To create an industrial design portfolio, you should typically begin by planning out the overall look and concept of it. From this plan, you can then work out a few different types of portfolios based on several forms of media, including both a web and a print portfolio. Look through your industrial design work and select your best pieces; since this is essentially meant to demonstrate your skills and abilities, you want to be sure to highlight your best traits. The various elements of your industrial design portfolio can then be assembled and arranged in a way that is functional and effective for your potential audience.
A strong plan for your industrial design portfolio is one of the most important, and potentially overlooked, steps in its creation. You should begin by considering the information that you want it to convey and how you would like it to do so. For example, if you are creating a portfolio for potential clients rather than employers, then you might wish to plan out a design that appeals to the sensibilities of someone who may need a single project done. Look at the different pieces you have for your industrial design portfolio and plan out how each can fit, and where you might have weaknesses upon which you can improve.
Once you have a plan, consider different formats and media in which you can create your industrial design portfolio. Though a range of various mediums can be used, you should probably focus on at least a print and a digital portfolio. While both of these can have similar designs and pieces within them, you should try to take advantage of the particular strengths and weaknesses of each format.
Any pieces you include in a printed industrial design portfolio should look as good as possible, which means you may need to use professional printing services. Be sure to consider ways in which a printed portfolio may have an overall theme or design to it, so that a potential client or employer looking through it can better understand your creative process and sense of visual narrative. This is why the planning stage is so important, as careful planning can make the assembly of your portfolio easier and ensure a more effective end result.
Digital portfolios can be fairly similar to a printed one, though you should take advantage of certain benefits inherent to digital media. If you are creating an industrial design portfolio online, for example, then you might look for ways to make it both interactive and easy to use. Your portfolio should be intuitive for someone, so that potential employers are not struggling to view your work or navigate your website. Any digital images should be crisp and clean copies, rather than poor photographs or low-quality scans.