Creative CV templatesPersonality in the layout, evidence in the content.
These creative CV templates give designers, marketers, writers and media people a layout with some character, while keeping the creative CV format readable to the recruiter and the software that sees it first.
All 57 CV templates- layout families
- 9layout families
- render-tested templates
- 57render-tested templates
- output formats
- 2output formats
- shared record
- 1shared record
7 of 57 · sample: Sarah Mitchell
7 of 57 templates · sample candidate: Sarah Mitchell, Senior Marketing Manager
Creative CV format: what to show, and where
A creative CV still needs a clear structure: your name, a portfolio link near the top, a short profile, then experience with dates, clients or brands, and results. The portfolio does the visual work; the CV's job is to make someone click the link. Put the URL in the text rather than inside a graphic, so it can be copied. Good creative CV design keeps the content readable first. Every creative CV template is free on your first conversion, exported as PDF and Word.
Colour and type are where a creative CV shows judgement. One accent colour used consistently says more than five. Skill bars and star ratings say less than a plain list of tools, because nobody knows what four stars in Figma means. Freelance and contract work can sit under one heading with the clients listed, rather than as a dozen short roles.
Creative CV examples in the library
Peckham and Soho lead with a coloured banner header. Notting Hill uses a timeline that suits a career built on contracts and freelance work. Wapping is a classic single column with a more expressive type pairing, and Whitechapel is compact for a long client list.
Hackney and Clerkenwell carry a sidebar for tools and skills; they work best for a CV handed to a creative director rather than one uploaded to a job portal. Every preview is a real render of the same sample candidate, a senior marketing manager, so these creative CV examples compare layouts on equal content. For curved header artwork, see the stylish CV templates.
From your current CV to a creative template
Upload your existing CV as PDF or Word and it comes back in the creative CV template you choose, as a PDF and an editable Word document. Send the PDF: it keeps the type and colour exactly as you saw them.
Your first conversion is free, no card required. Personal Pro is £5 a month for ten conversions if you keep a version per application.
Creative CV examples: what the content looks like
Strong creative CV examples share a pattern: the brief, what you made and what happened. Led the rebrand for a regional food producer, from identity to packaging, rolled out across sixty stockists says more than a list of software. Name the clients you are allowed to name, and describe the rest by sector and size.
If you work across disciplines, lead with the one you want to be hired for and let the others support it, rather than presenting yourself as a designer, copywriter and strategist in equal measure.
A small, governable design system.
Organisation defaults flow into a strict template definition the renderer can reproduce safely — the same definition drives the preview and both exports.
- Layout
- Classic, sidebar, banner, timeline, minimal, executive, compact or curved
- Type
- Renderer-supported heading and body font pairs
- Brand
- Primary, accent, text and muted colour tokens
- Structure
- Visible sections, labels, order, dividers and density
- Logo
- Approved placement and bounded physical size
- Output
- The same definition drives preview, PDF and DOCX
Build it from controlled choices, then reuse it across the desk.
Custom templates are included from Starter upward and are managed by organisation owners.
CV templates, answered.
Your first conversion is free, with every template and all four AI modes included.
Try one with your CVWhat should a creative CV include?
A portfolio link near the top, a short profile, experience with dates and the clients or brands involved, the results of your work, a plain list of tools and your education. Let the portfolio carry the visuals.
Is a creative CV format ATS-friendly?
It can be. Banner, timeline and classic creative layouts keep one main column, which reads in order. Keep sidebar layouts for CVs a person will read directly, and check any CV with the copy-and-paste test in our ATS-friendly CV template guide.
Should a creative CV have a photo?
Not for UK applications. Show personality through your portfolio and your choice of layout instead; employers often remove photos before shortlisting.
Can I edit a creative CV template in Word?
Yes, every template exports an editable Word file alongside the PDF. Word reflows designed layouts slightly, so send the PDF when the look matters and keep the Word file for edits.