The work, framed properly
Large images, sized for each screen and kept sharp, in a layout that steps back so the work carries the page.
Portfolio website design that turns admiration into enquiries.
Most portfolios get looked at, admired and closed. We design portfolio websites that frame your work properly, explain the thinking behind it and put the way to get in touch right where the interest is, at a fixed price agreed before we start.
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A portfolio that only shows the work leaves the visitor to do the selling.
People who hire photographers, architects, designers and artists decide fast, usually on a phone and often after a recommendation. If the galleries, the services and the contact page live in separate corners of the site, the interest cools before anyone gets in touch. So we design the portfolio as one journey: the work, the context that makes it make sense, and the next step, together.
What makes a portfolio website bring in work
Each part below is planned around how the people who hire you browse, judge and decide.
Context for every project
A short line on the brief, the idea or the setting for each project, so a client understands what they are looking at and why it matters.
Browse by what the client needs
Projects grouped the way your clients think about them, by type, place or service, so nobody scrolls past everything to find the one that fits.
Enquire from the work
A clear next step on every project and gallery, so getting in touch is part of browsing rather than a separate decision.
Built for a phone
Most people first see a portfolio on a phone, often after a recommendation. The phone layout is designed on its own, not shrunk from the desktop.
Found by the right people
Page titles, descriptions, image text and schema written for the searches your clients make, so the portfolio works in search as well as in a shared link.
- Photography
- Rebuild
A portfolio we did this for: Scott Henderson Photography
An established photographer with a strong body of work and a website that had stopped doing anything with it. The brief: modernise the aesthetics, improve the user experience, and make it work properly on a phone.
Admiration without enquiries
The portfolio was generating admiration and almost no enquiries. Visitors browsed, appreciated the work, and left, because nothing on the site converted that appreciation into a conversation while the interest was still warm.
Navigation compounded it. Galleries, services and contact all lived in separate territories, so someone who liked what they saw had to actively hunt for the way to get in touch. Most people do not bother.
Browsing and enquiring in one motion
Collapse the journey. Modernise the visual treatment so the work sits in a frame worthy of it, then restructure navigation so browsing and enquiring are part of the same motion rather than two separate decisions.
Mobile was rebuilt rather than adapted, since that is where most people first encounter a photographer, usually after a recommendation, usually on a phone, usually deciding within a minute.
Six decisions that shaped the build, each made for a reason rather than an aesthetic.
- Modernised, not redecoratedA contemporary visual treatment that puts the photography in a frame worthy of it, rather than a fresh coat of paint on the old structure.
- Streamlined journeyBrowsing and enquiring collapsed into one motion, so appreciation converts while the interest is still warm.
- Enquiry always reachableA clear route to contact from anywhere in the galleries, because a portfolio that generates admiration and no enquiries is not working.
- Mobile rebuiltDesigned for the phone first, since that is where most people first encounter a photographer and decide within a minute.
What changed afterwards
- Enquiries, not just viewsThe portfolio now converts interest instead of ending at admiration
- Mobile-firstRebuilt for where most people first find a photographer
- 3 weeksFrom kick-off to live, including the full redesign
- Self-runNew shoots published without a developer
“Mikkel was amazing to work with, he was professional, communicative and collaborative. I spoke to a number of different people about what I wanted and he was the only one that seemed willing to give me ideas (if I was good at building websites I wouldn't be looking to hire someone). He took my vague ideas and created something that looks great.”
Scott H.Scott Henderson PhotographyIs your portfolio bringing in work? Start with a free audit.
See what the audit checksRebuild
For companies whose site says the wrong thing to the wrong buyer.
- 8 to 16 weeks typical
- Rankings protected
- Move from any platform
From$9,500
- Discovery: your buyer, competitors and search demand
- Positioning and message agreed before design
- Copy written for every page
- Custom design, built from a blank canvas
- Dedicated mobile layout
- Full migration with rankings protected
- Structured so AI answers can cite you
- Training walkthrough and 30 days of support
Launch
For companies whose design and content are settled, or who are moving platforms and keeping the same message.
- 4 to 8 weeks typical
- Fixed price
- No downtime
From$5,000
- Structure and sitemap agreed before build
- Your design built custom in Squarespace
- A separate layout built for phones
- Existing content moved across by hand
- Every URL redirected so rankings hold
- CRM, booking and marketing tools connected
- Cross-browser and cross-device QA
- Training walkthrough and 30 days of support
Grow
For companies that want more of the right people to find them, month after month.
- Quarterly builds
- Always on
- Judged on enquiries
From$2,000/mo
- A content plan built on real commercial demand
- Pages published every month, written by us
- Existing pages improved as well as new ones added
- Technical health watched continuously
- Structured and marked up to be quotable by AI
- Authority built deliberately, month over month
- Reports built around enquiries
- Quarterly reset on what is actually working
Maintain
For companies that want the site run rather than repaired.
