Quick note from me
I see designers stressing over templates, trying to copy what worked for someone else. But the portfolios that stick are the ones that feel intentional, not borrowed.
These 5 are all different. One is a classic junior portfolio with a few bold moves. One throws the rulebook out entirely. One has a single case study and nothing else. Each one works for a different reason.
That is the point. The format is not the answer. Knowing why you made each choice is.
Story outline
Portfolio 01: Make your portfolio frictionless to scroll through
Portfolio 02: Use portfolio format as your positioning statement
Portfolio 03: One deep case study beats five shallow ones
Portfolio 04: A concise portfolio is more convincing than an overwritten
Portfolio 05: Your visual style can show your personality
🫶 Together with Mobbin
Craft matters more now than ever
Figma's latest report named visual design the top skill for designers. That's not a coincidence. We're being flooded with generic, AI-generated sites and apps, which is exactly why we need more exposure for work that's actually good. It's on us as designers to show the world what quality looks like.
That's why I'm excited about the Mobbin Awards, their first-ever design award celebrating craftsmanship across iOS, Web, Sites, Animation, and Innovation. Judges picked the nominees, and now the community votes for the winners.
I went through the nominees and here are some of my favourites:
Suno - love the song remixing concept and a brand style that feels genuinely crafted
Phantom Studio - their site delivers this immersive experience that just pulls you in
PamPam - customisable maps that make my architecture and travel soul so happy
Voting is open and winners are announced this month.
01 - Junior Portfolio
Make your portfolio frictionless to scroll through
Classic portfolio, typical case study structure, but with a few memorable moments that make it stick. Perfect for anyone targeting full-time roles.
Steal these things:
Add a custom hero section with a project thumbnail interaction - To shorten recruiters path to see your work
Record your prototypes - To make it easy for recruiters to understand your full concept
Write short sentences, use simple words, no UX jargon - To make your written story scannable and clear
Include a story about user testing that proves your assumptions wrong - To surprise recruiter with your self-awareness and maturity
Portfolio: calebwu.ca
02 - Design Engineer Portfolio
Use portfolio format as your positioning statement
Most candidates tell you what they can do. Evangeline shows it. The homepage is a retro TV with CD cases as project navigation. She built it herself. Before reading a single case study, you already know her design technical and design skills.
That is what format as positioning looks like. Every detail, from the layout to the case study formats to the shipped AI experiments, says the same thing: the format proves her positioning.
Steal these things:
Build your own portfolio format - To show recruiter that you can design and ship end-to-end experience in your style
Ship experiments publicly, not just client work - To show recruiters that you are learning by shipping
Use own, dedicated case study formats (live product link, product video walkthrough, public article) - To show your critical thinking
Get testimonials from engineers and PMs - It shows you have impact beyond design
Portfolio: evangeline.design
03 - Senior Portfolio
One deep case study beats five shallow ones
Bradley goes deep with one project and shows range with the rest. This one case study shows everything a senior IC needs to prove: ambiguous problem, systemic thinking, end-to-end ownership, business impact.
Steal these things:
Pick one complex, ambiguous problem as your lead case study - It proves you can handle work that has no obvious answer
Map the problem before showing the solution - It proves you understood the system, not just the interface
Show what you decided and why at each stage - It proves you drove the work, not just executed it
Make abstract problems visual and easy to follow - It shows you can communicate abstract work clearly
Portfolio: bradleyziffer.com/Amazon
04 - Snapshot Portfolio
A concise portfolio is more convincing than an overwritten
Yihui's portfolio has no long case studies. Just current work, clear positioning, and a site that feels like the product itself. Every element earns its place. No noise, just selected signals. One per topic, one per skill. That takes confidence.
Steal these things:
Design your portfolio like a product - It serves as a work sample too, giving additional proof of your design skills
Write a short, honest intro in your own voice - It shows personality and self-awareness without needing a full about page
Show only recent, relevant work and passion projects - It proves your skills are up to date and demonstrates initiative without creating noise
Use one recorded prototype per project - It saves space and recruiter time, communicating everything that matters
In a project snapshot, include only what you want recruiters to notice - Yihui credits collaborators, which shows humility
Portfolio: yihui.work
05 - Human Portfolio
Your visual style can show your personality
Jackie's portfolio doesn't open with a job title or a list of skills. It opens with a design belief and hand-drawn illustrations. Before you read a single case study, you know exactly who this person is. That's the point.
Steal these things:
Lead with a design belief instead of a job title - It shows your personality through words before recruiter can see your work
Use a visual metaphor that reflects how you think - Jackie's notebook and doodles show a curious, human, detail-obsessed designer
Add illustrations, textures, or hand-crafted elements - They show taste and personality in a way templates or AI never can
Add a surprise interaction - Jackie's checklist reveals drawings when boxes are ticked, showing personality and interaction craft at the same time
Portfolio: jackiezhang.co.za
🫶 Together with Framer
Create a more realistic portfolio experience with Flow Effect in Framer
I used to build my portfolio in PDF. Deck after deck. It worked, but what Framer offers today is totally different. We no longer talk about hover effects or some AI-generated layouts. We talk about natural flows and transitions. Realistic experiences.
A few ways to use it in your portfolio website:
Filter by work type - Animate between project categories without a full page reload
Navigation transitions - Portfolio sections feel like one connected experience
Case study reveals - Let recruiters expand into process steps and iterations inline
If your portfolio relies on showing how you think, not just what you made, this is worth trying.
Ready to build your portfolio on Framer? Start today
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Keep designing ✨
Aneta
