Best Personal Websites

It doesn’t matter if you’re building your company or posting on your social media, everything you do online helps curate your image. Still, in the age of social media, a personal website might seem obsolete. This couldn’t be more wrong! A personal website is an online space where you have total control over the look and functions.

Creating your own website allows you to unleash your imagination, without the constraints of social media formats. You decide what to put on a personal website, how it’s presented, and how the website itself looks.

One perhaps less-known but important aspect of having a personal website is that recruiters for companies almost always do a background check on the potential candidates for a job opening. A great personal website shows a candidate’s character and personality much better than a padded CV. 

If you’re wondering how to create a personal website, the answer is manyfold. There are tons of amazing website building tools like Wordpress or Wix, many of them free to use. They could help you dip your toes into the world of web design, regardless of whether you’re looking to create a simple personal website, or something more involved. 

There isn’t a strict list of what to put on a personal website. A website can work as a blog, a resume, a portfolio, a shop, or even a mixture of various genres, so to speak.

There are amazing personal website examples out there, and taking a quick look at some of them will help inspire anyone looking to perhaps create their own. We’ll take a look at some of the best personal websites that have different uses. 

Resumes

Resumes are one of the most important types of personal websites. Potential recruiters love to see a well-curated resume website. It paints a complete picture of a candidate, which gives a much better insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a future employee.

José Rocha

This is one of the most dynamic, delightful personal website examples on this list. José Rocha showcases his skills as a full-stack designer through a well-curated presentation.

We start off with an introduction of his skillset and his academic accomplishments, before segueing into a brief overview of his design rewards and achievements – clearly, he’s a full-stack designer who knows what he’s doing. 

A link to download his CV is also available, which is a great idea because potential recruiters can get more info without having to go through the tedium of announcing job adverts.

‍

But, the website isn’t just about the nitty-gritty of his skillset. José states his passion for design and his motivation to see and create beauty in everyday life.

The web presentation finishes off with a list of brands he’s collaborated with, as well as contact and social media info.

Martine Myrup

Danish designer and visual artist Martine Myrup has a wonderful personal website. The CV aspect of it is streamlined, legible and to the point. 

Her CV website is a masterclass in data presentation. It shows off both her professional and academic achievements. The data is divided in categories, and presented chronologically. This makes it easy for the reader to find the most current and relevant information.

‍

At the bottom of the presentation, Martine’s contact info is listed,as well as a link to her online shop. However, the site is far from drab or uninteresting. The bottom of the page features a gorgeous, colorful photo of the designer, surrounded by her creations.

Orestis Georgiou

The personal website of Dr Georgiou is one of the best personal websites you can find. It has comprehensive information about his work and area of research.

It starts off with a short bio that lists all of his accomplishments. It also has a longer version, available via a “read more” button. That’s a savvy way to keep big chunks of info out of the way, but still there if the reader wants it.

‍

Continuing, the site gives information about Dr Georgiou's books and academic papers, as well as his projects outside of academia, such as his podcasts and talks. The text is accompanied by photos and short formulae, which add even more personality to the site.

Callie Schweitzer

Such an elegant and professional website projects all the power and authority of someone in the position of Global Creator Programs Lead at LinkedIn.

All the necessary details are there, such as Callie’s biography containing the information about her education and credentials, as well as links to some of her works. All the best personal websites are multifunctional, and guide users towards the important details.

‍

The look of the site is minimalistic and streamlined, yet still warm and personable. It has plenty of photos and  other resources that impress potential recruiters. 

Quinnton Harris

This is a wonderful example of personal website design. The entrepreneur and digital designer created his site as a sort of virtual scrapbook, with all the important details about his skills and career. 

However, it’s still full of character, with the grainy quality of the background, reminiscent of 90s TVs and loads of pictures. Browsing the website, the user feels as if they’re looking through a family album.

The site references many milestones and anecdotes. We get the full scope and detail of Quinnton’s career achievements, and his unique take on the challenges and peculiarities of his field, without it being overly cluttered or incohesive. It’s a beautiful story of perseverance and determination.

Samuel Reed

The best personal websites are those that show off your skills. This web developer’s site will certainly impress potential clients, as it shows him “develop” the site from scratch (of course it’s actually a clever animation). 

However, the site is also fully interactive, and invites site visitors to change the code and see how this impacts the web design. It’s a very clever tactic to build a powerful online presence - visitors stick around longer, which helps to lower the site’s bounce rate.

Of course, the site also includes links to his live projects as well as contact information. 

Michal Eiskowitz

You may have realized already that designers usually have stunning personal websites. But what about those of us that thrive in verbal communication?

This content and copywriter’s website is a great example of how the right pairing of design and website copy can make for a truly memorable website. One example is this great section that clearly speaks to the writer’s target audience and their pain points.

‍

Beyond that the website manages to make dull stock photos a part of a memorable website user experience. Michal also has high-quality photos of herself on the site to help her build a connection with potential clients.

Instead of long case studies you usually find with designer’s websites, there’s a tidy testimonials section on the homepage, with a short quote from some of Michal’s clients, which works perfectly for this line of work. 

Blogs

Blogs are a great way to unleash your creativity and work on your writing skill. This can be especially useful if you’re a writer by trade. But what makes for a good blog? Here are some of the best personal website examples centered around the author’s blog.

Marco Feng

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of this wonderful travel blog, it’s most definitely true! It’s full of incredible pictures that make you want to hop on a plane at that very moment.

