This month, we’re spotlighting the creative ways community members are designing, organizing, and evolving their e-learning portfolios. These examples highlight not just design work, but also strategy around how to present projects, frame your skills, and show the story behind your work.
Whether you’re building your first portfolio or refreshing an old one, these member builds offer inspiration and practical takeaways you can use.
💡 Try It Yourself:
- Start Simple:
- Gather 2-4 of your strongest pieces in a Rise 360 course and publish to Review 360. Pro tip: Share a link to your portfolio on your ELH Profile!
2. Level Up Your Storytelling:
- Include behind-the-build notes—your process, design decisions, iterations, or constraints.
3. Elevate Your Portfolio:
- Record a 1–2 minute video walkthrough per project (Loom, Storyline screen recording, or quick webcam intro).
- Add before/after screens for redesigns to demonstrate impact.
- Include links to playable demos, Quick Share links, or downloadable .story files, so others can learn from your work.
🗂️ A Living Document by ThaddaeusSmith
Thaddaeus describes his portfolio as a “living document”—always evolving, always being refined. He emphasizes showcasing what you’re passionate about, not just what you think you “should” include.
What You Can Learn:
- Portfolios don’t have to be perfect or finished. Treating your portfolio as an ongoing project makes it easier to update and keep it relevant.
- Highlighting the work that excites you naturally creates a more memorable and authentic portfolio.
🎨 Designer Portfolio by mmathe
As a product and graphic designer expanding into e-learning, Mélanie blends visual design strengths with emerging instructional design work.
What You Can Learn:
- Blending skills from multiple disciplines (graphic design, product design, e-learning) can strengthen your story and expand your opportunities.
- A clean, simple layout with clear descriptions makes it easy for viewers to understand what you do and how your skills connect.
🧭 Beautiful, Painless, and Effective by JohnShelton
John rebuilt his portfolio from scratch using Google Sites, focusing on creating a highly functional and purpose-driven design.
What You Can Learn:
- Simple, intentional design choices can be just as impactful as complex builds, especially when restarting or reframing your portfolio.
- Lightweight website builders, like Google Sites, make ongoing updates easier, so your portfolio can grow with your experience.
⚙️D2 Learning Design by ded2
This portfolio shows a deeper dive into custom development, featuring a hand-built Base44 site with a database, a hidden admin panel, and AI-assisted content generation.
🔗 View Portfolio | Learn more about how it was built
What You Can Learn:
- Thoughtful structure and organization behind the scenes make it easier to maintain a large or evolving portfolio.
- Adding “Behind the Build” stories gives viewers insight into your process.
🧩 I Am the Instructional Designer by JenniferThom012
Jennifer’s site uses a clean, almost UI-inspired layout with easy access to samples, downloads, and even original music.
What You Can Learn:
- Offering free resources or unique extras (like original music) showcases your expertise and adds value for viewers.
- Clear, intuitive organization helps potential clients quickly understand who you are and what you offer.
🏅 Want to Be Featured Next?
We’re always looking to highlight inspiring examples from the community, and your work could be next! Here's what we look for in a standout submission:
- A downloadable .story file or link to your Rise course so others can explore, adapt, and learn from your build.
- A clear explanation of what you built, how it works, and what makes it unique.
- Behind-the-scenes insight into your process, techniques, tools, or challenges you tackled.
- Purposeful design, whether it’s solving a problem, teaching a concept, or experimenting with a new approach.
- Bonus: Share your ideas for how your design is widely applicable beyond the specific example.
Got something cool to share? Post it in Share Examples, and you might see it featured in an upcoming roundup!
