I had been avoiding Twitter for a while. I didn’t have a lot of spare time, and I was worried it would just be another daily distraction. But, it wasn’t long before I saw the advantages that Twitter offers. To me, it is obvious: all designers should be on Twitter.

Peruse the design showcases, and you’ll see one illustrated portrait after another of and by your favorite designers. It’s amazing how different they all are — and how each seems to reflect the personality of the designer. How would you illustrate yourself?

It seems like most design resumes are too hot (so over-the-top creative that they are hard to read) or too cold (boring old Microsoft Word); this batch is just right. Bonus resume tips have been included at the end of the post!

I’ve collected samples of well-done websites that rely heavily on illustration. The catch? None of them belong to illustrators. You may be surprised to see what types of companies are making good use of the illustration design trend.

I’ve put together this list of 25 portfolio sites that I think are exceptional. I tried to create a good mix of styles, choosing some sites for their creativity, some for their user-friendly navigation, some for their simplicity, and some for their innovation. Enjoy!