or customer. An example of a portfolio on the fl.ru exchange. The best option for posting a portfolio is a personal website. In this case, you can place links to samples of work on your business card. Link to them in communities and groups, forums, social networks, and remote work exchanges. On the exchange, when adding a portfolio, you will have to make cash investments, because... The service of placing you in a freelancer directory is paid. But you have a better chance of attracting the attention of customers. Remote job exchanges are listed. Remember, the better your portfolio and the higher quality of the work presented in it, the higher your rating in the catalog and the more customers will find you. Check out an example of a great e-portfolio. What's here:
  • the newest and best works were selected;
  • several projects in each direction (2-6);
  • screenshots illustrate articles;
  • projects are described competently and correctly titled;
  • the entire page looks harmonious and beautifully structured;
  • the presence of an avatar in the form of a photo of the author.
For comparison, pay attention to the example of a not very successful portfolio that requires improvement. Its disadvantages are obvious:
  • too little work;
  • the work was completed a long time ago, there are no fresh ideas;
  • no screenshots, previews;
  • not all works have been added;
  • few directions (no work with texts).
Another example of a portfolio on the website freelancejob.ru, which can be taken as a sample. If you still have doubts and uncertainty about writing and designing a portfolio, then register on the freelance forum. There, in groups, there are specialists who will professionally answer questions.

To place in your portfolio, choose the most worthy, interesting works as possible. If you are a freelancer, then indicate everything, the quality is not lower than the level of a guru. The quantity and quality of work will confirm your experience, show that you are not a beginner, you have hundreds of articles or promoted sites behind you. No need to exaggerate, place several average works. To show how you work consistently, not during a “creative burst.”

How to create a portfolio for junior and senior schoolchildren?

The purpose of creating a portfolio for schoolchildren is to identify basic abilities and collect information about the child’s achievements.
Creative work, in this regard, should be carried out together with parents. Not every parent, when starting to create a resume for their child, knows how to format it beautifully and correctly. Let's consider this issue using the examples given in this article.

The best portfolios for elementary school students for girls: example, sample, photo

Portfolio is being drawn up in free form.

But it is advisable to follow the basic rules:

  • We start with the design of the title page. We give the schoolgirl the opportunity to choose her favorite photo for the most important part of the document. Together with the child, we beautifully enter: last name, first name, patronymic, and all the necessary additional contact information.
Portfolio first sheet
  • Let's move on to the "My World" section. This topic includes extensive material about the personal life of a little student.

Name- its meaning and origin. Whose initiative was it to name the child that?
List famous people with this name.


Family- tell us a little about the family composition: brother, sister, mother, father.



A short story about family composition

Friends- photo, name, how long they have known each other, their favorite activities.



Place of residence- name, main attractions (river, bridge, museum). A very important element in this place will be a drawn diagram of the road to the school. Indicate dangerous intersections and traffic lights.



I live here

Favorite activities- all the girl’s hobbies: music school, sports club, reading books, etc.



My home leisure

School- a story about teachers, place of study. Describe the location, number of floors of the building, trees, flowers, school campus. Tell us briefly about your class teacher: age, name, length of service, what subject he teaches.



All about school and teachers

School items- favorite lessons. Why do some people like it, while others are not very interesting?



A story about the best lessons
  • The next stage of registration is my school success. Focus specifically on the most successful tests and completed assignments.


Best results during your studies
  • Next we make a paragraph about extracurricular activities. Describe everything the child does in his free time from school: participation in school plays, concerts , sports competitions between classes, various Olympiads.


School life outside the curriculum
  • Now let's focus on creative successes and achievements. We attach any crafts, drawings, anything that can be placed on a sheet. There are too many options - take a photo and attach it. It would be appropriate in this section: certificates, awards, letters of gratitude.


What can I do?
  • Reviews and wishes. In elementary grades, this item may contain feedback from teachers or parents.


Recommendations from parents and teachers
  • Final stage- content. This is a summary sheet with the name of each section. It may change over time.


At the end we summarize all portfolio items into one list

Choose any theme to decorate your achievement diary.



Luntik on the portfolio of a little schoolgirl

Favorite characters


Mermaid



Mickey and Minnie Mouse

The best portfolios for junior schoolchildren for boys: example, sample, photo

With boys of the junior school age category, we prepare a creative model of a folder with documents in the same way.

The only things that change are:

  1. Portfolio design topics. Girls have some favorite characters in the background of the document, boys have others
  2. Individual characteristics of the boy. The interests of the sexes, at this age in children, as well as at any other, are very different. It is important to take this into account when creating a portfolio for boys. A mother should not do all the work for her child, based only on her emotions regarding the perception of the world.


