Category

Categorizing or sorting work is an important step before beginning to assemble a portfolio. Since many artists and creatives work in multiple fields, mediums and styles, each with different objectives, it is important to categorize work so the viewer can discern which pieces are most relevant.

Many artists choose to categorize their portfolio:
 * By series: Artists who have completed several series of work sometimes choose to highlight key pieces and separate the groupings according to the series.
 * By time: Similar to a resume, some choose to group their portfolio samples by the time they were produced. This is a common strategy for application portfolios because it allows the viewer to assess progress.
 * By style: Some artists may choose to break down their work by style, for example, in the case of a photographer, "Fine Art," "Commercial," and "Landscape."
 * By medium: Advertisers, graphic designers and marketers often distinguish their work by the medium they used, such as "Print work," "Web work," and "TV work."