MarkedUp career guides
An Accessibility Checklist for a Designer’s Portfolio Website
Your portfolio is both a presentation of work and an interface a hiring team must use. A basic accessibility pass can uncover barriers that hide your case studies from visitors using a keyboard, screen reader, magnification, or different input method.
Make navigation and project links understandable
- Use descriptive project names and link text rather than repeated “view more” labels.
- Check that menus open, close, and remain usable with a keyboard.
- Keep a visible focus indicator and a sensible focus order.
- Make contact links and downloadable files clear about their destination.
Give images and diagrams useful alternatives
Write alt text that conveys the information a reviewer needs from a meaningful image. A decorative texture does not need a long description. For a complex diagram, provide the key explanation in nearby text rather than relying on a brief alt attribute to carry the whole story. Do not put essential project context only inside an image.
Check text, contrast, and zoom
Review readable text size, sufficient contrast, heading structure, and layouts at browser zoom. Make sure captions and annotations remain legible and do not depend on color alone. A contrast checker can help identify some issues but cannot assess the full experience.
Test a complete reviewer task
Use the keyboard to find and open a project, read its case study, and reach contact information. Check that motion does not prevent reading and that video includes captions when speech matters. Automated tools can find some defects; manual and assistive technology review are also important.
Keep the review in proportion
A self-check is useful preparation, not a conformance claim. If the site has complex interactions or is used in a high-stakes context, seek a more complete assessment and include people who use assistive technologies. Record what you checked and what you did not.