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The big gap in Notion-based portfolios
Evaluating Notion as a portfolio-building tool for product designers
The latest craze among the product & design community is building and launching quick and crisp portfolios constructed on top of Notion. But there are a few reasons why as a product designer, you should dodge this fad.
Using Notion
Pros
- Users with ZERO experience in coding or configuring tools like Webflow and framer can set up a Notion page pretty quickly ⚡.
- It has a lot of built-in patterns and templates. So, no need to whack your brains by obsessing over small visual design details.
- Users can focus more on the structure, storytelling, and content. Visual design chops are optional.
- Users can embed third-party content like links, Figma prototypes, and videos.
- Suitable for building website wireframes and complex site structures.
Cons
- They cannot replicate the natural feel of a website.
- It’s a tool with abundant options but limited customization. For example, you cannot change the way it looks, the fonts, or add your favorite color hex code to a Notion page. It all makes sense when you consider that it originally started as a note-taking app, a competitor to Evernote.
- All Notion-based websites look pretty much the same. Hence, there is a less visual appeal to the eyes.
So more pros than cons, right? Notion wins 🙌. Not really. Notion stands for everything in terms of simplicity, ease of use, and templatization of pages are all killers of creativity when it comes to product design. Notion-based portfolios can be great substitutes for UX Researchers, Content Designers/Writers, Product Managers, or Data/Product Analysts. But product design portfolios are more than just storytelling and content; they require a strong understanding of Visual Design, UX, and front-end programming. Hiring managers ❤️ product design portfolios that show —
- Exemplary visual design skills in layouts and structuring certain basic blocks.
- Great motion animation and interaction design skills.
- Sense of typography and hierarchy.
