There has never been a better time than now to create an online portfolio website. With easy-to-use and affordable portfolio website builders, designing, building and managing your professional portfolio website is now fairly simple and uncomplicated. But what makes an online portfolio website stand out from the crowd? Is it just the visual elements or is there more to making a website unique, distinctive and impactful?
What do the best portfolio websites in 2024 look like? Let us try to figure it out!
At its most fundamental, a website is a collection of web pages that serve a singular purpose. From business websites to online portfolios, e-commerce websites to personal websites and from blog websites to resume websites, all websites are made for a purpose. The good ones, however, manage to go beyond just being useful or purposeful.
In this article we take a look at what makes the greatest websites stand out in 2024. We will also take a moment to appreciate and learn from the top 24 best websites built on Pixpa and understand what makes these websites impactful and unique.
Here are the top 24 best portfolio website examples for your inspiration
1. Di'Nasia Berry - Model
Di’Nasia Berry is a dancer and a model based in Atlanta, Georgia. She perfectly uses her Pixpa-powered model portfolio website to showcase her interest in fashion modeling. She fiddles with colored and black & white photos of herself on the homepage. These are large enough in the grid layout to make for easy navigation and browse the best photos of a fashion artist. A simple menu section at the top gives easy access to her entire portfolio. It is a must-visit for all aspiring models looking to make a splash in the industry.
2. Marco H - Designer
Marco is on a mission to make the internet a better place for everyone. He is a jack-of-all-trades guy specializing as a content curator, system engineer, UI/UX designer, web designer, network engineer, solution architect, and community helper. He uses a grid layout to introduce himself in bold letters with a photo of himself. With a few scrolls and not having to go to different menu sections, you can glimpse his expertise and the projects he has worked on. An excellent example of how to showcase yourself when you are an expert in multiple areas.
3. Sebron Snyder - Professional Photographer
Sebron is a professional photographer based in Dallas, Texas. The photography portfolio website has a lovely clean template with a menu on the left and a grid layout on the right for the gallery. The menu offers easy navigation with different styles of work and the list of clients on display. The gallery is incredibly eye-catching, with a gallery of high-quality photos being projected. Photographers can get ample inspiration from this Pixpa-powered photography portfolio website.
What makes Pixpa ideal for portfolio sites?
Pixpa excels as a user-friendly platform designed for creatives. With its sleek templates and easy client interaction tools, it’s perfect for showcasing work. Plus, its e-commerce features let photographers and designers sell their creations directly. Simple, effective, and multifunctional.
4. Fernando Saiz - Fashion Photographer
Fernando Saiz is a fashion and portrait photographer. The homepage of his portfolio leverages Pixpa’s customizable gallery layout to showcase a collection of photos in a grid format. The collection boasts of an unconventional approach to photography, and a series of strange yet striking photos are on display that catch a visitor's attention. Anyone interested in making a career in the fashion industry through photography skills, this is a great portfolio to look at.
5. Elena Klimkin - Lifestyle Photographer
Elena Klimkin is a lifestyle photographer and content creator based in Zurich, Switzerland. The homepage keeps it simple with relevant menus on top followed by quick about info and work samples. The portfolio includes the exact category of photography that the visual artist is interested in, such as lifestyle photography, travel photography, brand promotions, etc. The portfolio is especially noticeable for its close-up shots. Do check this out if lifestyle photography is your thing.
6. Samantha Plasencia - sportswear designer
Samantha Plasencia is a sportswear designer. The portfolio website’s homepage is clean, with important browsing stations in the menu section and a sizeable sporty-looking image covering the entire screen. The gallery includes a collection of Samantha’s best work in the grid format. The portfolio also makes use of an online store provided by Pixpa. It is an excellent example of a portfolio you should look at to build one for yourself and start selling in minutes.
7. Rou Marcellus - Fashion Photographer
Rou Marcellus is a fashion photographer and student based in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. Rou’s website finds its place on our list because of the vivid yet understated colour blocking effect he achieves on his landing page by using his portfolio gallery. The landing page makes an immediate impact and the strong composition and visuals that characterize Rou’s photography shine through in his website design as well.
