Creating a digital design portfolio can be a tricky proposition: digital design is an umbrella that covers such a wide range of skills. Whether you’re a UX, UI, web designer, or developer, your portfolio needs to showcase what you can do – as well as convey your creativity and the practical value you can bring to a role or project. It’s a tall order. Luckily, we’re here to give you some insider insights on how to stand out right from the get-go.
What to consider before you get started
A truly compelling portfolio will demonstrate how you think, solve problems, and bring value to an agency’s clients.
Before you begin, take some time to plan the most effective way to show your work. You need to think about what your strongest skills are and which projects best showcase them. What work you’ve done will best fit the role you are applying for? Are there some particularly successful examples that will impress a prospective employer with their impact?
Presenting your work in a digital format
If you are applying for a digital design role, your portfolio must demonstrate your digital skills. You’d be surprised how often people don’t do this! Just including a Behance or Dribbble link isn’t enough.
Rather than relying on an off-the-shelf template with little customisation, present something that reflects your personality, creativity, and attention to detail. In most cases this will mean creating a website. Platforms such as Webflow and Framer are ideal for this, allowing you full creative control but remaining accessible for designers without advanced development experience. They also don’t require much maintenance once setup, meaning you won’t end up with a never-ending to-do list.
Whichever platform you use, it’s vital to make sure you test everything thoroughly. As with a project for a client, errors such as broken links, spelling mistakes, slow loading times, or responsive layout issues ensure a negative first impression. Employers will be concerned if they’re presented with work that isn’t polished, professional, and reliable across all devices.
Be sure to show your process
One of the biggest mistakes designers make is only showing the finished product.
While the final designs are important, employers also want to understand how you arrived at that solution. Showing your process demonstrates how you think through a problem.
For example, a website project could include research, wireframes, user journeys, concepts, prototypes, as well as the final designs and product. You don’t need lengthy explanations (walls of text will detract from your work) but there should be enough context for someone reviewing your portfolio to understand the challenge, your approach, any key decisions and why you chose the solution that you did.
Commercial relevance
Any company you apply to will want to know that your designs can solve problems and contribute to their business objectives. Showing commercially relevant work helps them imagine how you would work with their own projects and clients.
If possible, show measurable outcomes for things like improved engagement, increased conversions, better user experience and improved accessibility etc. These can provide evidence that your work is effective, and even just some small details around business impact can make projects feel far more professional and credible.
Conceptual work still has value, especially when demonstrating creativity, but practical work that solves real business problems will carry more weight during the hiring process. It’s all about giving agencies and businesses more confidence in you.
Tailor your portfolio to the role
Different agencies and companies prioritise different skills, tools, and workflows, so what you present and the work you include needs to be tailored to them. Before applying, research the company and the type of clients they work with. Dive into the services they offer, their visual style, and the technologies and platforms they use. It can make you feel like a good fit from the start.
Creativity is also essential. Employers are not just looking for technical ability, they want to see originality, and the ability to approach challenges in interesting ways that push boundaries and create work with added value.
Sometimes it’s the presentation and execution of your portfolio itself that elevates you above other candidates.
Curate your work
When it comes to portfolios, quality is always more important than quantity. It is far better to have four or five strong, well-explained projects than 10+ average ones with little depth or explanation.
Every project included should feel polished, demonstrate clear thinking, show your process, support the type of work you want to do professionally and show the final outcome.
Careful curation shows confidence, professionalism and will help make sure employers see your real strengths.
Extra details that help you stand out
The strongest portfolios show more than just your headline projects. Often employers are looking for, and are impressed by, small details that demonstrate deep understanding of digital design considerations.
Consider highlighting things such as accessibility, interaction design details, design systems, components considerations, typography choices, communication skills, or SEO/AEO. It’s a great way to give you extra credibility as a well-rounded candidate capable of building successful and rewarding digital experiences.
Final thoughts
As we’ve mentioned above, you should be treating your portfolio like you would a real client project, and that includes being prepared to talk confidently about digital design and the details of each project you’ve included. Have a think about what you might typically be asked by a client and have those answers ready should you be invited to interview. It’s not just about showing your work; it’s about giving you an opportunity to talk with expertise and enthusiasm about what your digital design skills can do for them.
At Proctor + Stevenson, we help clients with every aspect of their digital design needs. If you’d like to learn more about what we do, and how we can work with you, drop us a line at [email protected].
Quick answer – NO!