Boy name meaning

Favorite hobby

I like sports

Sample of filling out a document folder for a primary school student

Beautiful portfolio

Sample for filling out a folder of personal documents

The best portfolios for high school students for girls: example, sample, photo

Moving from class to class, a personal matter takes on vast dimensions. You can create a new portfolio for a young lady. But it’s better to add additional sheets with new information and photos to the existing ones.

  • Rules of school etiquette, it won’t hurt to confirm to a growing baby


  • New information about the preferred fashion direction will be very interesting: romantic, casual, vamp, sports, nautical, ethnic. After all, at this age, girls love to dress up so much.
  • Or maybe idols appeared: singers, actors and actresses. Reflect this in “My World”.
  • By this time, girls can acquire skills: modeling, sewing, cooking. Make a photo report with a description of your successes.
  • The existing stock of travel experiences can be added to an additional travel section. Here, tell us: about the places you liked most, about the customs of this region, about nature, animals.


All about travel
  • The life of a teenager is filled with many new discoveries. By preparing a portfolio together with a growing child, it will be easier for parents and teachers to understand and guide its main features in the right direction.
  • In reviews and suggestions, in this case, the opinions of friends and girlfriends are added. They can leave advice about what positive aspects and achievements they like in the owner of the portfolio, and where she needs to improve.

For example: “You’re great at roller skating. But should you improve your English?”

The overall design may depend on the taste of the owner:

  • Still cartoon characters in the corners
  • Photos of adult idols
  • Modest decoration with flowers


Floral decoration

The best portfolios for high school students for boys: example, sample, photo

  • The same general design principles remain in the personal file of a teenage boy.
  • My horizons expand and my interests change. At the same time, the overall appearance of the portfolio changes.
  • A teenager talks in his diary about his new favorite movies with super heroes.
  • Opens up knowledge in sciences such as physics and chemistry.
  • Studying the historical moments of your country, with little-known facts, can make the content of your portfolio very interesting.
  • Add information about new hobbies.


We reflect all interesting news in our business diary
  • Don’t forget to take photos of the certificates and awards that appear


  • Paste a photo of your class, describing the strengths of each of the students and teachers. This will serve as a good basis for establishing good relations, in case of existing tense ones, with some of them.


Group photo of senior schoolchildren
  • Use templates, fill the pages with the most interesting and significant events of your life.


Approximate contents of a high school student's portfolio


Not many children enjoy the process of filling out a portfolio. It would be appropriate to read a few tips before starting this creative work:

  1. Notice any small achievements. Add them to your portfolio. Enjoy them with pride!
  2. Imagine, draw, add interesting photographs - after all, your life path cannot be like someone else’s. Show this in your portfolio.
  3. Fill out the section pages carefully and with great care.
  4. A personal matter is not a competition for big awards and certificates. Participation itself is the most important aspect, although being the first is great.
  5. Start your registration with information about yourself and your family. Tell us briefly what you like and what you are interested in.

Video: Student's portfolio

Several years ago, a significant change was made to the school curriculum, the essence of which is that each student must submit his own portfolio. Moreover, schoolchildren need to compile it when entering first grade. Of course, it will not be easy for a child to complete such a task. In this regard, it is the parents who will have to take up this matter. And, of course, most will want to know how to make a portfolio for a schoolchild.

What does a student's portfolio look like?

Before moving on to considering how to make a portfolio for a schoolchild, it wouldn’t hurt to talk about what it is. As a rule, a portfolio is understood as a set of documents, photographs, examples of completed work, showing the level of knowledge, skills and abilities of a person in a certain activity. With the help of a children's portfolio, you can get an idea about the child, the people with whom he communicates, find out whether he is a good student, and whether he is active in school and extracurricular activities. Thanks to him, you can find out how talented a child is in creativity, sports and hobbies. From the school’s perspective, a high school student’s portfolio is necessary so that the student can realize his first successes and opportunities, and be able to gain incentive to work on developing his talents.

Having a portfolio will make it easier for him to transfer to another school. If a child has outstanding abilities in some area, then a portfolio will increase his chances of being accepted into a higher education institution.

Today, a student’s portfolio can be divided into the following types:

  • portfolio of documents - it contains information about the student’s successes, confirmed by certified documents (certificate, awards, etc.);
  • portfolio of work - includes a set of creative, educational or design works completed by the child;
  • portfolio of reviews - contains the student’s opinion about various types of activities.