- A standing weekly slot
- 48-hour turnaround
- No contract
From$1,500/mo
- Send a change however suits you and it gets done
- A standing weekly slot for your site
- We work in your channels, not a ticket queue
- Problems caught before you notice them
- New sections and campaign pages on request
- Uptime, speed and integrations watched
- Quarterly review of what is losing you enquiries
- A real person, replying within 48 hours
How your portfolio website gets built
Four stages, in the same order every time. How long each takes depends on the size of the site, and you get the timeline in writing before anything starts.
Discovery
One call and a short form. Who hires you, how they find you, and which projects show the work you want more of.
Copy first
We write your homepage copy and project descriptions first and show them on a mockup. You see the words with the work before we design.
Design and build
Designed custom from a blank canvas, phone and desktop, with the work framed properly. SEO, image text and schema are built in as we go.
Launch and handover
Every URL redirected so existing rankings hold, then training, 30 days of support, and full ownership in your name.
3 to 4 hours That is all the time it takes from you: a discovery call, a copy review and a site review. Gathering content and images is usually the longest part, and it can run in parallel.
Rated 5.0 by every client we've built for
Real reviews from real clients, with their names and their websites attached.
Read all reviews“He’s a businessman himself who made it a point to understand my business. If you can articulate it, he can make it. He is perhaps the clearest communicator of any web designer I have ever worked with.”
Reed B.YGT Management“He has a rare combination of design artistry, technical depth, and human intuition that makes a brand feel alive.”
Brett L.Ajarro“He listened carefully, asked the right questions, and consistently delivered work that captured exactly what I was hoping for.”
Duncan M.Not Just Another Shark“He offered clarity and a path forward at a time of uncertainty, and he turned my website into something that truly represents my vision.”
Charli T.EduVentura“Mikkel truly went above and beyond in creating a great website for me. Will definitely recommend to others in the future.”
Michael K.Stratamaki Studio
Have a question about your studio's portfolio first?
Safe to switch, easy to run, yours to keep
Rankings held
Every URL is mapped and 301-redirected before launch, and rankings are measured either side so anything bringing in enquiries keeps working.
Updated in-house
Projects, galleries and pages are all editable in-house, with a recorded walkthrough, so adding new work takes minutes, not a developer.
Yours outright
The domain, the website account and every piece of content are in your name from day one, with no agency lock-in.
Guides on portfolio websites
All guidesQuestions about portfolio website design
Straight answers before you book anything.
Still have a question?Ask us directly, or talk it through with us on a free 15-minute call.
What should a portfolio website include?
Your strongest work, a short line of context for each project, a way to browse by the type of work clients want, an about page that says who you are, and a clear way to get in touch from every project. Prices or a starting point help too, if you can share them.
How many projects should a portfolio show?
Fewer than most people think. A handful of well explained projects that show the work you want more of usually does more than every job you have ever done. We help you choose during discovery.
What will our studio's site be built on?
Squarespace, on Launch and Rebuild. We build only on Squarespace, so we know it inside out: the design is custom, the site ships in weeks, and your team can change text and add pages without paying a developer. Hosting and security are handled.
Can a portfolio website rank in search?
Yes, if it has words as well as images. Project descriptions, service pages, image text and schema give search engines something to understand. Our photography website examples show how others do it.
Will we lose our current search rankings?
No. Every URL is mapped and 301-redirected before launch, and rankings are measured either side so anything bringing in enquiries keeps working. Some movement in the first two weeks is normal while Google recrawls the site, and a lasting drop only happens when a migration is not mapped.
Can we add pages without a developer?
Yes. Pages, projects and posts are all editable in-house, with a recorded walkthrough of your own site. If nobody has time, Maintain handles every change within 48 hours.
Who writes the content, and can we review it?
We write every page and share it for your review before design begins. Minimal sites live or die on their words, so this is where most of the work happens. You can correct anything at document stage, and nothing goes live without your approval.
How much of our time will this take?
Three to four hours: a discovery call, a copy review and a site review. Gathering photography is usually the longest part, and it can run in parallel. Reviews are scheduled around your busiest periods, so nothing needs your attention when you are stretched.
What does it cost, and who owns the site?
Projects start from $5,000, with the exact figure set by page count, functionality and whether existing content is being migrated. You get a fixed number in writing before anything begins, no hourly billing and no scope surprises. You own the result outright: the domain, the website account and every piece of content are in your name from day one, with no agency lock-in. Full detail on the pricing page.
See where your studio's site stands
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