Top Portfolio books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Portfolio books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Portfolio

Understanding the concepts of Portfolio starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

The  Graphic Designer’s Guide to Portfolio Design

The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Portfolio Design

This book is developed to provide students with everything they need to know to make the transition from design student to design professional. It provides step-by-step instruction for creating professional portfolios, both traditional and digital. Interviewing tips, sample resumes and cover letters, and action verb lists help students prepare for their job search. The second edition includes …

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Design: Portfolio: Self-promotion at its best

Design: Portfolio: Self-promotion at its best

Featuring a curated collection of approximately 300 exquisite designs, along with essays from designers in the field about the essence and importance of a good portfolio design, Design: Portfolio contains mini-workshops that dissect several featured projects and highlight the effectiveness of exceptional design treatments from around the world. Designers will discover the underlying details th…

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That Portfolio Book

That Portfolio Book

The Portfolio Book introduces a method to help early childhood teachers improve the responsiveness of their teaching. The ten-step process lets teachers begin to work with the portfolio assessment process at a comfortable pace. This book breaks the portfolio assessment process into small, easy-to-manage steps that can be integrated painlessly into everyday teaching.

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Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don't teach you in design school, but should

Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don't teach you in design school, but should

It takes more than just a design school education and a killer portfolio to succeed in a creative career. Burn Your Portfolio teaches the real-world practices, professional do's and don'ts, and unwritten rules of business that most designers, photographers, web designers, copy writers, programmers, and architects only learn after putting in years of experience on the job.

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Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting Your Work

Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting Your Work

Presenting one's portfolio is where every designer begins his or her career. Therefore, crafting a portfolio, whether online or for presentation in person, is an essential skill for survival. Because a portfolio can make or break a career, it is vital that designers go out armed with all the right moves and materials.

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Creating Your Digital Portfolio: The Essential Guide to Showcasing Your Design Work Online

Creating Your Digital Portfolio: The Essential Guide to Showcasing Your Design Work Online

This comprehensive manual gives you all the knowledge and skills you need to build and present a digital portfolio that packs a punch. Creating Your Digital Portfolio covers everything from web hosting and uploading content, to personalizing and presenting your work to clinch that job. Exemplary portfolios, both well-constructed and unique, reveal the how, what, and why of putting together an …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional Portfolio Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Portfolio, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Designing a UX Portfolio: A Practical Guide for Designers, Researchers, Content Strategists, and Developers

Designing a UX Portfolio: A Practical Guide for Designers, Researchers, Content Strategists, and Developers

UX Portfolios are a critical part of the recruitment process for those who work in user experience. Whether you’re a UX designer, a UX researcher, a content strategist, or a native app developer, you’ll get better work with one rather than without. Unfortunately, much misinformation about UX Portfolios has been spread online. Hiring managers complain of receiving bland, badly designed document…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Stand Out: Design a Personal Brand, Build a Killer Portfolio, Find a Great Design Job

Stand Out: Design a Personal Brand, Build a Killer Portfolio, Find a Great Design Job

The design marketplace has never been more competitive, or demanded more from emerging talent. To succeed, you must navigate the transition from learner to professional with purpose and precision. In Stand Out: Building Your Design Portfolio, Denise Anderson offers a hands-on, three-step, full-color action plan for establishing your unique brand, crafting a killer portfolio, tailoring and deli…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Creating a Successful Graphic Design Portfolio

Creating a Successful Graphic Design Portfolio

Being able to present yourself and your work in the best way possible is a necessary skill that all new designers must master before embarking on a career--be it freelance or working within a design firm. The author provides practical advice combined with insights and personal stories from leading design professionals. The book focuses on the practical aspects of creating a great portfolio suc…

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How to Create a Portfolio & Get Hired Second Edition: A Guide for Graphic

How to Create a Portfolio & Get Hired Second Edition: A Guide for Graphic

This book shows those embarking on an illustration or graphic design career how best to put together an effective, professional portfolio. It discusses what to include and how to organize and display the work, and also advises on presentation techniques and selfpromotion. Both print and digital portfolios are examined.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Winning Portfolios for Graphic Designers: Create Your Own Graphic Design Portfolio Online and in Print

Winning Portfolios for Graphic Designers: Create Your Own Graphic Design Portfolio Online and in Print

Preparing a smart, attention-catching portfolio is every art student's first important step before entering the job market. This comprehensive guidebook presents hundreds of demonstrative color illustrations, lists of do's and don'ts, and a wealth of sound advice on how to create a portfolio that will get beginners their all-important first job at an agency or studio. Each page of this book il…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

No Plastic Sleeves: Portfolio and Self-Promotion Guide for Photographers and Designers 2nd Edition

No Plastic Sleeves: Portfolio and Self-Promotion Guide for Photographers and Designers 2nd Edition

A polished and professional portfolio―including both print pieces and an online presence―is more important than ever for photographers and other creative professionals to make a great first impression and secure employment. This new edition of No Plastic Sleeves has been updated to address all facets of portfolio production, with a special focus on self-promotion and new information about blog…

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Hi there! I'm currently a Senior UX Designer at Apple. I've got 6+ years of design experience in both the consumer and enterprise space. I started my career in medical school and worked in the world of business, before finally pursuing my childhood dream of becoming a designer. Being a …

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Hello, I'm Chris Ellinas and I love solving business problems, through design thinking! 😊 I believe in good people. Good work is secondary. I had the opportunity to work with engaging clients and brands around the world. My main client right now are Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, designing logos …

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As a senior user researcher with over 15 years of experience running international research projects for global companies such as PlayStation, Spotify, and in the finance industry, I have developed a keen eye for what makes a successful UX researcher. Through my experience as a mentor, I have helped many …

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A mindful soul and a believer in simplicity ... A mentor, author and product marketing influencer with 10+years of B2B SaaS product marketing at Fortune500 and startups. I enjoy sharing experiences on career growth, authentic leadership, mindfulness, mental wellbeing and product marketing. Taking a leap into the unknown, I have …

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Hey! I'm Pavan, a software engineer at Microsoft with experience as both a developer and product manager. I've gone through dozens of interviews with companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta for full-time roles and internships. I know the best resources for interview prep, resume building, and networking that I …

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I am a Senior Front End Software Engineer with over 10 years of experience at various tech companies, currently based in Toronto, Canada. I am currently working at Square and was previously at Coinbase, Taplytics. I have previously mentored at Lighthouse Labs: Canada's Leading Coding Bootcamp. I have professional, hands-on …

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