Tanvi Mehta · Mar 23, 2025 · 2 min read
Design Portfolio: A series of books
Tanvi Mehta · Mar 23, 2025 · 2 min read
Design Portfolio: A series of books
Tanvi Mehta · Mar 23, 2025 · 2 min read
Design Portfolio: A series of books
A design portfolio isn't a folder of your best work. It's a story, and you're the main character.
A design portfolio isn't a folder of your best work. It's a story, and you're the main character.
A design portfolio isn't a folder of your best work. It's a story, and you're the main character.
The textbook definition calls it "a body of work that represents you as a designer." Fine. Accurate. Also a little flat. I think of mine as a series of books. Every project is a chapter, and together they tell people who I am.
The textbook definition calls it "a body of work that represents you as a designer." Fine. Accurate. Also a little flat. I think of mine as a series of books. Every project is a chapter, and together they tell people who I am.
The textbook definition calls it "a body of work that represents you as a designer." Fine. Accurate. Also a little flat. I think of mine as a series of books. Every project is a chapter, and together they tell people who I am.
That shift changed how I built it. I stopped asking "which projects look best?" and started asking "what do they actually want to know about me?" Those are very different questions. A hiring manager with 40 portfolios to get through by Friday doesn't want a gallery. They want a reason to keep reading.
That shift changed how I built it. I stopped asking "which projects look best?" and started asking "what do they actually want to know about me?" Those are very different questions. A hiring manager with 40 portfolios to get through by Friday doesn't want a gallery. They want a reason to keep reading.
That shift changed how I built it. I stopped asking "which projects look best?" and started asking "what do they actually want to know about me?" Those are very different questions. A hiring manager with 40 portfolios to get through by Friday doesn't want a gallery. They want a reason to keep reading.
So think about how you pick a book.
So think about how you pick a book.
So think about how you pick a book.
The title. That's your landing page. It sets the tone in about five seconds, and five seconds is roughly all you get. "Hi, I'm a UX/UI Designer" blends in with every other portfolio in the pile. "I design booking flows people finish on the first try" tells me what you're good at before I scroll.
The title. That's your landing page. It sets the tone in about five seconds, and five seconds is roughly all you get. "Hi, I'm a UX/UI Designer" blends in with every other portfolio in the pile. "I design booking flows people finish on the first try" tells me what you're good at before I scroll.
The title. That's your landing page. It sets the tone in about five seconds, and five seconds is roughly all you get. "Hi, I'm a UX/UI Designer" blends in with every other portfolio in the pile. "I design booking flows people finish on the first try" tells me what you're good at before I scroll.
The author bio. Next, you check who wrote it. That's your About section. Mention where you trained, the tools you live in (Figma, Miro, Framer), and the kind of problems that get you excited, like healthcare, fintech, or messy internal tools. Keep it human. Readers connect with a voice, not a résumé.
The author bio. Next, you check who wrote it. That's your About section. Mention where you trained, the tools you live in (Figma, Miro, Framer), and the kind of problems that get you excited, like healthcare, fintech, or messy internal tools. Keep it human. Readers connect with a voice, not a résumé.
The author bio. Next, you check who wrote it. That's your About section. Mention where you trained, the tools you live in (Figma, Miro, Framer), and the kind of problems that get you excited, like healthcare, fintech, or messy internal tools. Keep it human. Readers connect with a voice, not a résumé.
The back cover. You flip the book over and read the summary. That's your project brief. It should be a teaser, not the whole plot. Something like: "Redesigned a clinic booking app for older patients who kept dropping off at the payment step." One line covering the problem, the user, and the stakes.
The back cover. You flip the book over and read the summary. That's your project brief. It should be a teaser, not the whole plot. Something like: "Redesigned a clinic booking app for older patients who kept dropping off at the payment step." One line covering the problem, the user, and the stakes.
The back cover. You flip the book over and read the summary. That's your project brief. It should be a teaser, not the whole plot. Something like: "Redesigned a clinic booking app for older patients who kept dropping off at the payment step." One line covering the problem, the user, and the stakes.
The chapters. Now the reader's hooked. Each case study walks through the story, covering the user interviews, journey maps, wireframes, and prototype rounds, and builds toward the climax: what your design actually changed. In usability testing, did 7 out of 8 users finish the task, up from 3? Did developers build your handoff without a single back-and-forth? That's your ending. Don't bury it.
The chapters. Now the reader's hooked. Each case study walks through the story, covering the user interviews, journey maps, wireframes, and prototype rounds, and builds toward the climax: what your design actually changed. In usability testing, did 7 out of 8 users finish the task, up from 3? Did developers build your handoff without a single back-and-forth? That's your ending. Don't bury it.
The chapters. Now the reader's hooked. Each case study walks through the story, covering the user interviews, journey maps, wireframes, and prototype rounds, and builds toward the climax: what your design actually changed. In usability testing, did 7 out of 8 users finish the task, up from 3? Did developers build your handoff without a single back-and-forth? That's your ending. Don't bury it.
Chapter breaks. Most people skip this part. Between phases, add a short pause that explains your thinking. Why you threw out the first set of wireframes. What the card sort changed about your navigation. Why you went with a bottom sheet instead of a new screen. These small transitions show how you design, not just what you made.
Chapter breaks. Most people skip this part. Between phases, add a short pause that explains your thinking. Why you threw out the first set of wireframes. What the card sort changed about your navigation. Why you went with a bottom sheet instead of a new screen. These small transitions show how you design, not just what you made.
Chapter breaks. Most people skip this part. Between phases, add a short pause that explains your thinking. Why you threw out the first set of wireframes. What the card sort changed about your navigation. Why you went with a bottom sheet instead of a new screen. These small transitions show how you design, not just what you made.
The epilogue. Close with what you learned and what you'd do differently. Maybe you'd test with real users earlier, or push harder for an accessibility audit. Then thank the people who helped, like your fellow designers, your mentor, and the developer who flagged the edge cases you missed. Good design is rarely solo work, and saying so reads as confidence.
The epilogue. Close with what you learned and what you'd do differently. Maybe you'd test with real users earlier, or push harder for an accessibility audit. Then thank the people who helped, like your fellow designers, your mentor, and the developer who flagged the edge cases you missed. Good design is rarely solo work, and saying so reads as confidence.
The epilogue. Close with what you learned and what you'd do differently. Maybe you'd test with real users earlier, or push harder for an accessibility audit. Then thank the people who helped, like your fellow designers, your mentor, and the developer who flagged the edge cases you missed. Good design is rarely solo work, and saying so reads as confidence.
One note on voice. I write in first person, but now and then I step back to a more outside view. First person keeps it real. The outside view keeps it professional. Use both.
One note on voice. I write in first person, but now and then I step back to a more outside view. First person keeps it real. The outside view keeps it professional. Use both.
One note on voice. I write in first person, but now and then I step back to a more outside view. First person keeps it real. The outside view keeps it professional. Use both.
Bottom line: a portfolio that just shows work gets skimmed. A portfolio that tells a story gets remembered. Build yours like a book, and give people a reason to turn the page.
Bottom line: a portfolio that just shows work gets skimmed. A portfolio that tells a story gets remembered. Build yours like a book, and give people a reason to turn the page.
Bottom line: a portfolio that just shows work gets skimmed. A portfolio that tells a story gets remembered. Build yours like a book, and give people a reason to turn the page.