Build an AI website in 60 seconds

Building a portfolio doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or expensive anymore. If you’re a designer or photographer, you’ve probably outgrown platforms that force your work into rigid grids or limit how you present your style. 

A dedicated website gives you more freedom. You can highlight your best projects, write your own story, and look more credible. The good news is you don’t need to code anything or hire a developer. With the right portfolio website maker, AI can help you have a professional web address for free, complete with layouts, prompts, and tools that support how creatives work.

What makes a great portfolio website for creatives

A great online portfolio tells visitors who you are and why they should hire you. Here’s what you need to focus on to make your portfolio memorable.

1. Clean, visual-first layout

Your homepage should hit visitors with your best work right away, like a bold hero banner or a curated gallery that shows your style instantly.

Why it matters: Creatives get judged visually in seconds. A cluttered homepage or too-small thumbnails mean a visitor won’t stick around long enough to appreciate your craft.

How to implement it: 

• Pick a single, confident layout (one-row carousel or a grid with large image cards). 
• Crop images to a consistent aspect ratio so the eye moves easily. 
• Use subtle hover states and captions that appear on demand. 

2. Easy navigation

Make it simple for people to browse your past projects by type, like branding, portraits, or UI design.

Why: People arrive with different goals, e.g., a studio head wants case studies, a magazine editor looks for portraits. If they can’t find the right category in two clicks, they’ll bounce.

How: 

• Use obvious category names. Add quick filters on the portfolio page for medium, industry, or year. 
• Make project pages link back to the main portfolio and related projects (so visitors stay exploring). 
• If you use an AI site generator, prompt it to create a “portfolio filter” UI so visitors can toggle categories without reloading the page.

3. Storytelling bio section

Share a short background that highlights your values and creative vision, letting visitors get a sense of who you are, not just what you do.

Why: Your work shows skill; your bio explains why you do it and who you want to work with. It’s how you turn a browser into a client who shares the same taste.

How: 

• Start with one strong sentence (what you do + for whom). Follow with a brief example of your creative process or values (e.g., “I prioritize natural light and candid moments”) and finish with a soft CTA like “Need portraits for a magazine? Let’s talk.” 
• Keep it human, not resume-like. If you’re using an AI prompt, ask it to write a “first-person creative bio in 60–80 words” and then edit to inject one personal, memorable detail. 

4. Client testimonials

Show real feedback from clients to build trust and credibility. A few specific quotes are better than vague praise.

Why: Social proof collapses uncertainty. For many clients, a recommendation from someone similar is more persuasive than beautiful images alone.

How: 

• Add testimonial snippets on project pages and a few highlighted ones on the homepage. 
• Always include the client’s name and context (company or role). 
• If you can, link to a case study showing outcomes. 
• Use sliders or cards so testimonials don’t dominate the page but are easy to scan.

5. Contact or booking section

Make it easy for people to reach out with a clear CTA like “Hire Me” or “Book a Session,” so interest doesn’t fizzle out.

Why: After someone decides they like you, the next step must be frictionless. If the only option is a long form or an email hidden on a contact page, you’ll lose momentum.

How: 

• Place a persistent CTA in the header and a prominent contact block on the homepage and project pages. 
• Treat the contact page like a conversion page. Keep the form short: name, email, project type, budget range, and one-line brief. 
• Offer a calendar booking option for discovery calls. B12 and similar portfolio website builders can include advanced features like built-in booking widgets so visitors can lock time without extra emails.

Step-by-step: How to create a portfolio website with AI for free

Here’s how to build a clean, professional site without paying a cent or getting stuck with tech headaches.

1. Choose a free AI portfolio website maker

Start by picking a tool that fits how you work. Different builders have different strengths:

• B12 → Great for creatives who want instant layouts, clean galleries, and optional expert help. You get free setup, an AI-generated preview, and the option to refine things before going live.
• Framer → Good if you want lots of animation and micro-interactions.
• Wix → A flexible general-purpose builder with tons of widgets.
• Carbonmade → Simple and very visual, popular among illustrators and photographers.

The easiest way to decide? Look at how each tool handles professional portfolios specifically. If the builder can generate a gallery, project pages, and a clean About section automatically, you’ll save hours.

2. Enter your description or prompt 

This is the part where AI actually starts building for you. You type in a short description of your work, something simple like: “I’m a freelance photographer specializing in editorial and portrait work.”

From this alone, most AI builders can generate:

• A hero section that highlights your main style
• A short About paragraph
• A clean portfolio online grid
• A contact or booking page
• Navigation categories relevant to your niche

If you want ideas, B12’s AI Prompt Gallery is a great place to browse sample portfolio templates creatives actually use.

3. Pick your layout & visual theme

Now you choose how your work should appear visually. The best portfolio website builders offer designer portfolio website templates, like:

• Grid layout: Good for photographers and illustrators with lots of pieces.
• Carousel or slider: Great for hero areas or project storytelling.
• Full-width layout: Perfect for bold visuals like landscapes or editorial spreads.

