How to Verify a Designer's Portfolio: 5 Questions More Reliable Than "Looking at the Portfolio"

Looking at a portfolio, it's easy to be swayed by visuals at first glance. A safer approach is to ask a few questions behind the work.

First, role: in this case, what part was the other party specifically responsible for? Many showcases weren't done by one person alone. Second, process: from requirements to final, how many steps, were there research and feedback checkpoints? Third, constraints: were there budget, time, or compliance limits, and how were they handled? Fourth, result: did the project actually get implemented later, and how did the client use it? Fifth, delivery: what files were finally given, and can the client continue using them independently?

These five questions judge whether a team is reliable better than simply flipping through a gallery. Vague answers usually can't withstand scrutiny.