Everyone working in instructional design, learning experience design, or elearning should have a portfolio. This is especially true for people who are job seeking or working independently as freelancers or consultants. I recently talked to a hiring manager who said that out of 70 candidates for an opening, only 4 applicants had portfolios. If you have a portfolio, you’re automatically going to stand out in the job market against all those candidates who don’t have anything. Your portfolio should tell the story of how you work and how you help organizations solve problems. I’ve collected these portfolio resources to help you figure out what samples to include, which tools to use, where to host your portfolio and samples, and where to get help with your portfolio.
I use affiliate links when I share books and some additional resources (like the SiteGround link below). It won’t cost you anything additional, but a small portion of the purchase price comes to me to help pay for hosting my blog. I have partnered with elearningfreak on this post, but all opinions are my own.
Why do you need a portfolio?
If you’re wondering why you need a portfolio, read Tom Kuhlmann’s explanation about being “at the crossroads when opportunity and preparation meet.” Christopher Pappas provides another 7 reasons you need a portfolio, if you need more motivation.
I have heard all the excuses why you can’t build one: everything is confidential, you don’t have the tools, no time to work on it, etc. But if you’re looking for work and trying to get interviews or attract freelance clients, you still need to be able to show that you have the skills you say you do.
What to include
My post on 30+ ideas for portfolio samples can give you some inspiration if you need to create new artifacts.
Kristin Anthony’s “Go Design Something” site automatically generates ideas for portfolio samples.
This post on building an instructional design portfolio includes what to include and additional tips.
These 10 tips for building a portfolio include picking the right projects and pairing each project with a description.
Tools for creating samples
Storyline and Rise
Prospective employers expect to see a few samples using standard tools. Two of the most common tools are Articulate Storyline and Rise.
Rise is part of the Articulate 360 Suite. It’s easy to learn, but be cautious of relying too heavily on their templates and course starters. Plenty of hiring managers will recognize those course starters.
Job seekers often can’t afford to purchase expensive software licenses. If you’re a student, discounts are available for Articulate 360 (which includes Storyline and Rise).
Articulate offers 30-day free trials. If you storyboard and plan before you start your trial, you can make several samples during that month.
Authoring tool options
Although employers are likely to look for Storyline, you can use other tools. In fact, right now I see a lot of interest in other authoring tools. Mike Stein’s comparison of elearning authoring tools is a great place to look for alternatives, many of which are more affordable than Articulate.
iSpring’s tools are solid alternatives, and they’re hosting a course creation contest this spring. If you register by April 24, you’ll get free access to iSpring and training to help you use it effectively. This would be a great way to create a sample and potentially win prizes. I’m on the panel of judges for this contest.
I’ve used Genially to build interactive activities for a client before, and it’s another good alternative authoring tool for samples. Genially’s free plan would be sufficient for your portfolio samples.
I haven’t personlly tried Parta, but I’ve heard it as another option. One reason it might be a better choice for a portfolio is that you can pay for the license monthly, rather than for the whole year. If you just need a month or two to build your samples, then you can pay for that and then unsubscribe later.
Adobe Captivate is much less in-demand than it used to be, but it’s an option for portfolio samples. It’s also possible to earn a free Captivate license by participating in their community.
Video tools
Camtasia is a great option for videos. Check out Cara North’s video series on creating a Camtasia portfolio sample from start to finish for a plan and example.
Animated videos can make great, visually appealing portfolio samples. PowToon and Vyond are popular choices.
Open source tools
If you want to use open source tools, check out Adapt and H5P. Neither one has seen widespread adoption, partly because they both require more technical expertise. However, you can create some really cool things with both.
It’s more specialized, and therefore not necessarily a good choice for everyone, but I also have Twine samples in my portfolio. Twine is great for branching scenarios, plus it’s free and open source. Learn more about Twine from my posts to get some ideas.
Hosting your portfolio
This blog and my portfolio were both built with WordPress. These are both self-hosted sites now, although my blog was on WordPress.com for many years. You can use a free WordPress.com site as your portfolio as a job seeker, but you’ll have to host your samples somewhere else or upgrade to a paid plan that allows plugins. (And if you’re upgrading to a paid plan for WordPress, you might as well just pay to host it yourself—you can do that cheaper.)
Check out Dianne Hope’s article on how to build a portfolio in WordPress.
In her article, Dianne explains how to use a free WordPress plugin to upload elearning samples. That plugin works regardless of what tool you use to create your samples (Storyline, iSpring, etc.).
I host my websites on Siteground. Shared hosting starts at $2.99/month for the first year, so it’s quite affordable to get your own site and have full control.
Free and low cost hosting options
Some people use template sites like use Google Sites, Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace. Those sites can work, especially if you find a template you like since editing can be challenging. The designs can be limited, and it can be challenging to post real samples with interactivity. It’s not my first choice personally, but it definitely works for many people.
If you’re using a free site like Wix, you probably need to host your samples elsewhere. WordPress.com and other free hosts don’t allow you to upload published Storyline or SCORM files (at least not on the free plan, and not necessarily even on a paid plan).
You can use Amazon AWS storage to host and share your files, linking to them from your portfolio. Google Cloud is another option; Kimberly Goh’s video explains how to use Google Cloud to host portfolio samples. Both of those options for file hosting are either free or very low cost for most portfolios.
Mike Taylor lists several free or low-cost options for hosting in this post (although a few, like Dropbox, are no longer options).
Portfolio examples
It helps to see other portfolios as inspiration for your own work. See how others have organized their samples and what they include.
Check out this post with 24 great examples of instructional design and elearning portfolios, collected by Scott Winstead. (Mine is included.)
The Articulate community also has a collection of portfolios.
Portfolio building course with personalized assistance
What if you need more than a collection of resources—you need a structured process for building your portfolio with step-by-step guidance and personalized feedback? Dani Watkins and I are re-launching our portfolio course, Create a Portfolio That Gets You Hired. We previously taught this course for UC-Irvine, but now we’re offering it publicly with new updates. If you want a clear framework to build your portfolio so hiring managers can see how you think, design, and solve problems, this course is for you.
Your favorite resources?
Do you have a favorite tool for creating portfolios or a resource I’ve missed? Let me know.
Originally published 3/16/2011. Republished 7/2/2019, updated 7/21/2022, 1/1/2024, 3/6/2024, 2/3/2025, 12/5/2025, 3/19/2026.