B12 automatically adapts layouts based on your prompt and image ratios. It prioritizes balanced spacing and adjusts your color palette to match your work. This saves a lot of tinkering time.

4. Upload your work & customize details

This is where your personality comes through.

• Group portfolio projects by type (branding, portraits, UI, editorial).
• Or group them by year to show progression.
• Add short captions like: “Shot for Vogue Italia” or “Brand identity for a local café.”
• Keep titles simple. Visitors scan, so avoid paragraph-long descriptions.

If you do client work, mentioning names (with permission) builds instant credibility.

5. Add contact & conversion features 

A good portfolio site isn't just a gallery. It’s a tool to get hired.

Add:

• A booking form
• A “Work With Me” or “Hire Me” CTA
• A calendar link (for discovery calls)
• A simple project inquiry form

B12 makes this part simple by integrating scheduling and contact forms automatically, so you don’t have to stitch all the tools you need together.

6. Preview, optimize & launch

Before publishing, test how your site feels:

• Check the mobile version (most clients browse on their phone).
• Review SEO basics like page titles and alt text.
• Make sure images load quickly.

B12’s online portfolio builder automatically compresses images, adds HTTPS hosting, and optimizes your site for SEO and search engines. So even if you’re not tech-savvy, your site loads fast and looks polished. Once everything feels right, hit publish. You’ll have an online portfolio website powered by clean design and AI.

Best AI website builder prompt examples for portfolio websites

Not sure what to type into an online portfolio maker? Here are simple, ready-to-use AI prompts for a portfolio website you can copy straight into B12:

1. “Create a minimalist digital portfolio website for a freelance graphic designer. Prioritize clean grids, bold typography, and a section for recent branding projects.”
2. “Create a photography portfolio website with AI with full-screen visuals, a portrait and editorial gallery, and a built-in booking form for client sessions.”
3. “Generate a standout portfolio website for an illustrator showcasing character designs, comic-style artwork, and a project page with process sketches.”
4. “Make a modern designer portfolio with client reviews, case study layouts, and a clear ‘Work With Me’ contact CTA.”
5. “Create a portfolio for a UI/UX designer featuring interactive prototypes, a dark-mode theme, and a simple About section explaining design philosophy.”

5 layout inspiration: Best portfolio structures for 2026

Here are the layouts that are trending for 2026.

1. Grid gallery layout - best for photographers

A clean, balanced grid that puts your high-quality images front and center. Great if your work shines through variety (portraits, editorial, travel, product shots) and you want visitors to scan everything quickly without distractions.

2. Scrolling showcase - for designers and artists

A long, fluid scroll where each project gets its own moment. Ideal for creatives who rely on storytelling or sequential visuals, like brand designers, illustrators, or motion artists who want their work to feel immersive.

3. Split-screen portfolio - showcase your work elegantly

It’s perfect for designers or illustrators who want to balance aesthetics with explanations, making it easier for clients to understand the ideas behind each project.

4. One-page vertical story layout - perfect for minimalists

Everything lives on one page: your hero image, bio, gallery, and contact button. Works best for creatives with a tight selection of strong work who prefer simplicity over multi-page navigation.

5. Case study format - ideal for UI/UX professionals

Structured sections that break down the problem, process, and outcome. Great for UX designers or product-focused creatives who need to show thinking, not just visuals. 

Why B12’s AI portfolio website maker stands out 

Most AI builders can generate a homepage, but B12 goes further. It builds personal portfolios for you and offers customizable templates. You get a real starting point: a hero section, gallery, About page, and a ready-to-use contact flow. And if you want it tightened up, B12 lets you tap real designers who can fine-tune spacing, colors, and layout so everything looks intentional.

What really sets it apart is how much heavy lifting it handles behind the scenes:

• SEO is built in, so your work is easier to find.
• Fast load speeds that make your site feel professional.
• A fully responsive mobile layout without you having to tweak anything.
• Built-in tools (forms, automated email marketing tools, payments, scheduling) so potential clients can reach you or book you instead of just browsing.

B12’s AI builder has helped users create over 4 million websites. And the best part? It’s free to start. You get your AI-generated preview instantly, and you can publish a clean, polished portfolio in minutes and even add your own custom domain.

Conclusion

Designers and photographers don’t need to wrestle with code or spend weeks hunting for a developer anymore. With the best free portfolio website maker, you can jump from idea to a real, working site quickly and still keep full control over how your work shows up online. 

AI won’t replace your creative voice, but it does take care of the tedious setup so you can focus on curating your best shots, tightening your story, and building a creative portfolio or online store that actually feels like you.

Try B12’s free portfolio website maker. Input your style, upload your work, and launch your professional site today.