Creating a Career Development Plan

I used to think my portfolio had to impress other designers. So I filled it with sleek mockups, polished animations, and endless case studies. It looked beautiful...But it didn’t land me clients. Why? Because clients don’t hire you for aesthetics. They hire you for outcomes. 🚫 Too many portfolios still look like it’s 2015: → Pretty mockups → Trendy layouts → 10-second Behance loops But here’s the hard truth: Clients don’t care how cool it looks. They care what it does. 💡 Ask yourself: → Does my portfolio solve real business problems? → Am I showing results or just visuals? → Is it written for clients or for other creatives? What actually works in 2025: ✅ Highlight before/after results (data if possible) ✅ Explain your thinking, not just your tools ✅ Tailor your portfolio to your ideal client, not your peers Because great design isn’t just about craft It’s about clarity, strategy, and trust. ✨ Your portfolio shouldn’t be a gallery. It should be a sales tool. One that shows the value you bring, not just the vibe. 💬 Got a portfolio tip that worked for you? Drop it in the comments, let’s help each other grow. 📌 Save this if you’re about to redesign yours. It’s not about looking good. It’s about landing the right kind of work.

After reviewing 100s of design portfolios, I can boldly say I’ve seen so many amazing designs… ‘People dey design’!! But wait… that’s exactly what makes design the second best thing, right after problem-solving… walk with me. Businesses make money by solving problems, which means they’re always on the lookout for solutions that can address their customers' needs. Now, here’s where design comes into play: I’m not here to tell you that “design isn’t just about making things look good; it’s about creating solutions that work”… we already know that. I’ll only add to that fact… Design is about understanding the problem at its core and crafting a user experience that effectively addresses that problem. But here’s the catch—great design only becomes valuable when it’s aligned with the right problem or solving a problem in an intelligent way. 👉 Now, let’s relate this to your portfolio! It’s not enough to have a portfolio full of beautiful screens and sleek interfaces. What truly sets a designer apart is their ability to demonstrate how their designs solve real-world problems. So, while those impressive visuals are great, what businesses (and potentially.. hiring managers) really want to see is the thinking behind them. How did you arrive at that design? What unique problem were you solving? What impact did your design have on the user and the business? If you want to stand out, focus on how your work addresses both user pain points and meets business goals. Show that you’re not just a designer, but a strategic thinker who can contribute to the overall success of a project. At the end of the day, the designs that truly matter are the ones that make a difference. So next time you're working on a project or putting together your portfolio, remember to highlight not just what you’ve designed, but why and how it solves a problem. That’s what will catch the eye of employers and clients alike. See you in the future! Samuel Lasisi #linkedin #ui #uxui

We had 100+ P&C solutions running at Nubank. Nobody had a complete view of what they all were, what problem each one was solving, or whether any of them were still working. The P&C Portfolio was built to solve that — not just for visibility, but for the discipline to make investment decisions with the same rigor we apply to any product. Today: 100 solutions mapped across the full employee journey. Every solution has an owner. Every solution has a metric. Every quarter, every solution has to justify its place in the portfolio. The hardest part wasn't building it. It was choosing the right metrics — not the easiest ones to track. Survey scores and training completion rates are proxies. The real shift was committing, from day one, to how we'd actually measure impact. When we started, only 26% of solutions had a key metric genuinely connected to the problem they were solving. After three months: 89%. We also deprecated 5 solutions — not because they were broken, but because the portfolio forced an honest conversation about real impact. And we found something we weren't looking for: white spaces and overlaps. Where we were over-investing. Where nothing existed at all. A portfolio isn't a reporting tool. It's a strategic management tool designed with a product mindset. When you can see every solution side by side — the problem it solves, the metric it owns, the gap it leaves — you stop managing initiatives and start designing a system. That's the real shift the product mindset brings to P&C: not better tracking, but better architecture. You can't reinvent what you can't see. And you can't make intentional decisions about the future of People & Culture — especially as AI reshapes every workflow — without first having a complete view of what you're building and the measurable outcomes you aim to achieve The portfolio is how we made P&C a real product discipline. Not a metaphor. What would your People team design differently if it could see the whole system at once?

Mid-senior engineers: Your performance review is not an evaluation. It is a negotiation. And most engineers walk in unprepared to negotiate. I have coached engineers through hundreds of review cycles. The ones who walk out with promotions, raises, and expanded scope do not work harder than everyone else. They prepare differently. Here is the difference: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 Most engineers list what they did. High performers show what changed because of what they did. Weak: "Built a recommendation engine using collaborative filtering." Strong: "Reduced load time by 40%, unblocking the Q3 release and saving two weeks of engineering time." One sounds like execution. The other sounds like leadership. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Not your busiest moments. Your highest-impact ones. These become the anchor points of every performance conversation you will have. Your manager remembers what you remind them of. You get to choose what that is. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯. 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 Every engineer has development areas. The question is who frames them first. Weak: Being told "you need to improve your cross-functional communication." Strong: "I have been intentionally building my cross-functional communication skills this quarter, and here is what I have done." One puts you on the defensive. The other puts you in control. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 A performance review is not a report card. It is your best opportunity to shape the conversation about your next level. Engineers who arrive with a clear ask get considered for it. Engineers who wait to be offered it rarely are. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱. 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 One page. Impact, strongest moments, growth areas, and your ask. Send it to your manager before the meeting. This forces the conversation to start from your framing, not theirs. The engineers who control the narrative going in almost always walk out with a better outcome. The engineers who get promoted are not always the ones who did the most. They are the ones who made sure the right people knew exactly what they did. Save this before your next review cycle. If you are preparing for a promotion conversation and want to make sure you walk in ready, message me.

