Bearplus Behind the Scenes: Crafting a Portfolio Worthy of a Web Award
- Miodrag Canovic
- Sep 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 27
Winning a Web Award takes more than technical skill — it requires creativity, storytelling, and the courage to design something that feels alive. That’s exactly what Bearplus, an award-winning digital agency, achieved with their project for Valentin Cheval, a product designer who wanted a portfolio that was more than just a showcase of work.
Founded on the mantra “Think big, move forward”, Bearplus has built a reputation for turning bold visions into high-performing digital experiences. From finance and e-commerce to tech and the arts, their projects combine strategy, design, and development to create products that spark conversation and deliver results.
Web Award Interview with Kenny Ho (Bearplus)
What inspired you to create this project?
Valentin reached out to me after following our work on LinkedIn for some time. He wanted to build a personal website, and I felt excited about the idea. Bearplus team and I- had tried several times to design internal portfolios for ourselves but often felt too perfectionist. So, this was a chance to see what it would be like to design a portfolio for another designer. Valentin’s style was also intriguing, which made us curious to explore it further.
What was your main goal when starting the design?
Our main goal was to create a portfolio that doesn’t just “show work” but also “shows personality.” Visitors should see not only the designer’s skills but also his unique character and style.
How would you describe your design process?
Our process went from research → wireframing → visual exploration → prototyping → animation & interaction. At every stage, we worked closely with Valentin to ensure the portfolio reflected both his personality and his career direction. This is the same design philosophy we often apply at Bearplus: balancing creativity with clarity.
Which tools or methods did you use?
We used Figma for UI design, After Effects for animations, Notion to organize content, and Webflow to build the prototype. Custom code was also applied to fine-tune the details.
What was your biggest UX challenge and how did you solve it?
The biggest challenge was keeping the experience smooth while incorporating multiple animations and transitions. We solved this by optimizing file sizes, structuring layers properly, applying lazy loading, and testing across devices to maintain stability.
Which UI detail are you most proud of?
The navigation and micro-interactions. Users feel as if they’re “interacting” with the portfolio rather than just browsing. We also worked closely with the developer to achieve looping effects and seamless transitions between the header and footer. Additionally, we collaborated with the photographer to ensure the lighting on the model was perfectly balanced when shifting scenes from light to dark.
How did you bring creativity into the project?
We applied storytelling throughout the portfolio: from the landing page to the project details, every section was designed as a “chapter” of Valentin’s story. Creativity came from blending visuals, typography, and motion into one cohesive narrative, something we always strive for at Bearplus.
What was the most difficult technical aspect to implement?
The combination of scroll-based animations and complex transitions. It required a lot of fine-tuning and repeated testing to ensure everything worked smoothly.
How did you approach SEO and performance optimization?
For SEO, we kept a clear semantic structure, set up complete meta tags, and optimized images in WebP format. For performance, we used lazy loading, code splitting, and CDN hosting to deliver speed globally.
Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?
If we had more time, we would experiment and explore even more creative concepts. We’d also like to try adding a dark mode for flexibility, while pushing further on accessibility improvements.
About VICE Awards
How did you feel about the scoring (UX, UI, Creativity, SEO)?
We think the scoring system is well-balanced and doesn’t favor one aspect too heavily. It motivates designers to pay equal attention to UX, UI, creativity, and technical performance.
What does winning the Site of the Month Award mean to you?
It’s a recognition not only for me and team Bearplus, but also for Valentin. It creates opportunities to reach more clients and the international community, while affirming that our approach of combining creativity with performance is the right path.
What advice would you give to other designers who want to submit their work?
Don’t think of a portfolio as just a storage space for projects. Turn it into a creative product, tell your story, and pay attention to the smallest details. If it truly reflects personality, it will stand out and make an impression.
Explore the Project
Final Thoughts
Bearplus has shown how a portfolio can evolve into something far more meaningful — a personal brand experience that blends storytelling, motion, and technical excellence. Their recognition at Vice Awards proves that the future of Web Award projects lies in designs that not only function but truly connect with users.
Ready to showcase your creativity?
Submit your website today and join the next wave of innovators at VICE Awards.
