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Portfolio Playbook

Search the guides, tips and checklists. Try case study or ATS.

Start with the playbook

Document as you goGather what you have and log decisions as you go
Portfolio strategyWho reads your portfolio and which projects to lead with
Writing the case studyProblem, role, decisions and outcome
ResumePass the ATS and point to the work

Accessibility

Portfolio Playbook is for every designer rebuilding a portfolio, including people who use a screen reader, a keyboard, zoom, or reduced motion. I hold the site to the same standard the guide recommends for your own portfolio.

The standard I’m aiming for

The site aims to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, level AA. I check new pages and components against it before they go live.

What the site does

  • Readable color. Text and controls meet AA contrast against their backgrounds, including inside the interactive portfolio.
  • Works with a keyboard. You can reach every link, button and form field with Tab, and focus is always visible. A “Skip to content” link is the first stop on every page, so you can jump past the menu.
  • Search from the keyboard. Press / or Ctrl+K (⌘K on a Mac) to open search, use the arrow keys to move through results, and press Enter to open one. Screen readers announce how many results came back.
  • Large tap targets. Buttons and navigation links are at least 44 pixels tall.
  • A calm hero video. The demo clip has no sound, pauses when it scrolls out of view, and has its own pause button. If your device is set to reduce motion, it will not play on its own. Screen readers get a written description of what the clip shows.
  • New tabs, announced. Links to other sites open in a new tab, and screen readers hear that before you select them.
  • Quiet decoration. Decorative symbols and dividers are hidden from screen readers.
  • Info icons that open on purpose. In the interactive portfolio, info icons open when you select them or press Enter or Space, not on hover, so they work the same on touch, mouse and keyboard.
  • A real checklist. The checklist uses real checkboxes and remembers your progress in your browser.

Known gaps

  • The interactive portfolio is a wireframe. Resume and Contact open example popups that don’t send or download anything. Their info icons explain what each one should do on a real site.
  • Search needs JavaScript. Every page works without it, but search does not.
  • Outside services. The contact form runs on Formspree, and links lead to sites I don’t control. Their accessibility is up to them.

How I tested

In October 2026, I checked every page with automated tests (axe, against WCAG 2.2 A and AA), measured the contrast of every text style, and went through each page with only a keyboard, including the mobile menu at phone widths. The gaps above came out of that review.

I haven’t yet tested with a screen reader, at 200% zoom, or with reduced motion turned on, and I plan to do that next.

Report a problem

If something on the site does not work for you, let me know through the contact form at the bottom of any page. Include the page and what happened, and I’ll reply as soon as possible.

Privacy

I use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits and see which pages people use, so I can see what’s helping. It doesn’t use cookies or save anything in your browser, and it doesn’t give me your name or email address.

Messages you send through the contact form go through Formspree, and I only use them to reply.

Last reviewed November 2026.