Portfolio Language Review

What is a Portfolio Language Review?

The Portfolio Language Review (PLR) is a feedback package for artists and designers that will help you write about your work like a pro. Let it guide you in telling your unique story for a specific audience, whether it’s a hiring manager, a gallery owner, or a potential client. Improve the way you describe yourself, your projects, and your process.

This is not a traditional portfolio review.  It’s not a review of your art or design work, so I won’t tell you whether your work is good or which projects to include. I’ll be focused on the language you use.

If you’re struggling to describe your work effectively, need someone to help you correct your grammar, or don’t know what to write at all, I’m here to help.

Jess at her computer

How will the PLR benefit you?

New career opportunities, greater confidence, and a clearer approach to self-branding are some of the benefits my clients have shared after working with me.

How will the PLR
benefit you?

New career opportunities, greater confidence, and a clearer approach to self-branding are some of the benefits my clients have shared after working with me.

Get advice from an English language expert who specializes in art and design

Feel confident that your site is free of errors that might hurt your credibility

Learn how to tell your story concisely, in a unique way, and for a specific audience

Have a second set of eyes confirm that your language hierarchy is working effectively

Who else have I helped?

Academy of Art University logo
California College of the Arts logo

Many ESL students learned how to express themselves confidently and describe their work clearly in my classes at the Academy of Art University and the California College of the Arts. I guided students from over 20 different majors, from Animation to Web Design, during my five years as an Instructor.



Yelp logo
Google logo
Uber logo

Professional designers from companies such as Yelp, Google, and Uber have sought me out for help with their language skills when writing portfolio descriptions or preparing for interviews, presentations, and meetings.

AIGA logo
Artspan logo
Artspan logo
Virtually Maker Faire logo

I’ve also given writing workshops for professional art and design organizations such as AIGA, Artspan, and the Maker Faire.

The PLR is helping me frame my story better for hiring managers and recruiters. As a Junior Designer, it is overwhelming to put together case studies with no guidance, and Jessica was able to provide that guidance and security. Overall, I am able to not only improve my writing, but improve the way I storytell using my own words and perspective.

Isabel, Standard PLR

I got inspired by the suggestion of making my portfolio unique and more personalized. I turned back to rewording my portfolio and also to make the presentation more personalized when I was interviewed. Very efficient!

Wen, Advanced PLR

Jessica is super helpful for the English improvement of my design portfolio. Her feedback is not limited to error corrections but also taught me why and how to do better next time. Beyond that, she also worked as one of my audience and suggested how to improve the layout and visual design. Overall, she is a good friend and great coach.

Yi, Advanced PLR

How does it work?

I encourage everyone to begin with a free 30-minute Zoom chat where I can answer any questions you may have. I’ll give you a few general suggestions, and you can get a feel for my coaching style. If it seems like a good fit, we can discuss the next steps to get you a spot on my calendar. I offer three coaching packages to best fit your needs.

How does it work?

I encourage everyone to begin with a free 30-minute Zoom chat where I can answer any questions you may have. I’ll give you a few general suggestions, and you can get a feel for my coaching style. If it seems like a good fit, we can discuss the next steps to get you a spot on my calendar. I offer three coaching packages to best fit your needs.

Step 1: Free Video Chat

We begin with a free 30-minute Zoom chat where you can ask questions, explain what you’re looking for, and get a feel for my coaching style. I’ll chat with you about your existing portfolio and your goals for improving it.

Step 2: Portfolio Writing Workbook

If you decide to purchase a package, I’ll share a workbook with reflection questions, common problems, writing exercises, checklists, and all my tips for creating great portfolio language that is personal and unique. It will help you transform your approach to writing so that you can tell your story with pride and confidence.

Once you complete the reflection and share your responses, I’ll put you on my calendar and give you a timeline for your feedback. The typical turnaround time is one week.

Step 3: Feedback

If you choose the Standard or Advanced PLR packages, you’ll receive feedback in three parts, described below.

Highlights Video

I’ll talk about the big picture issues, like what’s working well and what isn’t, in the Highlights video. It’s a more personal way to share the main points from your report.

Here’s an example of what you’ll receive.

PLR Report (PDF)

I’ll share general suggestions about how to improve the content, style, and visual hierarchy of your portfolio language in the PLR report. This feedback will help you notice the problems in your writing so you can improve your skills.

If I have suggestions about your visual hierarchy, I’ll include mock-ups to show you how my proposed changes would look. This is useful for artists that might not know a lot about design flow, or designers who want a second set of eyes checking to see if the flow is working for the viewer.

Here’s a template that shows the content areas you can expect to see in the report.

Click to open the PDF.

PLR Report Example

Hypothesis Comments

I’ll leave detailed comments on each of your portfolio pages using a web annotation tool called  Hypothesis. It’s completely private, and you can reply to the comments as needed.

If your portfolio is not yet online – no problem. I can easily annotate a PDF or other document instead.