This week I released an article about how Claude Design can create PowerPoint slides for you. Or at least how it tries to and does a shockingly bad job!
Here at The Prezenter, we specialise in presentations, and it made sense for me to give an honest review to our network.
If your clients are starting to say ‘AI did this design for us in about 5 minutes’ then I’d encourage you to create your own honest reviews for people to see because a lot of these AI systems are being seriously overhyped. And usually by non-designers who don’t have a clue what good looks like!
And the review I did for YouTube is also linked in this article.
Has anyone out there done something similar for their own clients?
Most sign-up drop-off in digital health is a trust problem, not a form problem. What the drop-off is telling you, and how to fix the part that loses people.
Half the people you invite never finish signing up. That is not a form problem. It is a trust problem wearing a form problem’s clothes.
A genomics scale-up I worked with invited 3,000 insured patients to take a free genetic test. 54% signed up. The other 46% turned down something that cost them nothing. The surveys were clear: patients couldn’t see who stood behind the test, where their DNA would go, or whether “free” hid a catch. A shorter form fixes none of that.
Every drop-off point hides an objection the screen leaves unspoken. Name it before you redesign a thing.
Sit beside five users as they move through your sign-up. Watch where they slow, squint or reach for the back button, then ask what ran through their mind. The pattern surfaces fast. In health products it clusters around three fears: who sees my data, what will this cost me, and are these people qualified to hold my health.
Answer the objection on the screen where it bites
On the genomics product, the science was the wall. The page spoke in language built for researchers, and patients bounced off it. We rewrote it for a reader aged 35 to 70 with no training in genetics, pulled the team’s credentials forward, and let the medical staff vouch for the work. One usability-test line set the brief: “I want to know more about the doctors.” That rebuilt page went on to drive 3.2% of all sign-ups.
Find the objection, answer it where people hesitate, then test the fix with five real users before you build it. Do that, and the patients who used to leave start to stay.
If one flow in your product loses people and the analytics won’t say why, that is the job a flow UX audit does in five working days. You can also read the full genomics rebuild behind these numbers.
This article was originally posted on olibatstone.com on 15 June 2026.
One of the UK’s most influential city-led tech events has today announced its next chapter, relaunching in 2026 as Brazen: a reimagined festival of technology, creativity and culture designed to become a must-attend fixture on the national tech calendar.
Formerly known as Bristol Technology Festival and most recently BTF+, the event, of which Bristol Creative Industries is a founding partner, has evolved rapidly over the past six years, growing from a focused tech gathering into a city-wide movement that brings together founders, creatives, investors, policymakers and communities. Now, as Brazen, the festival is setting its sights firmly on the national and international stage.
Taking place across Bristol over five days in late 2026, Brazen will once again use the city itself as its venue, spanning institutions, neighbourhoods and grassroots spaces, bringing together big ideas, practical innovation and cultural moments in a single, interconnected programme.
From Bristol to the world
Inspired by global festivals such as SXSW but rooted in the distinctive character of the South West, Brazen has been created to showcase Bristol as a place to build, experiment and collaborate, while forging meaningful connections between people and sectors that don’t usually share the same space.
Delivered on a not-for-profit basis, Brazen is designed as a long-term platform rather than a one-off event. Each edition will build on the last, with surplus reinvested into growing the festival’s reach, quality and relevance, strengthening Bristol’s position as one of the UK’s most dynamic centres for innovation and creativity.
In its most recent edition, the festival delivered:
6,300+ attendees
100+ events hosted
4.6 million reach
£883,000 in total social value
Figures that underline both its scale and its growing national impact.
As part of its next chapter, Brazen has confirmed Bristol Business Improvement District (BID) as a strategic partner for the next three years, cementing the festival’s role in supporting a thriving, inclusive and economically vibrant city centre.
Bristol BID is a business-led partnership, working to make the city centre safer, greener, cleaner and more welcoming. The BID invests directly in initiatives that support local businesses, attract visitors and strengthen the city’s cultural and commercial life.
Steve Bluff, COO at Bristol BID, said:
“Bristol BID is excited to be a lead partner for Brazen, where technology, creativity and culture will collide across five days later in 2026. The festival will unlock new opportunities for Bristol’s businesses, strengthen pride and confidence in the city, and showcase Bristol and the wider region as one of the UK’s most exciting hubs for innovation and creativity. Brazen will bring the city to life with opportunities that we’re excited for our business community to be part of.”