However, the most common approach is to use a comprehensive portfolio. The fact is that it contains maximum information about the child, as it provides all of the specified types of portfolio.

How to create a portfolio for a schoolchild?

In principle, it is possible to create a portfolio for a schoolchild at home, although it will require some effort. The main thing is the presence of imagination and desire for creativity. Moreover, it is important that parents take part in this process along with the child.

Each portfolio must contain:

  • Title page;
  • Sections;
  • Applications.

The easiest way is to purchase ready-made forms at a bookstore and then fill in the necessary information there. If you have the desire and opportunity, you can come up with a design yourself using a specialized computer program (for example, Photoshop).

So, what should a student’s portfolio look like?

  • The first is the title page, where the following information must be present: the student’s last and first name, age, name and number of the educational institution, class. All this information should be supplemented with photos.
  • Then comes the “My World” section, which should contain the student’s biography, information about his name, family, friends, hobbies, city, etc. All information should be presented as a succinct essay and supplemented with photographs.
  • Next comes the “My studies” section, where information about the student’s progress should be provided, a list of teachers and favorite school subjects should be listed, along with which there should be examples of various works completed with an “excellent” rating.
  • Each portfolio should contain information about how actively the child participates in school and extracurricular activities, competitions, competitions, etc. And each of them should be presented, indicating the name, time of the event, and also providing it with a photo. The portfolio should also include originals or copies of medals, certificates and diplomas that the student was awarded for academic success. All of the above should be presented in the “My Achievements” section.
  • The “My Hobbies” section allows the child to reflect in his portfolio successes that are associated with any kind of creativity. These can be poems or stories of your own composition, drawings, etc.
  • The portfolio may also contain a section such as “My impressions”, in which the child can leave an opinion after going to a play, cinema, or exhibition.
  • The “Reviews and Suggestions” section is designed to post reviews from teachers, as well as organizers and other students.
  • Each portfolio must necessarily include a sheet that lists the page numbers corresponding to a particular section.

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An elementary school student’s portfolio is a certain set of various documents, characteristics, photographs, samples of completed educational work, diplomas, awards, certificates of merit, which must be submitted for examination to the selection committee of a particular educational institution. Thanks to the portfolio, you can get a preliminary general picture about the child, his knowledge and achievements, what he has achieved and who he wants to become.

Of course, without the help of parents, a child will not be able to independently compose his biography and give a full assessment of his knowledge and achievements, so parents need to know the rules for drawing up such an important “document.”

Ways to design a portfolio for a primary school student

There are several ways to correctly format and compile the so-called student’s resume:


  1. You can find samples of your child’s ready-made presentation for an educational institution on the Internet, but there is a high probability of duplication.

  2. It is more advisable to study the rules for creating a portfolio and create it together with your child. Such a portfolio will definitely be bright and memorable, which will accordingly increase your child’s chances. And the most important thing is that you and your baby will make it together. It will also help you learn a lot of new things about your child, what he thinks about, what he wants to achieve, what he wants to change and much more.

  3. If you don’t like the first two methods and don’t want to waste time, then you can turn to specialists. But you must be prepared to pay for this service. In addition, no one guarantees that information about your child will be presented correctly.


How to create a portfolio for an elementary school student yourself

To independently prepare a portfolio for an elementary school student, you will need the following:


  • Fantasy

  • Patience

  • Printer (preferably color)

  • Ability to work with Painte and Photoshop programs

The content of your child’s portfolio may consist of several main sections, in which the following topics should be comprehensively covered:

  1. Let's get acquainted.
    1.1. My portrait (photo);
    1.2. Personal data;
    1.3. My family;
    1.4. My friends;
    1.5. Character;
    1.6. Hobbies;
    1.7. What I want to become;
    1.8. My goals and hobbies;

  2. A collection of educational achievements.

  3. A collection of creative works.

The photo below shows examples, you can expand them at your discretion.




Once you and your child have decided what information you will provide, start writing meaningfully.

In the first section, write the student’s full details: full name, date of birth. Be sure to include a photo of the child, preferably in a business suit. When writing the “my family” subsection, describe the student’s parents; if there are brothers or sisters, write about them and, if desired, place their photo. Consult with your child and find out from him who he considers his friend or girlfriend - let him describe him or her in detail. Pay special attention to describing the child’s character, his hobbies, what he dreams of and what he wants to achieve, in school and in life.

In the sections on educational and creative achievements, try to provide information about academic success, participation in school Olympiads, sports competitions, theatrical performances and other educational, creative and sporting events. If you have certificates and awards, be sure to indicate and include color copies of them in your portfolio. Examples of creating different sections are given below.