Sat in on a portfolio review at a local design meetup and felt totally called out

I went to this thing at a coworking space downtown last Tuesday, and this senior designer basically tore through my Behance in 5 minutes. She pointed out that every single one of my projects had the same exact centered layout with bold headers, like I wasn't even trying to vary the rhythm. I thought I was being consistent but she said it looked like I was scared to leave white space. Now I'm going back through 3 old case studies and rethinking everything about how I place text and images. Has anyone else sat through a critique that made you remake half your book?

2 comments

2 Comments

faith_smith14d ago

Man, I gotta push back a little here. That designer at your meetup sounds like she was projecting her own pet peeves onto your work. Centered layouts with bold headers aren't some sin, they're a classic move that tons of successful portfolios use. I've seen Behance projects with that exact structure win awards and get featured. Consistency isn't a flaw, it's a signature if you ask me. White space is great but it's not the only way to make something look good. You do you, and don't let one person's hot take undo your whole confidence.

paul_burns14d ago

Wait, she actually said "consistent" like it's a bad thing? That's wild. Tbh, consistency is literally why some of the most famous designers still use the same layout style for years. Ngl, that take alone makes me question her whole criticism.