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What environment should I use to create a new portfolio website?

almost 6 years ago from , UX lead @ m2mobi

Hi,

So I'm willing to invest some time In creating a new portfolio website. I've been buying/altering portfolio templates for a couple of years now, never emphasised that much on my online portfolio (I prefer to tell and show my work in a real world conversation).

Since I'm a perfectionist and want to take full credit for this new project, I'm willing to invest time in coding it myself. But:

  1. My front-end coding skills are bad. I understand what HTML, CSS, JS do, can alter code/copy to my preference, leave out parts, but writing it myself; uh-uh. Not yet.

  2. I'm willing to learn how to properly code a nice portfolio website. If the environment (tool, services, etc.) works intuitively and is modern.

Would be great if you guys could help me. I'm searching for a framework or service that allows me to translate my own design/ideas into a responsive portfolio website.

Many thanks.

17 comments

  • Casey Milstead, almost 6 years ago

    You should look into Webflow. It's a sort of WYSIWYG. Their latest workshop actually shows how to remake DN from scratch. https://webflow.com/workshops

    13 points
  • Seth RSeth R, almost 6 years ago

    Webflow is a really cool service. But you can also accomplish a lot by working with a framework like Bootstrap and then adding in the functions and movements you want to see.

    7 points
  • Vincent MillikenVincent Milliken, almost 6 years ago

    Why not good old HTML, CSS & JS or even a static site generator (jekyll)

    6 points
  • Luke Fiji, almost 6 years ago

    I know it may not be a popular opinion here but you should consider WordPress. Huge community to the point where you should be able to already find the answer any problem you may come across. It can be as code-heavy as you want.

    6 points
    • Ale UrrutiaAle Urrutia, almost 6 years ago

      I'd also choose WordPress, especially since Maarten is planning to invest some time.

      All other drag and drop or ready to use services as Webflow, Squarespace, Wix are a good option but in my opinion, as a designer you will learn more from building your own with WordPress.

      Some extras you can use to kickstart your frontend project: Bootstrap or my personal choice Foundation. Both could be use with WordPress.

      Good luck!

      0 points
    • Eliot SlevinEliot Slevin, almost 6 years ago

      If you are going to go wordpress, prehaps check out https://www.semplice.com/

      2 points
  • Luke M, almost 6 years ago

    Why not start with squarespace? it lets you do some basic css stuff. If you're afraid of coding that's probably the easiest route. Otherwise I'd say just dive into it and build your own site, my web design students can usually spin one up themselves within two weeks. You only learn by doing :)

    3 points
  • Moe AmayaMoe Amaya, almost 6 years ago

    You've been getting a lot of great responses in here and I tend to agree with the majority: either Semplice (Wordpress) or Webflow.

    Semplice: Based on fact you are willing to learn and already know a bit of HTML, CSS, I would encourage you to give Semplice a try first. Being built around Wordpress, the code you produce ends up being mostly HTML and CSS (with a bit of php) but that means you can then look under the hood and make further tweaks if you need to. Moreover the skills you learn using a WP-foundation are transferrable and reusable in the future. That said the best portfolios that use Semplice tend to be more geared toward art direction or brand design and less UI/UX, so make sure your imagery is strong.

    Webflow: Their drag-n-drop designer tool is embarrassingly easy to use—like Tony Gines mentioned you'll be finished with your portfolio before you even would have started your Semplice install. Yet the main drawback for me is a strong one: it's still a proprietary tool. Again the benefit with Wordpress is that it's open source, you can break open the code and see how things work, and while Webflow outputs HTML and CSS, the generation of that code is hidden away from you. But ultimately, if you're not too worried about that drawback, I do highly recommend Webflow and all the tools they've built including the CMS.

    If you have any other questions, I am putting together a resource for finding the right service or website to create a portfolio at https://www.portfoliowebsites.io/ (still a WIP).

    2 points
  • Fenx WanFenx Wan, almost 6 years ago

    Cargocollective is also good including customized css&html.

    1 point
  • Craig RozynskiCraig Rozynski, almost 6 years ago

    I just used Adobe Portfolio, which is free if you've got a CC account. I felt guilty skipping the build step at first but I'm really happy with it and saved a shit ton of time.

    1 point
  • SHAHAR SHAMAY, almost 6 years ago

    Adobe Muse. Powerful and easy to use.

    1 point
  • Stephen AteserStephen Ateser, almost 6 years ago

    I haven't tried this yet, but looks pretty powerful.

    http://laytheme.com/

    0 points
  • Nice ShoesNice Shoes, almost 6 years ago

    Cargo Collective 2 has entered beta. Seems pretty comprehensive. Dare I say the best option out there.

    https://basics.cargocollective.com

    0 points
  • Andu PotoracAndu Potorac, almost 6 years ago

    A site builder. There's hundreds available. Here's a list of some of the best: www.quora.com/Are-there-any-websites-similar-to-Wix-that-dont-use-Flash/answer/Andrei-Potorac.

    0 points