Breaking the Template – Building a Custom AI-Assisted Portfolio Site

A great portfolio website is more than just a collection of work—it’s a showcase of skills, creativity, and technical ability. But for many designers, building a custom site can be time-consuming, technically challenging, and constrained by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that limit what can be shown.

Veteran designer Vicki Morawietz set out to create a professional, AI-assisted portfolio website that not only highlighted her design expertise but also allowed her to experiment with cutting-edge AI tools. By combining traditional design software with AI-powered web development, she built a fully customized site without relying on generic templates—all while navigating the challenges of NDA-restricted work.

The Challenge: Showcasing Work While Respecting NDAs

Like many designers, Vicki faced a common portfolio dilemma:
- NDAs prevented her from displaying recent projects.
- She wanted a unique, non-template-based portfolio.
- She needed an efficient way to integrate AI tools into her workflow.

Instead of relying on traditional static portfolio sites, she explored how AI could generate new visuals, streamline web development, and enhance design workflows.

The AI-Powered Design Process

Vicki’s portfolio was built using a mix of AI and traditional design tools, striking a balance between automation and creative control.
Her workflow included:
- Figma for foundational design work, ensuring strong UX and UI principles.
- ChatGPT for refining text content and assisting with structuring the site.
- MidJourney for generating custom imagery—especially for NDA-restricted projects.
- V0 (Vzero) from Vercel for AI-powered web design, generating code and UI elements based on prompts.

Key Takeaways from AI Integration

1. AI streamlined her design process, allowing for rapid variations.
2. MidJourney was unpredictable—while some images required extensive tweaking, AI-generated Apple product imagery worked surprisingly well due to strong reference material in its training data.
3. V0 accelerated web development but still required significant human refinement, including manual SVG editing for custom UI elements.

Overcoming Technical Challenges

Despite the advantages, using AI for web design wasn’t without its frustrations. Vicki created 348 versions of her site, fine-tuning everything from layout to interactivity.
- V0 occasionally lost work, causing setbacks.
- Load times increased with complexity, affecting efficiency.
- Code unpredictability required manual intervention, proving that AI still needs human oversight.

These challenges reinforced the idea that AI isn’t a perfect solution—it’s a tool that requires patience, iteration, and hands-on refinement.

Final Website Features & NDA Workarounds

The finished portfolio site showcases:
- A subtle background animation on the landing page, created through multiple AI iterations.
- A cohesive design system across pages, balancing AI-generated and manually crafted elements.
- Custom buttons and UI components designed in Figma and fine-tuned with manual coding.
- AI-generated visuals for NDA-protected projects, ensuring confidentiality while providing visual context.

By leveraging AI, Vicki successfully created a unique, non-template portfolio while maintaining legal compliance—a crucial advantage for designers working with high-profile clients.

The Cost of AI: Financial Considerations

One major challenge was the financial barrier of AI tools. With multiple subscription-based services required, costs can add up quickly.

To manage expenses, Vicki used a month-to-month subscription strategy, testing different AI tools before committing long-term. However, she notes that the increasing cost of AI could create a divide—with only well-funded designers and agencies able to fully leverage these technologies.

What’s Next?

Vicki plans to continue experimenting with AI tools as the technology evolves rapidly. Future improvements include:
- Exploring Audiograph and other AI-powered content creation tools.
- Refining the AI-assisted deployment process for a smoother experience.
- Investigating interactive AI-driven portfolio elements, such as motion graphics and voice-guided presentations.

By combining AI with traditional design expertise, Vicki’s work highlights how technology can be used not to replace creativity but to enhance and expand what’s possible.

For designers looking to push their portfolios beyond basic templates, her experience proves that AI can be a game-changer—but only when guided by a strong creative vision.

What Vicki had to say about the AI Upgrade for Creative Pros course

"Just what I needed to get ramped up to understanding and working with AI! Peter & Kris had great communication and were always willing to meet and working around times. The 1-on-1 consulting was a highlight of the course experience and helped me build out my portfolio! The live cohort was an integral part of the course. It was amazing to see how other people were using AI in their work, ways that I wouldn't even think about and it was really educational to see how AI has been able to contribute to each unique person's needs. The course was enlightening and educational, and I would definitely recommend it to other creatives."

Learn more about the class and sign up for our next cohort here!