‍

‍

Marco offers a glimpse into the beautiful locations he visits, yet still entices the viewer to go and see them for themselves. However, this blog is not all pretty pictures. It offers information and handy tips about visiting various states and the sights that should be visited.

Fifty Coffees

This blog is an ambitious project centering the author’s introspection into their life in between carriers. The concept is simple but brilliant: fifty talks over coffees with fifty different people – friends, mentors, acquaintances, and strangers. 

It’s personal, yet still relatable in so many ways. The author reflects on the experiences of the person she’s speaking to, as well as her own. This provides the reader with fascinating, everyday stories.

The blog also contains a lovely gallery of photos from all the coffee talks, which gives an extra dose of charm and relatability.

Salt in our Hair

Travel blogs are one of the most popular genres of blogs. It’s easy to see why: there are tons of wonderful personal website examples that showcase the author’s travel experiences.

Not only that, travel provides the authors with tons of fun little stories they can relay to their audience, not to mention the gorgeous pics. 

Salt in our Hair is exactly what you would want in a travel blog. It’s packed full of stories, useful tips and tricks, as well as amazing photos and information about various places the authors have traveled.

Minimalist baker

There are many home cooks and bakers that have turned their personal blogs into profitable business ventures. Of course, besides great content and recipes, you also need stunning website design to ensure your site ranks high and gains lots of traffic.

‍

‍

This baking website is a great example of how to make a simple and effective personal site. Lots of white space helps with readability, high-quality photos keep the readers engaged, and there’s also a unique value proposition - all recipes contain either 10 ingredients or less, are made in 1 bowl, or take less than 30 minutes to prepare.

‍

Gates Notes

Did you know that apart from everything else he’s done Bill Gates also has a personal blog?

It’s probably naive to think that he updates the blog himself, even if the pieces are published under his name. Nevertheless, this site definitely deserves a mention on our personal blogs list for several reasons.

The design strikes the perfect balance between being casual and still maintaining a more serious professional image you associate with the owner of the blog. Next, it really helps to build a sense of personal branding, which can actually sometimes be a challenge for people with hugely successful companies.

This site moves Gates away from the image of a tech mogul, and instead helps him share his views and insights on the world as an influential, but also perceptive, educated and philanthropic person. Sure, you can take any of that with a pinch of salt. But the way content is presented on this site, would certainly make most readers at least a bit intrigued. 

‍

Portfolios

Online portfolios are a must have for any visual artist, writer, model, and even craftsman. They give the viewer an idea what your style is, and an insight into what you can create and contribute to a project. Portfolios make for beautiful personal websites, as they allow you to showcase the full scope of your creativity and imagination.

Jey Austen

Jey is a brand and visual designer, whose incredibly unique portfolio site draws in anyone who looks at it. It’s a simple combination of black background with an eye-catching gothic-esque font, which is not a common personal logo or web font choice.

The site also showcases their wonderful illustrations in white lineart that pop against the darker background.

The designer shows us their various projects, along with short descriptions or explanations. It makes for  a delightful gallery of visual treats. There are illustrations, GIFs, UX/UI designs, as well as brand designs. The versatility of the author shines in this portfolio.

Tamara Sredojevic

This UX/UI designer based in France is all about designing for accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability. Her website is a wonderful example of a personal portfolio/resume.

It showcases her various projects, as well as her passion for accessible design. It’s clean, streamlined and intuitive. Navigating is a breeze. It has a gorgeous and calming color scheme, along with many ways to contact the designer.

This portfolio is everything a potential recruiter would want – all the relevant information presented clearly in one place.

Sabanna

This is one of the most elegant portfolio personal websites. Designer Anna Sabatini incorporates her lovely work in an elegant, yet unique website.

Her web designs are professional and elegant. But, they’re not the only glimpse into this designer’s skills. Beautiful sketches show her roots as a traditional designer, and give the website character and charm.

The warm purples and oranges make for a dynamic color scheme that commands attention, but is still grounded and professional.

Verena Michelitsch

Web design rules which most business websites follow often don’t apply to portfolio websites. In fact, you’ll often see that graphic designers’ and artists’ portfolio sites have unconventional layouts.

In this case, you can see a short intro paragraph at the top of the home page, followed by dozens of stunning images - this designer’s creative projects. Although it looks edgy and even a bit hectic, the site provides all the necessary information for potential clients in just one glance. 

The navigation menu is also a terrific addition to help users browse through projects easily.

Mack & Pouya

Although the memories must be magical, the truth is wedding photography sometimes looks dull and unoriginal. However, this wedding photographers’ website has a unique personal touch, with a funky 60s inspired website.

Everything from their logo and colorful gallery, to a superb contact form that allows people to choose which services they’d like is done in the same unique style. Building a personal brand should always be the goal of a great personal website, and this website does it perfectly.

The site is created on Webflow, one of the most user friendly website builders out there. Of course, it’s quite clear that this is a work of a professional web designer, as the best websites usually are.

Conclusion

We hope this list has given you a bit more insight into how to create a personal website. Creating a website is a massive creative endeavor and should, above all, be a labor of love. 

Of course, if you’re an architect, photographer or even illustrator, you might not have the right web design skills or tools to do this yourself. You can always try to use free landing page and website builders, but there’s a good chance that you’ll end up with cookie-cutter designs that won’t help you build your brand.

On the other hand, the cost of custom website design can be pretty hefty. Working with freelance web designers is sometimes a less expensive option, but it requires a lot of back and forth and the quality of design is often unpredictable.

Luckily, there’s a third option to get your custom personal website for less. Our unlimited web design services