Four tracks. One shared purpose.
Brazen’s programme is built around four interconnected tracks, designed to reach different audiences while maintaining a strong, coherent festival identity:
Summit – large-scale talks, debates and conversations featuring local, national and international voices, tackling the ideas shaping technology, creativity and society
Community – workshops, meetups and grassroots activity hosted across the city, surfacing lived experience and local talent
Showcase – demonstrations, prototypes and applied innovation, showing how new technologies and creative practices are being used in the real world
Live – performances, immersive experiences and cultural moments that bring people together through shared experience
Across the week, each day will explore a different theme, from leadership and AI to clean tech, scale-up growth and creative technology, giving the festival a clear narrative arc while allowing organisations and communities to engage in ways that suit them.
Brazen has previously worked with organisations including Accenture, Amazon Web Services, Barclays, Deloitte, Dyson, EY, Meta, Sony, NatWest, and multiple universities and public bodies, as well as hundreds of regional businesses, startups, artists and community groups.
Crucially, there is no single model of involvement. From hosting events and shaping programme themes to showcasing innovation or supporting international delegations, Brazen is built around long-term value and collaboration, not short-term visibility.
A new name, the same energy – and bigger ambition
At its heart, Brazen is about people: the conversations that spark ideas, the collisions that create opportunity, and the community that keeps showing up. With a renewed identity and an expanded ambition, the festival is inviting organisations, partners and audiences from across the UK and beyond to help shape what comes next.
Ben Shorrock, CEO of techSPARK, commented:
“Brazen is the next evolution of everything Bristol Technology Festival and BTF+ set out to be. We’ve seen first-hand the power of bringing technology, creativity and culture into the same space, and Brazen gives us the confidence, scale and ambition to take that story beyond the city.
“This is about building a festival that people plan their year around, one that puts community first, but speaks to a national and international audience.”
Further announcements on programming, speakers and tickets will be made later this year.
Supporting the next generation of lighting talent has been part of SLX’s story for years, and applications are now open for the 2026/27 cohort of our Lighting Programme.
Launched in 2018, the programme was created to give emerging lighting designers and technical theatre students meaningful support as they prepare to take the next step into the industry. Each year, five students from across the UK are selected to join the programme during their final year of study, gaining access to practical support, industry insight and real opportunities that help bridge the gap between education and working life.
For students heading into their final year, the programme is designed to give participants a chance to build their confidence, strengthen their knowledge and gain a clearer understanding of the different career paths available within lighting and technical production.
We know how important that early support can be, SLX is a Bristol-based technical production and hire company working across live events, light trails, sports, TV and broadcast, and performing arts. Creativity and problem solving sit at the heart of what we do, but just as important is the responsibility we feel to support the industries we are part of. As a B Corp, that purpose-led approach shapes how we work, how we grow and how we invest in people.
The Lighting Programme reflects that mindset. SLX was built by people with a genuine passion for these industries, and that has never changed. We know the sector depends on skilled, creative people coming through, and we believe established businesses have a role to play in helping make that happen.
Successful applicants will gain access to mentorship, hands-on experience, exposure to professional equipment and a better understanding of the realities of working in the sector. The aim is to help students move forward with more confidence, stronger industry awareness and a clearer sense of where their skills could take them.
We are now inviting applications from lighting design and technical theatre students who will be entering their final year of study in September 2026.
Applications for the 2026/27 cohort are open from 13 April 2026 to 8 May 2026.
To find out more about the programme and apply, visit: here
In November 2024, Emma Rose, Centre Manager at the University of Bristol‘s Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS), asked us to film the arrival of four shipping containers to a building site. This was no ordinary cargo, but the heart of the UK’s fastest AI supercomputer – the £225 million Isambard-AI.
At the mercy of snowy weather and construction logistics, we scheduled a 3 day window to get the shots we needed. Keen to add value and variety for the client, we filmed from the ground and the air. We also set up a portable edit suite in an office in the neighbouring National Composites Centre for fast turnaround edits for social media.
Day one, the snow fell, the camera people filmed, the editor edited and we had a nice 20 second piece to be published on socials on the same day that one of the four containers was craned into place. We even managed a shot of a snowman. Day two, the sun shone and the remaining containers were installed. Day three, we cancelled the final day shoot and instead, back in the office, finished the fast and furious 45 secs story of the build socials piece. Hats off to our in-house editor Nick O’Leary for a top job.