Here’s a demo of the Hypothesis tool.

Jess taking notes

Step 4: Revisions

Once I’ve shared all your PLR feedback, you’ll have thirty days for follow-up questions via email as you revise. I’ll continue to go back and add or respond to comments in Hypothesis as needed to guide you through your revisions.

Jess taking notes

How much does it cost?

There are options for every budget!  All creatives deserve the chance to thrive, so I’ve designed several PLR packages to choose from. The 30-minute Zoom chat is free for anyone who would like to ask questions or get to know me better before they decide on a package.

How much does it cost?

There are options for every budget!  All creatives deserve the chance to thrive, so I’ve designed several PLR packages to choose from. The 30-minute Zoom chat is free for anyone who would like to ask questions or get to know me better before they decide on a package.

on a
budget

The Portfolio Writing Workbook

Use these reflection questions, writing exercises, checklists, and all my tips to help you describe your portfolio in a way that is personal and unique. This is a great first step for those who are unsure about the support they need.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat (if desired)

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Cost: $15

most
popular

The Standard PLR

Includes Home, About, and 3 Projects

Get personalized feedback on every page of your portfolio, with comments about how to improve the content, style, and hierarchy of your writing, including mock-ups. One week turnaround time.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Highlights video

PLR Report with mockups

Hypothesis comments

30 days of email support

Cost: $285*

best
for esl
creatives

The Advanced PLR

Includes Home, About, and 3 Projects

Advanced writing help on a sentence by sentence level. Get detailed grammar feedback and intensive writing guidance on the content, style, and hierarchy of your pages. One week turnaround time.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Highlights video

PLR Report with mockups

Hypothesis comments

30 days of email support

Extensive proofreading

Cost: $465*

on a
budget

The Portfolio Writing Workbook

Use these reflection questions, writing exercises, checklists, and all my tips to help you describe your portfolio in a way that is personal and unique. This is a great first step for those who are unsure about the support they need.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat (if desired)

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Cost: $15

most
popular

The Standard PLR

Includes Home, About, and 3 Projects

Get personalized feedback on every page of your portfolio, with comments about how to improve the content, style, and hierarchy of your writing, including mock-ups. One week turnaround time.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Highlights video

PLR Report with mockups

Hypothesis comments

30 days of email support

Cost: $285*

best
for esl
creatives

The Advanced PLR

Includes Home, About, and 3 Projects

Advanced writing help on a sentence by sentence level. Get detailed grammar feedback and intensive writing guidance on the content, style, and hierarchy of your pages. One week turnaround time.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Highlights video

PLR Report with mockups

Hypothesis comments

30 days of email support

Extensive proofreading

Cost: $465*

on a
budget

The Portfolio Writing Workbook

Use these reflection questions, exercises, checklists, and tips to help you describe your portfolio in a personal, unique way. This is a great first step for those who are unsure about the support they need.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat (if desired)

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Cost: $15

most
popular

The Standard PLR

Includes Home, About, and 3 Project pages

Get personalized feedback on every page of your portfolio, with comments about how to improve the content, style, and hierarchy of your writing, including mock-ups. One week turnaround time.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Highlights video

PLR Report with mockups

Hypothesis comments

30 days of email support

Cost: $285*

best
for esl
creatives

The Advanced PLR

Includes Home, About, and 3 Project pages

Advanced writing help on a sentence by sentence level. Get detailed grammar feedback and intensive writing guidance on the content, style, and hierarchy of your pages. One week turnaround time.

INCLUDES:

Free 30-minute Zoom chat

Portfolio Writing Workbook

Highlights video

PLR Report with mockups

Hypothesis comments

30 days of email support

Extensive proofreading

Cost: $465*

* Some creatives will have projects with much more writing than others, like UX Designers with multiple case studies. These prices are based on long pages with a lot of written content. If you have more than three projects or a lot less writing than my average client, the price will be adjusted. Additional projects are $25 each for the Standard PLR and $50 for the Advanced PLR. Ask for a quote!

Client Interview

christy hu: ux designer

Christy shares her experience with the Advanced PLR process. She’s a college student who wanted to make her portfolio look more professional.

FAQ

What if I’m not satisfied?

I offer a 30-day guarantee. If you are unsure about any of the feedback I provide or have additional questions, I’m happy to support you throughout your revision process. I’ll continue to give you feedback and suggestions for thirty days after you receive the PLR feedback. If you are still not satisfied at the end of the 30-day revision period, you can request a refund.

Can I add extra Zoom coaching to my package?

Of course. I try to provide plenty of options for my clients. You can always tack on an extra Zoom chat if you want to talk things through with me. The cost is $25 per 30 minutes.

How do I pay?

I accept payments through Paypal or Venmo. I’m also happy to send an invoice if you prefer. Payments must be made before any feedback is given.

What if I need to reschedule my Zoom chat?

No problem. Open the event on your calendar and look for the Calendly reschedule link. If you can’t find this, please email me ASAP to make the change.