8. Andrew Hendrix - Photography
Andrew Hendrix’s website is on our list of best websites for 2024 because of its adaptable and responsive design that works just as well on desktop as on mobile. The landing page is divided into four sections that can be easily scrolled through to reach the different parts of Andrew’s website. He also includes a more traditional menu in the header of his website for more information and further navigation. We love to see responsive, mobile-friendly sites and website owners who are mindful of this!
9. Mihailo Vucenic - Graphic Designer
Mihailo Vucenic’s design portfolio website uses a dark background and vivid neon tones as highlights. This is highly effective in creating a strong impact on the viewer right as they load the landing page. Scrolling down, you can read Mihailo’s story and what led him down the artistic career path that he has chosen. The brilliant combination of an impactful colour palette, minimalism, and compelling content copy takes Mihailo Vucenic’s portfolio to the next level.
10. JOIO - Life Coach
SJ Treharne at JOIO Life Coaching helps people find meaning, purpose and renewed confidence in their lives. Do check out her stunning personal business website. JOIO’s website is a good example of why the best websites tend to use grid patterns and layouts. Grids might seem old fashioned and restricting but they can be used to provide structure to your website and provide a clean, sleek and professional look.
11. Tze Soh - Sustainable & Innovative Residential Architecture
Tze Soh is an Australian architect and what we love about his business website is that it gets straight to the point. The architecture website is designed with a very clear vision which helps it look clean, organized, curated and professional. The landing page gives you all the information you need about the architecture firm, its values, and the kinds of projects that it specializes in.
12. Emma Da Silva - Documentary Photographer
Emma Da Silva is a documentary photographer based in Paris. Black backgrounds are a particularly effective way of making photographs pop and this is very evident in the landing page of Emma’s website. The landing page uses a photo carousel on a black background which serves to catch the viewer’s eye while also showcasing her work.
13. Cindy Sung - Fashion, Portrait, Lifestyle Photography
Cindy Sung’s website is testament to the fact that monotone can work wonders when it comes to web design. Black and white does not have to be boring or mundane. Cindy has taken a simple black and white photograph as the background image for her landing page and it works wonderfully. It draws attention to the center of the page and a carousel of photos that showcases her work. As you scroll down, you get a subtle but effective transition to colors. Cindy’s website is one of our favourites in this list of best 2024 websites.
14. Antoine Rabeau Daudelin - Photographer, Artist
Like several other best websites on this list, Antoine Rabeau Daudelin’s website uses striking imagery to showcase his work as full-width banners. Easy navigability, thoughtful content copy and minimalist design aesthetics are some of the other reasons why we believe Antoine’s online portfolio deserves a spot among this list.
15. Escapist Motif- Functional Art
Escapist Motif is a Singapore based online store that seeks to bring together functionality and creativity through their art. Their store sells ‘functional art’ consisting mainly of custom, hand-binded books and notebooks. The seamless integration of utility and design that Escapist Motif tries to embody in their art is also visible in their website. The website is designed in a minimalist fashion and even though it is primarily an e-commerce site, it tries to showcase the artistry and craftsmanship behind the products as well. This functional artistry is what makes Escapist Motif one of the best websites in the e-commerce category in our opinion.
16. Tricia Reinking - Photographer, Food Stylist
Tricia Reinking is a food stylist and photographer based in Florida, United States. What we like about Tricia’s website is that it is very functional but does not sacrifice any design aesthetics. It is a portfolio website and therefore it centers Tricia’s food photography work. The landing page consists of a sleek and modern-looking photo gallery that encourages visitors to explore and gives a good introduction to her work immediately. Like all other portfolio's on this list, it is also a user-friendly and easily navigable website.
17. Chris Collado - Photographer
Chris Collado’s website is on our list of best photography websites of 2024. Chris’s landing page uses a column of images from his portfolio that also doubles up as a menu leading to different categories within his portfolio. This is an ingenious way of making the landing page multipurpose. Well organized grid layouts, intuitive navigation etc are some of the other factors that make Chris’s online portfolio stand out and earn his site a place in the best portfolio of 2024.
