How can you share your data visualization portfolio online?

1 Choose your platform

Choosing a platform that suits your needs and preferences is the first step in creating a data visualization portfolio. There are many options available, such as personal websites, blogs, online galleries, social media, or platforms specifically designed for data visualization portfolios. Factors to consider when choosing a platform include the level of customization and control you want over your portfolio's design, layout, and features; the ease of use and maintenance; the audience and reach of the platform; and the cost and availability. Popular platforms for data visualization portfolios include personal websites or blogs (such as WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix), online galleries (such as Behance, Dribbble, or Tableau Public), social media (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram), and data visualization platforms (such as Flourish, Datawrapper, or Plotly). These platforms provide different levels of customization and control over your portfolio's design, layout, features, ease of use and maintenance, audience reach and cost.

2 Organize your projects

The next step is to organize your projects in a way that showcases your skills and interests. You should select the projects that best represent your data visualization style, techniques, and goals, as well as be relevant and appealing to your target audience. When organizing your projects, think about the quantity and quality of them, including how many you include, how recent and updated they are, and how well they demonstrate your data visualization abilities. Additionally, consider the diversity and coherence of your projects – how varied and balanced they are in terms of data sources, topics, formats, and tools; as well as how consistent and clear they are in terms of design, color, and typography. Lastly, think about the structure and order of your projects – how you group and label them by categories, themes, or types; as well as how you arrange them by importance, relevance, or chronology. There are a few ways to organize your projects like by data visualization type (charts, maps, dashboards or infographics), tool (Excel, R, Python or Power BI), topic (health, education, environment or sports), or purpose (analysis, exploration, communication or persuasion).

3 Describe your projects

When describing your projects, you should provide some context and background information about each project, such as the data source, the question or problem you addressed, the methods and tools you used, and the results and insights you obtained. Additionally, you should highlight your role and contribution to each project. There are several aspects to consider when describing your projects: the length and format of your descriptions; the content and language of your descriptions; and the visuals and elements of your descriptions. Examples of ways to describe your projects include using captions or paragraphs to summarize main points; using bullet points or lists to outline steps and techniques; using screenshots or thumbnails to showcase visual features; and using testimonials or feedback to demonstrate impact. All of these should be concise, comprehensive, informative, engaging, clear, accurate, appropriate, consistent, and complementing your data visualizations.

4 Promote your portfolio

The final step is to promote your portfolio in a way that increases your visibility and credibility online. You should share your portfolio with your network and community, such as peers, mentors, clients, or employers. Additionally, consider seeking out opportunities and platforms to showcase your portfolio to a wider and relevant audience, such as online forums, events, or publications. When promoting your portfolio, think about the frequency and timing of your promotion and how it aligns with your goals and opportunities. Additionally, consider the channels and strategies you use to distribute and advertise your portfolio, as well as how you optimize it for search engines and social media. The message and tone of your promotion can also have an impact on how you communicate your data visualization skills and interests. To promote your portfolio, consider using hashtags, keywords, or tags to make it searchable; social media, email, or newsletters to announce updates; online groups, forums, or communities to showcase projects; or online events, webinars, or podcasts to present work.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?