Google Sites – is one of the simplest and the most understandable DIY website builders that works great for the development of all types of web projects – both personal and business (see more in my review).
This is also a nice pick for starting online portfolios to showcase your services, talent and creativity in general.
Whether you’re a student presenting your academic achievements, a professional showcasing your work or an artist displaying unique creations, Google Sites proves to be an accessible and intuitive platform to organize and present your portfolio.
One of the key advantages of using Google Sites for portfolio creation is its seamless integration with other Google Workspace tools. This means you can easily embed Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, thus simplifying the process of adding documents, spreadsheets and presentations that highlight your skills and accomplishments.
What’s more, Google Sites comes with advanced collaboration features and complete customization options, while its handy drag-and-drop interface makes it possible to easily arrange the required content such as text, images, videos and links. This eventually proves to be a useful solution for individuals lacking deep coding expertise for some reason.
Are you right about to set up a quality portfolio with Google Sites? Or, maybe, you are not yet sure about the right platform to use for this very purpose?
Whatever your intentions are, take your time to view some of the most remarkable samples of portfolios launched with Google Sites.
1. Jae Hoon Choi
Jae Hoon Choi is a simple yet informative sample of a personal online portfolio that offers a captivating insight into the career and professionalism of an accomplished researcher and Associate Professor of Economics at Xavier University’s William College of Business – Jae Hoon Choi. The resource serves as a dynamic presentation of his aspirations, goals, achievements and expertise that are bound to attract the attention of readers.
The website’s general design may not impress you at the very first glance. It looks quite minimalistic, indeed, yet it is also elegant and informative. Using a harmonious color palette that showcases seamless and convenient navigation, the project highlights the focal presentation points. Just have a look at the homepage that greets visitors with a concise introduction to Jae’s bio complete with a personable photo. This obviously sets the basis for a deeper exploration of his professional achievements.
Special attention should be devoted to the comprehensive CV section – a place to reach for prospective collaborators. This is where you will come across Jae’s educational background, career milestones, skills along with personal and professional accomplishments. Additionally, there are the Research and Teaching sections that provide insights into the author’s contributions to academic heights. Nice sample of a personal portfolio project built with Google Sites!
2. Flipping Retail
Flipping Retail undoubtedly features a harmonious combination of a business and portfolio project. The resource presents the branding consultation firm – Flipping Retail – which sees its mission in helping entrepreneurs sell their products on the Amazon marketplace as well as offline.
What makes this Google Sites portfolio example stand out from the crowd is its initial focus on functionality and informational value. The website boasts intuitive navigation, granting visitors the opportunity to explore the available offerings. It also provides a convenient search filter option, ensuring ease of browsing for the required info.
A blog section is also available here, offering access to valuable content that helps understand the company’s focus. Availability of online contact forms and a handy consultation scheduling option contributes to better user engagement rate. Another highlight of the project is a unique personalized logo that reveals the project’s brand identity.
At the same time, it would be nice to add a more detailed description of the company’s services, a live chat and client reviews to boost user trust and add interactive elements that always drive the attention of visitors.
3. Avox Architects
Avox Architects is another quality sample of a portfolio website built with Google Sites, which is business-focused at a time. It presents the services of a large Johannesburg-based architectural firm and provides a kind of a call-to-action to encourage potential customers to deal with them. The project has everything required to provide a quality testament of the company’s professionalism and niche expertise.
The website unfolds detailed information about the company, its general mission, area of specialization, co-founders and insight into their work. This informational value is harmoniously combined with the project’s simplicity and ease-of-navigation. Integration of the brand logo creates a distinct brand identity, while a dedicated news section keeps visitors updated on the recent news and events. Easy access to the company’s social networks makes it possible to easily spread the word about the company online. A handy search filter streamlines information retrieval, while an extensive and informative portfolio showcases their impressive body of work.
Another distinctive highlight of the project is Google Maps integration that helps visitors find the exact location of the company, if needed. There is also a YouTube channel that provides a video insight into the business as is.
4. Andy Wolber
Andy Wolber is, probably, one of the simplest personal portfolios you have even come across on the web. It looks surprisingly simple, indeed as you won’t find too many interactive elements and even images here. All the text is concise and presented against the white web page background.
Andy Wolber’s portfolio serves as a focal point for users seeking profound insights into the intricate world of technology. His primary mission centers around complex tech issues, empowering individuals and businesses to optimize their work.
The allure of this Google Sites portfolio sample lies in its multifaceted offerings combined with a simple layout. It boasts a detailed Writing page, a proof to Andy’s proficiency in presenting complex topics. The website further entices visitors with a seamless integration of links to the author’s thought-provoking posts.
For those willing to dive deeper into Andy’s professional journey, a Personal Resume page offers an in-depth glimpse into his career. The About page, in its turn, adds a touch of personalization to the project, unveiling more facts about the author. Finally, there is a convenient search bar that simplifies the process of finding the required info.
There are some issues, however, that require improvement here. The project may seem too minimalist to readers, lacking interactive elements and focal points. In terms of contact options, the site offers a Mastodon account link only. Adding more contacts is desirable here. The rest is quite ok for a simple personal portfolio.
5. Joshua Pomeroy
Joshua Pomeroy aims to present explicit info and work samples of an artist, illustrator and seasoned graphic design professional with years of industry expertise. The digital portfolio bears his name and serves as a captivating presentation of his services and skills.
The very first thing you will notice when visiting the homepage is the prevalence of blue and white colors that look quite contrasting and attention-grabbing. There is a curated selection of work samples that transcend conventional boundaries and look like the focal points of the project (and they really are).
The resource also offers a user-friendly search filter option, simplifying effortless exploration of Joshua’s diverse portfolio samples. A dedicated Art page unfolds as a canvas of inspiration, while the availability of video and course downloads unveils the potential for immersive exploration.
To improve the portfolio quality, though, it could make sense to add detailed descriptions and even titles of the available work samples. Integration of customer testimonials would also contribute to the portfolio’s informational value, providing a statement of Joshua’s professionalism. Finally, there is no separate Contacts page here, which gives visitors zero chances to get in touch with the artist. Thus, there is space for improvement here yet the portfolio still looks catchy and worth user attention.
Summary
With so many tools used for quality portfolio creation (see examples of other portfolio websites), picking the right one will always be a challenge. Much depends on your sphere of specialization, skills, budget, preferred result and amount of time you are ready to invest in a project.
Google Sites will be a perfect solution for those who don’t have rich web design expertise and are not ready to invest a lot in their portfolios.
Google Sites is provided as a part of your Google subscription, being a completely free web design solution. Its user-friendly interface and integration with other Google Workspace apps make it an ideal platform for showcasing your work and accomplishments.
What’s important, you don’t have to be aware of programming nuances to get started here – so intuitive and understandable the software is. If you plan to work with other users or seek feedback on your portfolio, Google Sites also enables a real-time collaboration feature. These are only a few aspects that make this DIY website builder a worthy choice for your portfolio project.