Works with Books
"
Ancora imparo
I am still learning. "
—Michelangelo, at 87
I am still learning. "
—Michelangelo, at 87
The Point of a Portfolio Website
Jun 6, 2025
I’ve almost finished building my online book design portfolio—though I’ll keep updating it with new work. At first, I doubted whether I even needed an online portfolio. Who’s going to look at it anyway? Portfolios are meant for clients and employers, but I don’t think writers, publishers, or recruiters will randomly visit my site and hire me as a book designer. Part of me thought I might need one just in case someone asks to see my work, but I wasn’t sure it was worth the time and energy.
One of the reasons I started building it was Tom’s suggestion. He told me I had book design work worth gathering in one place online. I thought about that, and here’s how my thoughts developed:
I had already made a physical book portfolio with the photobooks I’d created, thinking I could use it to apply for graphic design jobs. But when I was ready to share it, I realized most people didn’t want to see a physical book—they wanted a PDF or a website. So far, I’ve only shown my portfolio book to two people: Tom and the owner of The Monkey’s Paw, the secondhand bookstore.
After I finished redesigning four book covers as a self-initiated project, I started building another portfolio—this time including not just my photobooks but also the covers—for a portfolio review held by Penguin Random House Canada. I made it as a PDF, since I wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to show a physical copy. Only a limited number of portfolios would actually be reviewed.
After submitting mine, I made the decision to start building a website. I felt frustrated that my most recent portfolio was so limited—almost inaccessible. Even though I still think a book is the best format to present my work, it’s just not accessible. You can’t search or casually flip through the portfolio book sitting on my shelf—but you can browse a website. I also decided I needed an online space where I can showcase my work.
Accessibility and actual traffic are two different things. I still doubt that people will visit my portfolio website—but there’s a big difference between zero possibility and 0.0001.
Jun 6, 2025
One of the reasons I started building it was Tom’s suggestion. He told me I had book design work worth gathering in one place online. I thought about that, and here’s how my thoughts developed:
I had already made a physical book portfolio with the photobooks I’d created, thinking I could use it to apply for graphic design jobs. But when I was ready to share it, I realized most people didn’t want to see a physical book—they wanted a PDF or a website. So far, I’ve only shown my portfolio book to two people: Tom and the owner of The Monkey’s Paw, the secondhand bookstore.
After I finished redesigning four book covers as a self-initiated project, I started building another portfolio—this time including not just my photobooks but also the covers—for a portfolio review held by Penguin Random House Canada. I made it as a PDF, since I wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to show a physical copy. Only a limited number of portfolios would actually be reviewed.
After submitting mine, I made the decision to start building a website. I felt frustrated that my most recent portfolio was so limited—almost inaccessible. Even though I still think a book is the best format to present my work, it’s just not accessible. You can’t search or casually flip through the portfolio book sitting on my shelf—but you can browse a website. I also decided I needed an online space where I can showcase my work.
Accessibility and actual traffic are two different things. I still doubt that people will visit my portfolio website—but there’s a big difference between zero possibility and 0.0001.