What might be found in a design portfolio?

A design portfolio typically emphasizes the creative and technical aspects of the design process. It serves as a comprehensive showcase of a designer's skills, thought processes, and achievements. Including sketches, CAD drawings, prototypes, and project documentation highlights the various stages of design development, illustrating how an idea evolves from concept to reality. Sketches offer a glimpse into preliminary thoughts, CAD drawings provide technical precision, prototypes demonstrate tangible outcomes, and project documentation presents the rationale behind design decisions, timelines, and methodologies.

In contrast, while market analysis and competitor reviews, product distribution plans and sales forecasts, and supplier contracts play important roles in product development and business strategy, they do not reflect the personal design journey or the creative process in the same way a portfolio does. These elements are more focused on the commercial and administrative aspects of product design rather than the artistic and technical skills that a portfolio aims to highlight.