
Unit 11: Eportfolios or online portfolios
More principles of portfolio design
Navigability. Some of the best ways to aid navigation are the simplest:
- Use icons and menus. We’re used to thinking of icons as clickable, and we intuitively use menus, whether they appear at the top or the left side of the page.
- Make sure the same clickable menu appears at the top of each page, with contents including simple, rapidly identifiable terms such as Home, CV, Major Projects, Coursework, Computer Skills, Work Experience, Interests.
- Create a clear visual hierarchy on each page,
- Avoid root pages that require a lot of scrolling,
- Make sure that there are clear links on every page.
- Avoid using frames as they create multiple scrollbars on the same page, which may be hard to navigate.
- If your portfolio is optimized for a particular version of a browser, you should tell your reader on your homepage, and provide a link where the software can be downloaded.
Simplicity. Finally, we’re all familiar with the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid!). Don't:
- Fill your pages with cute animations,
- Use too many different colors (called an “angry fruit salad” by web designers),
- Use slow-loading, distracting backgrounds.
This increases the odds that we’ll turn away from your pages. Ultimately, the best portfolios are those most artfully simple in design, welcoming us at a glance to sit back, relax, click, and spend some virtual time with you. Try to write in plain English! Remember, if you can't express it simply, you may not know what you are talking about! Good luck!
SMILE - ePortfolios or online portfolios by Joe Schall, The Pennsylvania State University and modified by Marion Kelt, Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.