I’m disabled and starting to hate trying to get a job, I know my field I’m reasonably confident in my abilities but I cant drive yet and employers hate when I try and ask for accommodations . If anyone here is looking for a graphic designer here is my portfolio -https://aidencyjhagemeyer.myportfolio.com
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You’ve got the raw instinct to make things, but right now this portfolio reads like a collection of personal fan art rather than the work of someone who understands design as a discipline. That’s the core issue. It doesn’t communicate intent, it doesn’t show decision-making, and it doesn’t demonstrate that you can solve a problem for a client. It just shows that you like making visuals.
There’s no real hierarchy across the site. Everything feels visually equal, so nothing stands out and nothing feels important. A strong portfolio guides the viewer, it tells them where to look and what matters. Here, it’s just a flat stream of images. On top of that, there’s almost no explanation of what any piece is, why it exists, or what it’s trying to achieve. Without that context, the work comes across as decorative rather than purposeful. Design is about solving something. If you don’t show the problem, the thinking, and the outcome, you’re not showing design.
A lot of the work leans heavily into band posters, movie references, and pop culture pieces. Nirvana, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, X-Men, Weezer, Muse there’s a pattern there. The issue isn’t that these are “bad” subjects, it’s that they don’t demonstrate real-world thinking. It looks like personal taste driving the work rather than a brief. A hiring manager isn’t asking “what music do you like,” they’re asking “can you take a messy brief, think through it, and produce something that works.” Right now, none of that is coming through. Even pieces like the bird in a circle or the “Nuno”/Disney-style graphic just sit there with no explanation. What are they? Who are they for? What problem do they solve? Without answers, they feel random.
There are also some judgment issues in what you’ve chosen to include. The anti-Christian poster with swear words is the kind of piece that will actively turn people off. Not because of ideology, but because it signals a lack of awareness about audience and professionalism. A portfolio is not a personal outlet, it’s a tool to get hired. Everything in it should be working toward that goal.
Typography and basic layout need serious attention. The blue text on a pink background is difficult to read, which immediately tells me readability wasn’t considered. The “Butterfly Project” breaking awkwardly over lines looks careless. Hyphenating words in centred text is unnecessary and just makes things harder to read. There’s even a stray equals sign after “1942,” which suggests a lack of attention to detail. These are fundamentals. If those aren’t controlled, it undermines everything else.
The CV doesn’t help your case either. The very first line being misaligned sets the tone immediately. “Experienced” is misspelled, which is a basic but critical error. Saying you “will be seeking work in the future” makes it sound like you’re not actually available or serious right now. The casing is inconsistent across entries like “Associate Science- Graphic design” and “General education Diploma,” which again points to a lack of typographic control. Including unrelated experience like pet minding under “current professional experience” just dilutes the message. If it’s not relevant, it shouldn’t be there. Even the skills section feels sloppy with things like “time management ----- Use of Adobe editing software” and inconsistent casing. Listing references without explaining who they are or where they work doesn’t add credibility either.
Overall, it comes across as underdeveloped and careless in places, which is harsh but accurate. The good news is that this is fixable, and the fixes are very clear.
You need to shift from showing outputs to showing thinking. Take two or three of your strongest pieces and rebuild them as proper case studies. Explain the brief, even if you have to invent one. Define the audience. Show your process, sketches, iterations, and decisions. Explain why the final piece looks the way it does. That alone will elevate the work significantly.
Cut most of the fan-based work unless you can reframe it as a design problem. Replace it with projects that simulate real-world scenarios. Branding for a small business, a poster for an event with a defined audience, a campaign with constraints. Show that you can design for someone else, not just yourself.
Tighten the typography everywhere. Fix alignment, remove unnecessary hyphenation, improve contrast, and be consistent with casing. These are non-negotiables in design. Go through the entire portfolio and CV line by line and correct every spelling mistake and formatting issue. That level of detail matters more than you think.
Finally, be more intentional about what you include. Every piece should answer a question: what does this prove about me as a designer? If it doesn’t prove something useful, it shouldn’t be there.
Right now, this portfolio suggests someone at a hobbyist level. With more structure, clearer thinking, and better discipline in presentation, it could move into something that feels considered and professional. The gap isn’t talent, it’s how the work is framed and communicated.
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Sorry! But you have very basic skills!