Websites for creative businesses: portfolios, galleries, and performance

Why this matters

Creative businesses - studios, makers, artists - need to show their work. But portfolios and galleries often kill performance with heavy images and slow pages.

Creative sites should feel distinctive, but they still need to load fast, read well, and work on mobile. Get the balance right and you win more clients.

1) Accessible portfolios and galleries

Portfolios need to show work, but they also need to be accessible. Images need alt text, galleries need keyboard navigation, and structure needs to make sense [3]Source 3 .

What to include

• Descriptive alt text: Describe images clearly - "Handmade ceramic bowl with blue glaze" not "image1.jpg".
• Keyboard navigation: Galleries and lightboxes work with keyboard, not just mouse.
• Clear structure: Headings, lists, and navigation that make sense to screen readers.
• Focus management: Focus moves logically through galleries and modals.

What to avoid

• Images without alt text or with generic alt text.
• Galleries that only work with mouse clicks.
• Complex layouts that confuse screen readers.

For more on accessibility, see what accessibility means.

2) Optimised images and performance

Creative sites are image-heavy, but that does not mean they have to be slow. Optimise images properly and pages load fast [1]Source 1 .

What to include

• Compressed images: Use tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or ImageOptim before uploading.
• Modern formats: WebP or AVIF instead of JPEG/PNG when possible.
• Responsive images: Different sizes for different screen sizes.
• Lazy loading: Load images as people scroll, not all at once.

What to avoid

• Uploading huge, unoptimised images.
• Loading all portfolio images at once.
• Heavy video backgrounds or autoplay video.

For more on image optimisation, see image and video performance.

3) Great typography that reads well

Creative sites often use distinctive typography, but it still needs to be readable. Balance style with readability.

What to include

• Readable font sizes: At least 16px for body text, larger for headings.
• Good contrast: Text readable against backgrounds (4.5:1 for normal text).
• Line height and spacing: Comfortable reading, not cramped.
• Web fonts optimised: Subset fonts, use font-display: swap, preload critical fonts.

What to avoid

• Tiny text that is hard to read.
• Low contrast text (light grey on white, etc.).
• Heavy web fonts that slow page load.

For more on fonts, see fonts without regret.

4) Clear navigation and structure

Visitors need to find your work and contact you. Clear navigation helps people explore your portfolio and get in touch.

What to include

• Simple navigation: Home, Portfolio/Work, About, Contact - not too many items.
• Portfolio categories: If you do different types of work, organise by category.
• Project pages: Individual project pages with details, process, outcomes.
• Clear contact: Obvious "Get in touch" or "Start a project" button.

What to avoid

• Complex navigation with too many menu items.
• Portfolios with no organisation or structure.
• Burying contact information in the footer.

5) Performance that does not sacrifice style

Creative sites can be fast and beautiful. Performance does not mean boring design [2]Source 2 .

What to include

• Fast load times: Optimise images, minimise scripts, use efficient code. See fast websites: what fast means.
• Good Core Web Vitals: Fast, responsive, stable pages [1]Source 1 .
• Mobile performance: Fast on phones, not just desktop.
• Progressive enhancement: Works without JavaScript, enhanced with it.

What to avoid

• Heavy animations or motion that slows pages.
• Too many third-party scripts or widgets.
• Over-animated pages that feel slow and jumpy.

6) Clear enquiry and contact

Visitors need an easy way to start a conversation. Make enquiry forms clear and simple.

What to include

• Simple enquiry form: Name, email, brief message about the project.
• Clear call-to-action: "Start a project" or "Get in touch" - same place on every page.
• What happens next: "We'll respond within 48 hours" sets expectations.
• Portfolio context: Link to relevant portfolio pieces in enquiry forms if helpful.

What to avoid

• Complex forms with too many fields.
• Burying contact information.
• Forms that are slow or broken on mobile.

For more on forms, see form design that gets completed.

Summary

A creative business website that works needs: accessible portfolios and galleries, optimised images and performance, great typography that reads well, clear navigation and structure, performance that does not sacrifice style, and clear enquiry and contact.

Get these right and your site shows your work without getting in the way.

If you need a site that does this properly, see websites for creative businesses or website build services. For more on performance, see fast websites: what fast means. You can also get in touch to discuss your project.