PERSONAL BRAND AND PORTFOLIO IN THE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY OF A DESIGNER

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of personal branding and portfolios as interconnected components of a designer’s professional activity in the context of the dynamic development of creative industries and the digital environment. It is argued that a personal brand serves not only as an effective tool for professional self-presentation but also as a means for a designer to understand their own identity, value system, ethical principles, and authorial position. The article examines in detail the structural components of a designer’s personal brand, which include individual style, a set of professional competencies, a communication strategy, and reputational capital that fosters trust and recognition within the professional community. Particular attention is given to the portfolio as a key tool of visual communication that represents creative experience, conceptual thinking, and practical outcomes of a designer’s activity. The functions of portfolios in the context of building a professional image, enhancing competitiveness, and integrating a designer into the professional environment are analyzed. The specificity of modern digital portfolio formats is highlighted, which not only expand opportunities for self-presentation but also provide interactive engagement with the target audience, including potential clients, colleagues, and communities in the creative industries. The aim of the article is to investigate the interrelationship between a designer’s personal brand and portfolio and to determine their role in shaping professional identity, effective self-presentation, and competitiveness in the contemporary digital and creative environment. Achieving this aim involves analyzing the structural components of a personal brand, the functions of portfolios, and identifying educational strategies for integrating these elements into the process of design education. The article emphasizes the importance of personal branding and portfolios in the system of design education as factors promoting professional self-reflection, critical thinking, and the readiness of future specialists to operate in real professional conditions. Arguments are provided in favor of integrating branding strategies and portfolio work into design curricula, enabling students not only to develop their own style and identity but also to effectively present the results of their creative work in the job market.