18. Jeremy Bianco - Portrait Artist
If we have learned anything by now it's that monochromatic color palettes are a winning feature for a lot of the best portfolios in 2024. Fine art portrait painter Jeremy Bianco’s artist portfolio website is no different. The monochromatic color theme sets the mood for the website’s landing and also matches his black and white portrait paintings that are displayed on the landing page itself. Apart from being a portfolio, Jeremy’s website also includes a store where he sells prints of his work.
Checkout More Portfolio Examples from Pixpa.
What makes a portfolio website stand out in 2024?
- Minimalism
- Attention to detail
- An impactful landing page
- Best user experience practices
- Feature-rich and aesthetic website design
Minimalism
Minimalism is a key feature of modern web design and for good reason. A less is more approach allows you to concentrate on the most important visual and functional elements of your website. Minimalist websites do not have to be bland or boring. In fact, it takes a great deal of creativity, imagination and good design sensibility to make minimalism work.
When done right, minimalism can give your website a clarity of vision and purpose that is the key to creating a meaningful user experience. Apart from visual aesthetics, minimalist websites are also easier to navigate and faster loading. Therefore, avoiding fuss and clutter can not only do wonders for the aesthetics of your website but also add to its functionality. Here are 10 expert tips on aesthetic pictures, using the right techniques and examples.
Our article on the 30 best minimalist websites takes a deeper look at why minimalism is the secret behind most best portfolios!
Attention to detail
It's the little things that matter. Attention to detail is an important component of all design, especially web design. Small touches can play a big role in enhancing user experience. Even something as little as choosing the right font size and consistency in terms of layout and design can play a big role in improving the UX of your website and improving bounce rates.
Conversely, a lack of consistency, neglecting to include seemingly inconsequential but important pages like an About Us page or a Contact Us page can have a negative impact on your website’s user experience and cause your bounce rates to go up. A detail-oriented design philosophy can go a long way in helping you build the best website that can both retain user attention and help your website stand out from the crowd.
Take a look at our article on the principles of design to understand how the little things come together to create focused, deliberate and impactful visual experiences. If you are looking for inspiration and ideas to start building a website from scratch, here is a step-by-step guide on how to design a website and make it perfect!
User Experience Practices
What all the websites have in common is a stunning landing page. The landing page or the homepage of your website is the first page that any site visitor will see when they first land on your site. This is your chance to make an impact and make sure that you create lasting impressions.
First impressions can often be the make or break factor when it comes to websites. Keep in mind that a portion of people who land on your website will simply close the page and move on. This is called bouncing and if you want to reduce the bounce rates on your website then you need to make sure your landing page can grab a person’s attention and hook them from the very start.
A short, attention-grabbing landing page copy, your personal branding and an impactful hero image are excellent website design ideas to make sure your landing page creates the effect you are looking for.
An impactful landing page
User experience or UX is the way in which users interact with and therefore experience a website or platform. Think about going into a restaurant for dinner. While the main purpose of your visit is the food, your experience of going to the restaurant isn’t determined by the taste of the food alone.
The ambience of the restaurant, the decor, the location, the cleanliness and hygiene affect your experience of the restaurant as does the service and the behaviour of the staff and other patrons. Similarly, when a user lands on your website, their experience will be governed by the overall design of your website and whether it has been designed in a way to maximize ease of use, efficiency, navigability, visual aesthetics and more. Good user experience practices also involve trying to make your website inclusive and accessible.
Offering translations and multiple language versions of your website, using easy to read fonts and color palettes etc. are good user experience practices that all the best portfolio websites should use in 2024.
We have an article on the best UX designer portfolios if you want to take a look at how experts design user experience for websites and other digital platforms and the factors they take into consideration while doing so!
Feature rich + aesthetic website design
If you want to create the best website in 2024 then you need to marry together function with visuals. It is great to have a functional website and it is wonderful to have a visually stunning website but bringing these two things together is what makes a website truly stand out.
