What hiring managers look for in a product design portfolio
Structure your case studies and move fast with this handy template.
Design portfolios can feel like never ending work. Sometimes we avoid the effort altogether in favor of “research”. We go online, we look at other designer portfolios and maybe even get a little intimidated by some of the work out there. Can my portfolio be just as good?
Other times we dive right into design, skipping the important writing process altogether. Or we agonize about the content so much that we write a book only to discover nobody wants to read it online.
A solid portfolio can be hard to pull off. In this article I’ll show you what a hiring manager looks for in a portfolio, mistakes to avoid, and how you can use folio (a free portfolio deck that I’ve created) to structure your case studies.
From a portfolio site to a portfolio deck
Years ago I found myself on the job market with a portfolio 3 years out of date. I agonized for weeks trying to build that one “perfect” site that WOWs and pops. I went to coffee shops, design events lugging my laptop pushing those pixels to portfolio perfection.
The irony? I never built it. The work remains in Sketch to this day.
What did help me was creating an interim Keynote deck. I considered it my backup portfolio, something to tide me over until I get the “real” site done. But to my surprise, the deck worked wonders. I soon realized this is my real portfolio as it helped me land many phone screens which quickly turned into onsite interviews.
Now I’m sharing out my improved version of this deck (folio) to help you get started and focus on the things a hiring manager cares about. It’s completely free and available on Keynote, Sketch, plus Figma.
So site or deck, which one should I use?
Now it might seem antithetical to use a deck in place of a site — so if you already have a site or feel like you can quickly update it, go for it. If creating a site comes with a steep learning curve — use the deck.
It will help you get your MVP portfolio out faster while iterating on it based on the feedback. You can always transition it to a site later.
Getting the right content and getting the content right is the hardest part.
Address these things in your portfolio
So what do managers look for?
Experience. Based on your prior work I’ll be able to get an idea of your level and evaluate your projects accordingly. I look at size and scope of projects. Did you initiate projects or were you mostly an order taker? Did you ship major projects across multiple quarters and teams? Let your resume and portfolio complement each other and tell a consistent story.
Expertise and strengths. No product designer is the same—everyone has different strengths and areas of interest when it comes to the design process. What are you strengths? Where do you shine? This is your competitive advantage that sets you apart.
Craft and output. To get the phone interview your online portfolio must do the talking for you. Feature your best (likely recent) projects that show a breadth and depth of your skills. Show work that you’re proud of—cut out projects that don’t do justice to what you’re capable of doing now.
Process. I’m interested in your problem solving skills. How do you approach your work? Do you have a process in place? Do you follow it too rigidly? What part of the process comes easy and which part is exciting?
Portfolio writing principles
When it comes to writing your portfolio case study—imagine creating a magazine article.
Your reader finds herself in a busy airport browsing through the newsstand. An interesting cover catches her attention, she quickly flips through the magazine pages. She finds an appealing story and when she pauses to read it in detail she discovers the content to be well-written and informative thus making the overall experience rewarding.
Let’s see how we can apply this to a portfolio.
1. About you — set context with experience
In design — context is everything. For a portfolio to be successful, you’ll have to set context starting with yourself. What’s your background? Who are you? What’s your superpower? This is an opportunity to highlight role relevant skills and any transferable expertise.
An extension of your resume
Think of your portfolio as an extension of your resume (or your LinkedIn). I’d like to understand your career path—where have you been and where are you going? The reality is that there are no clear paths or linear progressions. Circumstances change, companies go under, we get laid off. It happens.
Don’t lose this opportunity to tell your side of the story. How did you end up where you’re currently at? Why would would you be a great addition to the team? Everyone has a unique story to tell.
Add a personal touch (optional)
If you can—add a personal touch. In a sea of application it’s inadvertently easy to become just another designer. Bring your whole self and highlight relevant hobbies and fun facts that make you look at design differently.
2. Setting up your work
Setting up work properly can make or break a portfolio. Think of using progressive disclosure to gradually reveal information starting with the company, to your role, to project, to project details.
2.1 Company or team
If you worked at small company it helps to describe what the company did. Often times smaller companies don’t have the luxury of brand recognition but that’s ok. Summarizing what the company did in a few sentences is all it takes.
Alternatively if you did work at a larger company (e.g. Facebook) you can specify your department or team and their area of expertise.
Continue reading an updated and refreshed version of this article to learn more about what hiring managers look for and how you can organize your portfolio to stand out from the crowd.
Land Your Dream Design Job is a comprehensive book about landing a product design role in a startup, agency, or tech company. It covers the entire design interview process from beginning to end, and will arm you with techniques and strategies to navigate the (at times) turbulent waters of job searching with confidence. This book will help guide you to a role that plays to your strengths while providing enough support for professional growth.
You’ll learn:
- What skills are expected of designers
- How to demonstrate those skills throughout the job search process
- How to identify your next opportunity
- How to target your job search process to stand out
- How to build a stand-out portfolio and tailor it to your dream opportunity
- The ins and outs out of various design interview types from portfolio presentations, whiteboard challenges, app critiques, to take home design exercises and many others.
You’ll also find in-depth advice on how to apply beyond the job boards, and how to conduct due diligence, negotiate compensation, and accelerate onboarding to your new role.
