3 smart examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace (that actually get clients)

Example of a clean client‑winning portfolio on Squarespace

Let’s start with the first of our examples of 3 examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace: a clean, client‑focused site for a freelance designer or creative.

Imagine a freelance brand designer named Maya. She wants clients to land on her site and think, “I trust this person. I want to work with her.” Everything in her Squarespace portfolio is built to support that one outcome.

Here’s how her site is structured, and why it works.

Home page: Simple, clear, and built for first impressions

Instead of a busy collage, Maya uses a single bold headline like:

“Brand design that makes small businesses look like big players.”

Right under that, a short intro paragraph:

“I’m Maya, a brand and web designer helping service‑based businesses look polished, professional, and ready to scale. Here are a few examples of my recent work.”

Notice what’s happening here:

• She immediately says who she helps and how.
• She signals that examples of her work are coming right away.
• She keeps it short enough to skim on a phone.

On the same page, she drops in a grid of 3–6 featured projects. Each tile has:

• A strong project image
• A client name or project type
• A one‑line result, like “New brand and site that doubled inquiries in 3 months”

This is one of the best examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace that feels polished without being complicated. It uses Squarespace’s basic grid and summary blocks, but it looks intentional because the copy is tight and the layout is consistent.

Project pages: Tell the story, not just show the pictures

When someone clicks a project, they don’t just see pretty visuals. They see a story. Each of Maya’s project pages follows the same structure:

• Project overview: Who the client is, what they do, and what they needed.
• Role and timeline: What Maya did and how long it took.
• Process: 3–4 short sections with headings like Research, Concepts, Final Design.
• Results: A clear outcome, even if it’s simple, like “Client booked out their fall schedule in 4 weeks.”

This is an example of using narrative to make the work memorable. In 2024–2025, hiring managers and clients are overloaded with visuals on social media; what stands out is context and clarity.

If you’re building your own Squarespace portfolio, you can copy this structure almost word‑for‑word and just swap in your own details.

About page: Professional but human

Another one of the strong examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace is how Maya handles her About page. She skips the generic “I’ve always been passionate about design” line and instead answers three questions:

• Who do I help?
• What problems do I solve?
• Why should someone trust me?

She might write:

“Over the past 5 years, I’ve helped more than 40 small businesses refresh their brands and websites so they can charge more, attract better clients, and feel proud of how they show up online.”

Then she adds a short personal section with a photo and a few lines about where she’s based, how she works, and what she values.

This is a simple example of balancing personality with professionalism – something recruiters and clients consistently say they look for in portfolio sites.

For more on presenting your skills clearly, it’s worth looking at university career centers, like Harvard’s Office of Career Services, which share guidance on showcasing projects and experience in a way that’s easy to scan.

Contact page: One clear next step

Maya ends with a focused Contact page:

• A short line about what happens next (“I reply within 2 business days”).
• A simple form asking for name, email, budget range, and a short project description.
• A direct email address for people who prefer that.

This is another example of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace without overcomplicating it. No clutter, no multiple buttons, just one obvious path.

Example of a Squarespace portfolio built to land a full‑time job

The second in our examples of 3 examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace is for someone chasing a full‑time role: think UX designer, copywriter, marketer, or developer.

Here, the audience is different. Instead of clients, you’re talking to recruiters and hiring managers who might spend 60–90 seconds on your site before deciding whether to keep reading. Your portfolio has to do three jobs fast:

• Show that you understand their world.
• Prove you can solve real problems.
• Make it easy to connect your work to an open role.

Home page: Tailored to the roles you want

Let’s take Alex, a UX designer targeting product roles. The hero section of Alex’s Squarespace site might say:

“Product‑minded UX designer focused on onboarding, dashboards, and B2B tools.”

Under that, instead of a generic “Projects” heading, Alex uses a line like:

“Here are three examples of product design work that improved activation, retention, and user satisfaction.”

The projects are organized around outcomes recruiters care about:

• Improved onboarding completion
• Reduced support tickets
• Increased time on task or feature adoption

This is one of the best examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace for job hunting: you organize your work around results, not just categories.

Case studies: Depth over quantity

In 2024–2025, most hiring teams would rather see 3 strong case studies than 15 shallow ones. Alex picks 3–5 projects and gives each one its own page, with a structure like this:

• Context: Company type, product, and team.
• Problem: What wasn’t working, backed up with data if possible.
• Constraints: Timeline, resources, or technical limitations.
• Process: Research, design, testing, iteration.
• Impact: Metrics, user feedback, or business outcomes.

This isn’t just a UX example. A marketer could show campaigns and their impact on leads or revenue; a developer could show performance improvements or accessibility upgrades.

If you want to see how employers talk about portfolios and projects, browse career advice from large universities, like MIT Career Advising & Professional Development. Their guidance can help you mirror the language employers use when you write your case studies.

Resume and LinkedIn integration

Another example of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace that feels professional is to connect it to your existing job‑search tools:

• Add a Resume page or a PDF download with the same information as your main resume.
• Link to your LinkedIn profile and GitHub or Behance if relevant.
• Make sure your job titles and dates match across all platforms.

This makes your Squarespace portfolio feel like the hub of your professional presence, not a random side project.

Accessibility and mobile‑first design

By 2024–2025, hiring teams expect portfolios to work well on phones and to be reasonably accessible. A few simple steps on Squarespace can help:

• Use high‑contrast colors and legible font sizes.
• Add descriptive alt text to images and project thumbnails.
• Avoid walls of text; break sections into short paragraphs with headings.

