BUG
There are a few things I'm not crazy about in Zachary Bettendorf's site - namely some of the writing and the actual shots of his portfolio. I do enjoy his casual home page that cycles small, random tidbits about himself that make you want to check out the rest of the site. I also like the simple presentation and minimal color palette. I imagine that most potential clients are hoping to get a good look at a designer's work when visiting a portfolio site though, and I'm not sure this site provides that.
I also really enjoyed the simplicity of Andrew Ramos' portfolio site. Simple typography, subtle bits of texture, and minimal, but lively color made the site easy to look at and let the work take center stage. That being said, I didn't feel like Andrew presented enough work to give viewers a good sense of his talent or specialties. Conversely, I looked at many sites that bombarded the viewer with image after image of work. I've made a mental note to myself to try and find a good balance between too little and too much!
INSPIRE
One of the best presented portfolios I came across was for Baker. Granted they seem to be a larger company than most of the individual portfolios I looked at, but I thought Baker found a very nice balance of the right information and the right number of images and descriptions. The site is professional looking and easy to navigate. The list of projects (and which company they are associated with) can be viewed in its entirety, or can be sorted based on the type of work. A single, vibrant image with a brief, yet informative description appears with each image. Although I probably don't have a body of work quite this large, and I don't care for their black and purple, this is a site I can definitely see influencing my own. I also really enjoy the professional nature of their blog.
Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm also considering designing my portfolio responsively. With the continual increase in the pace of our lives and the near constant evolution of technology, it does not seem unreasonable to me that a busy client may need to view designer portfolios on the go instead of from the comfort of a desk and widescreen computer. Besides, it is a skill I would like to have, so who better to experiment on than myself.
One of the nicer responsive portfolio sites I discovered was for Oliver Russell. The neutral with brights color palette and simple typography were inviting yet professional. Rather than jumping from page to page within the site, jumplinks were used to simply hop up and down the page. The opportunity to contact the designer directly from the page is a nice addition when considering the busy users of mobile devices. In the presentation of the actual work, I think it is nice to see the "Situation" and "Solution" descriptions with each piece. These are kept brief enough to be readable, but provide a nice context for the work, and even a bit of a measuring stick to judge the design's appropriateness.
