What I look for after the first pass
A short note on what usually stands out once the initial version is on the page.
The first version of a page usually tells me two things quickly: what feels honest, and what feels added just to fill space. Even a small change like padding: 8px versus padding: 16px can tell me which direction feels more natural.
After that, the work becomes simpler. I usually look for the same few issues:
- Is the main idea obvious fast enough?
- Is the type doing too much?
- Is anything on the page there just because it seemed like a portfolio should have it?
That part matters more to me than adding polish early. Once the unnecessary pieces are gone, the rest of the design usually gets better on its own.
