Comparing Portfolio Managers: Flickr, Viewbook, Carbonmade and Professional on the Web
August 1st, 2008
For artists, designers, and web professionals showcasing your work has become easier than ever, thanks to a number of tools available in web 2.0. As we went over some of these new tools one thing became immediately obvious. Not all online portfolio managers are designed for the same reason. As we put the portfolio managers through their paces we kept a number of things in mind; how customizable they were, what tools they offered, and how easy it was for the portfolio to be found. Read More »
Artists and photographers have been using online portfolio managers for some time now, but for the webmaster or designer whose projects and skills are too complicated to show in a gallery view, there are few webservices available. This is where Professional on the Web, a directory and resource for freelancers and web agencies comes in.
As one might gather from his first visit to Carbonmade's colorful site, Carbonmade has been designed with ease and simplicity in mind. For the user that wants to manage their portfolio this translates to a quick, no frills setup. 
Designed for presentations, Viewbook is a portfolio manager with tools to customize the look of your graphic portfolios. With streamlined features, a unique url, and embeddable Flash, Viewbook is a professional alternative to more community-based portfolio managers. It begins with signing into Viewbook, then an upload - a batch upload if you like - of the files you would like to show. Viewbook's simple interface lets you create the presentation as you like with simple editing and descriptors. 
As the web has developed, so have some of the functions that initially drew us into the virtual community. Case in point is portfolio management, which has made the transition from a simple "hey, look at this," to source of information to be enjoyed, managed, and processed. Take, for example, the photo gallery Flickr. Once just a posting site for photos, Flickr has developed with web 2.0, becoming much more. Now it offers portfolio management tools, tagging, and new ways of exploring. 