When you are looking to create a website that is both feature-rich and attractive, it is important to understand that your website will be only as good as the tools you use to build it. If you need extensive features, functionality and utility alongside stunning designs and attractive templates, then you need to look for a tool that gives you exactly that.
Pixpa is an all-in-one, DIY website builder platform that can help you create stunning, professional and feature-rich websites effortlessly and without touching a single line of code. Pixpa comes with a wide range of pixel-perfect, mobile-friendly and responsive templates that can be fully customized to your liking using the intuitive visual editor and a drag and drop page builder. You can also use custom CSS and HTML code to personalize your website and add extra features using a plethora of third party integrations.
Pixpa offers a complete solution to website building including full-featured e-commerce tools and online store builder, multiple gallery options, portfolio building tools, a comprehensive client proofing platform, blogging tools, SEO and marketing tools and more.
Pixpa can help you build a website that not only stands out but also allows you to share, sell and promote your work, and manage your entire web presence, all from one single platform. And if you are still not fully convinced, here are 25 top reasons why you should try Pixpa as your website builder of choice in 2024!
Conclusion
These were our top picks for the popular websites of 2024! Clean minimalist design, a focus on good user experience and text-light websites are clearly some of the top web design trends that we are seeing here and we definitely can’t complain. If this has got you wondering about what the design trends in 2024 are going to look like then worry not because we have something just for you. Our article on the top upcoming web design trends is going to be right up your alley. You might also want to check out this detailed article on the best graphic design softwares to help you create your own stunning graphics for your website.
The best portfolio websites are created using the best website creation tools. So, if you were looking for the perfect website builder for your needs, look no further. You can sign up for Pixpa’s full-featured, 15 day free trial now. No credit card is required to sign up and no hidden charges. And if you are not satisfied with your experience, Pixpa also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee! So, don’t wait any longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Make Your Own Website?
It is incredibly easy to create your own website using Pixpa, an all-in-one, DIY website builder. Once you have signed up for a 15-day free trial, you can start building your very own professional website effortlessly and without touching a single line of code. It all starts with picking a template of your choice from Pixpa’s extensive range of mobile-friendly, professional, and responsive templates. From there you can customize your templates to match your needs and requirements and add any features and plugins you like. Pixpa makes website building easy, affordable, and accessible.
How much does it cost to build an entire website?
You can start building your very own website for free by signing up for a full-featured 15-day free trial with Pixpa. After you have test driven the platform and its features, you can opt to continue building and eventually publish your website for as little as $3/month by subscribing to Pixpa’s Light plan. You can also opt for Expert plan at $10/month or the Business plan at $16/month and get access to exclusive services including a free one-time website set-up service where you can get a Pixpa expert to set up your website for you, just the way you want! You can also check out this article for more detailed information on how much a website costs to build!
What website builder do photographers use?
Pixpa is favored by photographers all over the world because of its exclusive, photographer-friendly templates and features like e-commerce galleries and a full-featured client-proofing platform. Pixpa provides the perfect all-in-one platform for photographers to share, sell and deliver their work online and manage their photography business all in one place.
How do I sell my photos on my website?
Pixpa websites allow the perfect solution for users looking to sell their photographs through their website. You can sell your photos either through Pixpa’s e-commerce galleries which merge e-commerce features into your online portfolio itself or through a traditional online store. Pixpa also allows you to sell your photos as prints or digital downloads. You can choose to auto-fulfil print orders through WHCC or Fotomoto or self-fulfil through a custom lab of your choice.
What is the best DIY website builder?
Pixpa’s easy-to-use platform is the perfect DIY website builder which is suitable for beginners and advanced users alike. You can create a feature-rich professional website in minutes and without any advanced technical knowledge or coding skills. Pixpa’s intuitive visual editor and drag-and-drop page builder make website building a breeze. If you are a more technically skilled user looking for slightly more advanced tools, Pixpa also allows you to use custom CSS and HTML code for advanced customization.