Inside Behance: How the Creatives Network Works

"Do you have Behance?" If you're a designer, artist, or part of the diverse family of "creatives," you may have been asked this question. The answer? If not, keep reading the article: we explain what Behance is, how it works, and what are the advantages it offers you. If the answer is yes, skip the first paragraph and read: We've compiled some tips that may be useful to make your portfolio more competitive. We begin.

Step one: what is Behance?

It was 2006 when Scott Belsky and Matias Corea created a network for creatives that they called Behance. The objective? Improve the careers of creatives, organize the creative world and provide transparency where there is none. Behance is just that: a platform where creatives from around the world can showcase their projects, compare and connect with other talents, brainstorm, exchange opinions, update and open up to new career opportunities. In short, it is a space where you can improve your brand and, if you do it properly, get new customers.

Step two: how does Behance work?

Register and choose one or more topics that interest you. Next, a wall will appear on the screen with personalized publications for you.

These are the sections you can access:

Discover: Here you can find "the best of Behance", that is, the projects that network administrators select every day.

Live: it is a digital library that compiles the live events that you can attend and videos that show the work of other professionals. Videos and events are organized by categories.

Profile - This is where you should introduce yourself. One tip: don't fall short when adding information or be too generic. Mention your specialization (logo design, UX, application interfaces, illustration…) and in which fields you consider yourself excellent. The projects that you add to your portfolio must be by what you have in your profile.

Vacancies: this is a real notice board full of job offers. This section is useful if you are looking for open vacancies since through the filters (type of vacancy, country, city, creative field), you can view only the offers that interest you.

Create a project: this is the showcase in which you are going to show what you can do: it is the section in which you must add all your work, past and current. And by the way, it goes without saying: upload only your best work. You do not have to show everything you know how to do, but only what you know how to do best.

How do I upload a project? 

If you are taking your first steps on the web, we advise you to consult the Behance recommendations, where everything you need to know about the platform is explained with all the details, from managing your profile to creating a project. You can find an answer to any questions you have. In the meantime, let's move on to the Create a project section and take a look at the editor.

Upload your file and give it a clear title. We advise you that, in addition to the name, you always indicate the type of project and the year of completion. For example: Logo_design_name_2017. Add a brief, but the complete description that explains your creative intention, that is, all the reasoning that led you to make those specific decisions. Imagine that this comment is the clear and concise description that you would give a client when presenting a job. Only then will you be able to give value to the work.

If you upload a very large project, we advise you to add detailed images so as not to risk losing some aspects. If you have them, you can add drafts, sketches, or a video showing the stages of completion. Surely, from now on, you will remember to also document the creation and design phase of a project, not just the final result! In short: try to create a kind of story in which not only the finished work is shown, but also the process of realization and its applications. Come on, play the storyteller!

In the "Edit styles and layouts" section, you can customize the layout of the presentation and the text style, to give a touch of personality to the project.

Second step: cover

This is where we process the cover image (the recommended size is 404 × 316 pixels), whose role is crucial: it is the first image that people see, so it must be attractive, intriguing, and must anticipate a little (without revealing too much) the project. About this: before you get down to work, we advise you to do some research on Behance and make a list of the best covers you see, both to inspire you and to be more competitive.

Third step: configuration

his is where the basic information of the project is added: the labels so that it appears in a specific category (they are very important so that they find you on the network), the tools you have used to create it, the professionals with whom you have collaborated and the description. Once you have included all the data, click "Publish" and the project will be added to your portfolio. Ready!

One last tip: don't upload all your work at once. Go upload them little by little so that the attention of your followers does not blur and they focus on each project individually.

That's it for Behance.