Can we talk about the downfall of Behance portfolios?

I remember browsing Behance back in 2016 and seeing actual case studies with client briefs, mood boards, and process shots. Now it feels like most top projects are just glossy mockups with no context or real problem solving. I think the change happened when the algorithm started prioritizing likes over substance around 2018. Has anyone else noticed the drop in quality and moved their portfolio to something like Semplice or Cargo?

4 comments

4 Comments

spencer_owens581mo ago

The algorithm thing really killed it, but did client work actually get worse too?

dakotab931mo ago

100% of the "top projects" now look like they were designed by a robot that's never met a client. It's like everyone decided to skip the messy reality of iteration and just skip straight to the pretty pictures. Basically we traded real case studies for digital wallpaper.

wade87125d ago

Oh boy, I hear you. It's the same thing happening in home remodeling these days. Everyone posts these perfect kitchen renders with marble countertops and matching cabinetry, but they never show the part where the countertop arrives cracked or the cabinets don't fit because the floor is uneven. The final result is always staged, never lived in. We're losing the whole point of showing how you solved something that was actually broken.

sage_green1mo ago

@sage_green here. @spencer_owens58 raises a good point about client work, but I'd flip it around: do you think the algorithm is actually rewarding fake client work now? I've seen portfolios where the mockups look perfect but there's zero evidence the project ever shipped or solved a real problem. Like, slick 3D renders of a fictional app with no user testing or iteration notes? That's not design, that's just advertising. The algorithm loves that stuff because it generates quick likes and shares, but it drags the whole platform down. So the drop in quality isn't just about projects getting worse, it's about the wrong projects getting promoted while real case studies get buried. What's the point of a portfolio if you can't even tell if the person knows how to work with a real client?