When the University of Bristol posted this film, it outperformed all other content on their social channels within the last 12 months. RESULT!
Since then, in collaboration with new BriCS Communications Manager Emily Coles, we have returned to the NCC site on numerous occasions to film key moments in the installation, typically shooting video and stills at the same time. The drone has been up for a wider view. We’ve shot stills of the key movers and shakers from Hewlett Packard Enterprises and BriCS boss Simon McIntosh-Smith and in March filmed the installation of the actual computer itself, now sitting snugly in a data centre constructed from the shipping containers.
The multi-million pound kit was delivered to site by the aptly-named specialist firm Carry Gently Ltd. Their logo is, appropriately, a crocodile cradling an egg in its mouth…
We’ve also workshopped and scripted upcoming Hero and About Us films, which we’ll shoot once the scaffolding is down later in the summer, and attended the Isambard Day conference, with supercomputer experts from around the world, to immerse ourselves in the world of AI and its fascinating use cases, which was great for originating loads of new content ideas to suggest to the client.
All in all, it’s been a fantastic project so far and the perfect fit for us as science and tech content producers who feel personally invested in promoting our region’s innovators and pioneers. Our video production agency has grown from 3 to 7 staff over the last 18 months – meaning we have the capacity to rapidly deploy on jobs both large – like a video strategy for a suite of films, or small – such as sending out a lone videographer for a ‘quick and dirty’ social reel.
This project has also helped to push the boundaries in terms of our shooting and editing style with the high energy final build films (60 sec and 90 secs versions) complete with hyperlapses, super fast cuts and a number of more conventional edits for web headers and conference films. Shout out to Lobster Pictures Ltd. for their timelapses of the whole build from empty car park to finished supercomputer and to Oakland Construction Ltd. for accommodating our film crews.
Thanks to the Isambard-AI team of Emily Coles, Emma Rose and Simon McIntosh-Smith from BriCS and good luck for the big launch of Isambard-AI in a couple of weeks!
In 2011, we first filmed a Dr. Thomas Scott at the University of Bristol‘s Interface Analysis Centre. This summer our latest project with (long since Professor) Tom was the Hot Robotics team’s Cerberus robot. This gave us the chance to spring a sneaky retrospective on him…
Our new ‘Now and Then’ film charts a 14-year journey of Tom on film. But it’s more than a timeline; it’s a masterclass in building the social proof that attracts funding and shapes policy.
For a researcher seeking grants, a start-up or a VC, this is what de-risking an investment looks like. Consistent video storytelling is a key ingredient to transform a brilliant scientist into a trusted leader whose vision you can back with confidence. It creates a track record that speaks for itself.
Professor Scott is a powerhouse for attracting investment and talent because he tells persuasive stories that complement his research groups’ brilliant science and academic graft. Video allows him and his colleagues to articulate the ‘why’ of complex science clearly and succinctly. These days, he makes speaking to the camera look easy; however he’ll freely admit how much his on screen skills have grown since 2011. He’s embraced media training, become a dab hand at teleprompters where required, and always works collaboratively with the production team to get the tone and messaging right.
So watch and enjoy.
Great science deserves a powerful voice. We’ll help you find it.
What does the future feel like before it actually arrives?
The accompanying film takes you behind the scenes of our shoot. It’s a glimpse into how we approach the challenge of translating high-level science and tech into a visual narrative.
The digital campfire:
While the technical specs are undeniable – a 17-metre curved LED wall (the CAVE), with real-time motion tracking, and a massive data centre, the human side of the tech is what really caught our attention. During the shoot, Richard Cole from BDFI described the Reality Emulator not just as a high-tech tool, but as a digital campfire. For thousands of years, humans have gathered in circles to share stories and make sense of the world. This facility does exactly that for the 21st century.
Whether it’s researchers exploring the lived experience of postnatal depression through immersive ‘inquiry machines’ or criminologists like Sanja Milivojevic testing how trust fluctuates in human-robot teams, the space is designed for collaborative empathy. It’s about suspending reality to imagine a society that is more equal and sustainable.
Boosting the local ecosystem:
As a video production agency rooted in science and tech, we’re motivated by boosting the local ecosystem. We want to see regional and national innovation lead to real-world economic and social impact.
That’s why we get so hands-on with the details. In the film, you’ll see us working with a semiconductor wafer as a physical object to be manipulated in a virtual lab. We included this to demonstrate how the Emulator could be used for interactive training that aligns with UK Frontier Technology priorities. Having enjoyed events such as those hosted by UK Semiconductor Centre and BI Foresight last year, this seemed like a neat tie up.