If you want to go deeper into accessibility best practices, the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative offers guidance on making sites easier to use for everyone.

This is a quiet but powerful example of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace that sends the message: “I care about real users, not just pretty layouts.”

Example of a Squarespace portfolio for a multi‑passionate creative

The third in our examples of 3 examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace is for the multi‑hyphenate: the person who writes, designs, photographs, and maybe runs a tiny product shop on the side.

If that’s you, the challenge is focus. You don’t want your site to feel like a junk drawer. Squarespace can absolutely handle this, but you have to be intentional about how you group and label things.

Home page: One story, multiple branches

Picture Jordan, who is a photographer, copywriter, and social media consultant. On Jordan’s home page, the headline is not “I do everything.” Instead, it might say:

“I help small brands show up online with clear words and strong visuals.”

Under that, Jordan gives visitors two or three clear paths, such as:

• Brand photography
• Copywriting & content
• Social media strategy

Each path is a simple example of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace that feels organized. Squarespace’s navigation and index pages make it easy to group related work without confusing people.

Category‑based project pages

Instead of one giant “Work” page, Jordan creates category pages:

• A Photography page with galleries organized by type (product, lifestyle, portraits).
• A Copywriting page with screenshots and links to live articles or campaigns.
• A Social Media page with before‑and‑after grid screenshots, content calendars, and short case notes.

Within each category, projects follow a lightweight structure:

• Short description of the client or project.
• The goal (e.g., “Launch a new seasonal product line on Instagram”).
• A few examples of posts, images, or copy.
• Any measurable outcome, even if it’s simple (more engagement, more clicks, more signups).

This is one of the best examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace when you offer multiple services: you let people go straight to the type of work they care about, instead of making them dig.

Using Squarespace features without overcomplicating things

You do not have to use every feature Squarespace offers. In fact, the cleanest examples include just a few building blocks used well:

• Index pages for grouping related sections on a long‑scroll home page.
• Gallery blocks for visual work, kept consistent in size and style.
• Summary blocks to pull in blog posts, case studies, or featured projects.
• Form blocks for inquiries, newsletter signups, or discovery calls.

Jordan might also use a simple blog or “Journal” page to share behind‑the‑scenes posts, process breakdowns, or lessons learned from projects. In 2024–2025, this kind of thoughtful content can set your Squarespace portfolio apart from static, image‑only sites.

Pulling it together: patterns across these 3 examples

We’ve walked through three detailed examples of 3 examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace:

• A client‑focused freelance portfolio.
• A job‑seeker portfolio aimed at full‑time roles.
• A multi‑passionate creative portfolio with clear categories.

Even though they serve different goals, they share a few patterns you can borrow right away:

• Every site has a clear audience (clients, hiring managers, or both).
• Every project page tells a before‑and‑after story, not just “Here’s what I made.”
• The navigation is simple: Home, Work/Projects, About, Contact, plus maybe a Resume or Services page.
• The copy is written in plain language, not buzzwords.

If you’re feeling stuck, pick one of these examples as your starting point and literally sketch it out on paper: Home, 3–5 projects, About, Contact. Then, as you get more comfortable with Squarespace, you can layer in extra sections like testimonials, FAQs, or a blog.

For general career‑building advice, including how to talk about your skills and projects, resources from organizations like the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop can help you connect your portfolio to real job opportunities.

FAQ: Real examples of Squarespace portfolios people actually use

What are some real examples of Squarespace portfolios that work well?

Some of the best examples include:

• Freelance designers who feature 3–6 strong projects with clear outcomes and a simple contact form.
• UX designers who build 3–5 in‑depth case studies tailored to product roles.
• Photographers who organize galleries by type of shoot and location.
• Writers who pair screenshots of published work with short summaries and links.
• Multi‑disciplinary creatives who separate their services into clear categories.

Each example of a strong Squarespace portfolio keeps navigation simple and focuses on clarity over flashy effects.

How many projects should I include in my Squarespace portfolio?

For most people, 3–8 projects is enough. In our examples of 3 examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace, none of the fictional creators needed more than that to make a strong impression. It’s better to show fewer projects with context and results than a long list with no explanation.

Can I use Squarespace for a coding or technical portfolio?

Yes. Developers often use Squarespace as a front‑end hub and link out to GitHub, live apps, or technical write‑ups. A good example of this would be a Squarespace site with:

• A home page that clearly states your tech stack and the kind of roles you want.
• Project pages that explain the problem, stack, architecture decisions, and performance or reliability outcomes.
• Links to repositories, documentation, or demos.

The same principles from the other examples apply: tell the story behind the work, not just the tech.

How do I make my Squarespace portfolio stand out in 2024–2025?

Focus on three things:

• Storytelling: Explain the problem, your approach, and the outcome.
• Clarity: Clear navigation, scannable text, and obvious next steps.
• Relevance: Show work that matches the roles or clients you want now, not just everything you’ve ever done.

If you apply those ideas to any of the examples of how to build a portfolio on Squarespace we’ve covered, you’ll already be ahead of many people who only upload images and hope for the best.

Do I need a blog on my Squarespace portfolio?

Not necessarily. A blog is optional. It can help if you enjoy writing and want to show your thinking, share tutorials, or talk about industry trends. But it’s better to have a tight, well‑organized portfolio without a blog than a half‑empty blog that makes your site feel abandoned.

If you do add one, treat each post as another example of how you think, solve problems, and communicate – the same way you treat your project pages.