UX portfolio guide

UX portfolio: what to include and what to skip

In UX, the portfolio IS the interview. It shows your thinking process, not just the final design. Here is exactly what to include.

Why the portfolio matters

Most jobs let you describe your experience in an interview. UX is different. Hiring managers want to see how you think through a problem before they talk to you. Your portfolio is the work sample, the cover letter, and the first interview all at once.

The core principle:interviewers do not just want to see what you designed — they want to see how you got there. Process and reasoning are the portfolio. Final screens are the evidence.

What to include

Aim for 2–4 case studies. Quality beats quantity every time. Each case study should follow this structure:

Problem

What was the user problem you were solving? Set the context clearly — who was affected, how often, and why it mattered.

Research

What did you learn about users? Walk through interviews, surveys, or competitive analysis. Show the insights that shaped your decisions.

Process

How did you approach the design? Include sketches, wireframes, and iterations. Show what you tried and what you changed — and why.

Solution

What did you design? Show the prototype or final screens. Let the work speak, then annotate the decisions that aren't obvious.

Outcome

What changed? Metrics, user feedback, A/B results — use numbers if you have them. If not, describe the impact qualitatively.

What you can use as a portfolio project

You do not need a job to build a UX portfolio. These project types work even if you are starting from scratch:

Redesign an existing app screen

Pick something you find frustrating — a checkout flow, an onboarding screen, a settings page. Document the problem before touching Figma.

Design a solution for a friend's business

A local café, a freelancer, a small nonprofit. Real constraints make better portfolios than hypothetical ones.

A Figma Community challenge or design prompt

Structured briefs give you a problem statement and scope, so you can focus on the design process rather than inventing the setup.

A concept product for a problem you have experienced

The best project ideas come from your own life. What app should exist but doesn't? Design it, prototype it, and explain your reasoning.

Where to host your portfolio

The best portfolio is a live URL you can drop into any application. Pick the platform that fits where you are right now.

Figma Community

Best for beginners

Free and design-native. Recruiters can open your actual files and interact with your prototypes. Great for just starting out.

Notion

Text + Figma

Free, fast to set up. Write your case studies as Notion pages, embed your Figma frames inline, and share a public link.

Webflow or Framer

Polished look

More polished and fully branded. Small learning curve, but worth it when you want to stand out beyond a doc or shared file.

Behance

Social visibility

Built-in social discovery means designers and recruiters can find your work without you sending a direct link.

Portfolio mistakes to avoid

These are the mistakes that make otherwise good UX portfolios miss.

Only showing final screens

Show the process and thinking. Sketches, wireframes, and discarded directions tell interviewers how you work, not just what you ship.

No written explanation

Interviewers need to understand your decisions without asking. Annotate your designs and write the 'why' behind every major choice.

Weak case study titles

Skip 'Project 1' or 'App redesign'. Use the problem statement instead — it immediately tells the reader what they're about to learn.

Too many projects

Two great case studies beat eight mediocre ones. Curate ruthlessly. More isn't more in a UX portfolio.

Missing mobile screens for apps

If you're designing a mobile product, show the mobile screens. Desktop-only mockups for a mobile app signal a gap in thinking.

Case study title formula

A strong title tells the reader what problem you solved before they open the case study. Use this formula:

[Verb] [user type]’s ability to [action] in [product type]

Example: “Reducing checkout abandonment for first-time mobile shoppers in a fashion app”

This immediately signals the user type, the problem, the context, and the design space — before a recruiter reads a single line of your case study.

Next steps

Build your portfolio using the UX track skills

The UX/UI Designer track walks you through the tools and methods behind every section of a strong case study — research, wireframing, prototyping, and presenting your work.

View the UX/UI Designer track