Directing the sizzle:
Filming a 360-degree immersive environment is a unique puzzle. You’ll see in the BTS footage how we used 360 cameras on poles and GoPro rigs to capture the overview perspective. Our goal was to show the CAVE as a deeply human space, where groups can stand together and imagine possible futures. Huge thanks to Adrian K. T. Ng for his expertise, time and prep to make everything ready for the shoot day.
For all the high-tech wizardry, the most important element in the room is always the people and the questions they are asking.
The final hero film produced for University of Bristol, which shows the facility in full flight, can be viewed here.
Web developers, digital innovators and tech professionals are gearing up for the sixth annual Umbraco Spark innovation conference, returning to Bristol this spring at We The Curious on Friday 20 March 2026. Organised by Bristol digital agency Gibe Digital, the event has become a fixture for developers from across the UK and Europe to share insights, ideas and practical knowledge around the open‑source Umbraco CMS and broader .NET ecosystem
Speaking about the conference, Steve Temple, Technical Director and Co‑founder of Gibe Digital, describes Spark as “a calendar highlight” that brings together “so many talented developers from the amazing Umbraco community.” Steve adds that the event leaves attendees “feeling inspired, armed with fresh knowledge to take your Umbraco projects to the next level.”
This year’s programme features a single main track of deep‑dive technical talks, practical demos and forward‑thinking sessions on topics such as load‑balancing for scalable apps, Umbraco Search, next‑generation back‑office features, and experimenting with AI‑driven accessibility tools.
Schedule Highlights:
Thursday, 19 March – The day before the main conference kicks off with a full-day Hackathon & Package Jam for the community, followed by a pre-party at a local game bar with ping pong, bowling, karaoke, food and drinks.
Friday, 20 March – A Harbour Run at 7 AM starts the day, followed by registration with coffee and pastries. The main track runs 9 AM–5:30PM, featuring technical talks, lightning sessions and demos. The Package Awards celebrate standout contributions, and the day wraps up with an after-party. Attendees also benefit from lunch, refreshments, a free cloakroom, and quiet/multi-faith rooms to support wellbeing.
Tickets & Pricing: Standard tickets cost £150 + VAT, available until the end of February or until sold out. Grab your ticket here.
Umbraco Spark continues to cement Bristol’s status as a hub for creative tech events — combining local community energy with the global expertise of the Umbraco ecosystem.
Aer Studios and Condense have collaborated with BBC Children in Need to bring Pudsey to life in a new interactive 3D experience for this year’s fundraising campaign.
Donors are invited to unlock a playful ‘paw-gmented reality’ moment, where a 3D-captured Pudsey appears in their real environment to deliver a personal thank you. Using only a mobile device, supporters can place Pudsey in their home, move around him, change his size, and enjoy a light-hearted, uplifting interaction created especially for the appeal.
Nick Fellingham, Founder of Condense says, “The BBC Children in Need Pudsey experience reflects the heart of what our technology makes possible. Fun, accessible and engaging moments that bring real 3D performances anywhere. We’re proud to support such a meaningful cause and to collaborate with brilliant creative partners on an experience that feels joyful for donors.”
Tom Harber, CEO at Aer Studios says, “Our mission as a company is to create positive impact through meaningful digital experiences, so when BBC R&D’s FWDteam approached us we were really enthusiastic! We’re proud to have created a truly user-centred platform to delight people donating to such a worthwhile cause in a short amount of time.”
The experience has been brought to the fore by the partnership between MyWorld, the creative innovation institute, and the BBC. With an eye on the future application of technology into entertainment spaces, the BBC R&D team identified a potential use for BBC Children in Need following an interactive event during this years’ BTF+.
Claire Hoyle, CEO at BBC Children in Need said:“We partnered with R&D’s FWD team todeliver this as a nice experience for donors and to give them a little bit of extra Pudsey joy. With ‘paw-gmented’ reality you’re not only helping to support children and young people, but you get you a personal visit from the icon that is Pudsey, himself.”
The Pudsey ‘big thank you’ launched during the Children in Need 2025 Appeal and will remain available to experience for anyone making a donation through to the end of January. For a chance to participate visit https://donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/.
You can find out more about the technology behind Pudsey’s Big Thank You on BBC R&D’s website.
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