In class this week, we started discussing our portfolios and how we might weave visual, informational, and thematic narratives into our sites. This isn’t something I explicitly thought about prior to creating my portfolio, but as we discussed these elements in class I realized that my design does address this question. I think those narrative elements connect strongly to how your personal brand is reflected in your portfolio, which is something that I have explicitly thought about.

Before I started at NYU, I spent almost seven years at Apple with two of those years dedicated to a leadership development program where we talked a lot about our personal brands and core values. When we were developing personal brands at Apple, this article about values from MindTools was essential. I remember going through multiple passes and color-coding values that I exhibited, values I aspired to, and values that others saw in me. It was a very introspective process and something I’ve tried to revisit every so often since.

The values I associate with my personal brand have evolved since I first did that exercise. They’re more well-rounded and complimentary—in fact, they kind of remind me of the Triforce (yes, that Triforce ) in how they balance each other. In thinking of my values, I ultimately want to be known as someone who is strategic but I want that association to be a direct reflection of other elements: bold, thoughtful, and creative. In this way, my ability to be a strategic thinker is represented by my willingness to make the bold move, the thought I put into work, and the creativity I bring to the table.

But how does one integrate these values into a portfolio? Well, the hot pink (#ff0066) should be a giveaway. Because of its vibrancy, I associate that color with being unabashedly bold. I find it more difficult to express being thoughtful and creative, but my decision to include a handwriting style font and all lowercase labels is intentional. I want them to show thought, purpose, and a sense of construction (think: writing in pencil ✏️ ). When presenting my projects I’ve included backgrounds that highlight the original problem or challenge so that the creativity and thoughtfulness behind my design shine through. I’m also publicly sharing my post-class reflections even though that isn’t required because, again, I want to highlight the thought I put into my work. My commentary may be frank at times, but it’s true to who I am and what I can offer.

Would I do anything differently? Graphics—I need (want?) more. For now, I’ve only been including graphics as they relate to my projects but when I have time, I’d like to rethink how I incorporate visual elements into my portfolio.

It’s easy to look at what others have designed and question your own decision-making process, but I find it’s important not to compare yourselves to others when you have different goals and values. Instead, I like to focus on specific design elements they’ve included that I’m inspired to reconfigure in a way that works for me. For example, I once saw someone’s portfolio where they listed out all of their project members and another where they listed out their specific role in the project, I’ve combined those two elements where appropriate to give credit to project members while also highlighting the role I played.