Most portfolios are pretty, polished and predictable. But the ones that actually get attention? They do things differently, on purpose. After reviewing hundreds of junior UX portfolios, I’ve noticed a pattern. It’s not about having more projects. It’s about how you present the ones you already have. Here are 4 portfolio secrets I wish more juniors knew: 1️⃣ Your intro isn't about you, it's about what makes you memorable Everyone starts with “Hi I’m ___, a passionate UX designer who loves solving problems…” But recruiters aren’t looking for passion, they’re looking for clarity. Make your intro scannable, specific, and tied to the value you bring. 2️⃣ Your case study should tell why you made choices, not just what you did Process is important, but insight is what makes it stick. Explain what surprised you, what changed your mind, or how your thinking evolved. 3️⃣ You don’t need more projects, you need more personality Don’t wait until the end to show who you are. Sprinkle your POV, interests, and voice throughout. Even a section like “How I Work” or “My Favorite Design Problem” can help you stand out. 4️⃣ Good visuals won’t save a confusing narrative Yes, make it pretty. But clarity > cleverness. A clean layout that helps someone skim and get it will always win over a flashy one that’s hard to follow. If this unlocked something, let me know which one you’re working on first.

Too many designers still build portfolios like it’s 2015. Pretty screens. Trendy mockups. No context. That used to work. It doesn’t anymore. Today’s portfolios need clarity, not just aesthetics. Strategy, not just style. Outcomes, not just interfaces. Hiring managers don’t want eye candy. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸. They’re not guessing what you 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 do. They’re looking for proof of how you think, how you solve, and how you make decisions under real constraints. Show how you think, not just what you made. Talk about the problem, your process, your role, the tradeoffs, and the results. That’s what separates a designer from a decorator. (𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘐-𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦!) Your portfolio isn’t a museum of your favorite work. It’s a business pitch. Treat it like that! Tell the story of how you create value. Clearly, confidently, and fast. ✌️ ↓ Here’s a comparison between bad portfolios and good ones. P.S. Share your favorite portfolio tip in the comments. Let's help the design community grow!

Plenty of portfolios are good. A few really stand out. Most just don’t leave a lasting impression. They blur together. Not because the work isn’t good, but because it doesn’t tell a story. Same structure. Same tone. Same safe ideas. No clear point of view. No story. Just a list of projects trying to tick boxes. Your portfolio shouldn’t just show what you’ve done. It should show what you believe, how you think and where you’re going. Building a standout portfolio is hard work. You’ve already started. Now shape it with intent. Start with a strong structure for each project. Set the scene, the challenge and how did your idea solve it? Make it clear, fast. Nail the idea in a single, strong image or slide. Draw people in. What makes it original? Lead with that. Show it holds up. Prove the idea works in gnarly situations, not just the best-case one. Show it flex. Demonstrate how the idea works in new or unexpected contexts. Make it matter. Why does this connect with the people it’s for? Show what’s next. Could it grow? Evolve? Where could it go? Keep it tight. Cut anything that doesn’t help. Less, but better. Name it well. A strong name for ideas gives character and makes it sticky. Be honest. Lead with work you believe in. End with something clear. Finish each project with a simple insight. Why it mattered. What changed. What you learned. Each project tells its own story. Now connect them. Your portfolio should guide people through your work clearly and intentionally. Use everyday language. Not design terms. Would someone outside your industry understand it? Don’t just show final results. Show how you got there. Let people see your process, your thinking and your contribution. If the work made an impact, show that too. Be clear about collaboration. What was your role? What did you bring? Get the basics right. Make sure your site is fast, easy to navigate and works well on mobile. No broken links. No confusing formats. No distractions from the work. If time’s been tight, prioritise what matters most. Create the kind of work you want to be hired for. Work that shows your intent, not just your output. If you haven’t made the kind of work you love yet, start now. Don’t wait for permission. Make it yourself. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours. Remember, your portfolio is a work in progress. Keep refining it as you grow. Look at what others are doing. Spot what works and what fades into the background. Learn from both. Then find your own approach. What would make someone choose you? Be honest about what you’re showing and proud of what you choose to share. That’s your real brief. 🤝

"Your portfolio is beautiful. That's why you're not getting hired." These were my exact words to Mia, a talented designer who had applied to 27 jobs with zero callbacks. She was stunned. Then curious. 60 minutes later, we completely transformed her approach. Within 2 weeks, she had 4 interview requests. After coaching thousands of designers globally, I've identified a critical pattern: The most aesthetically beautiful portfolios often get the fewest responses 🙌 (especially if they lack depth) Here's what we changed in just 60 minutes: ↳ Replaced her artistic homepage with an elevator pitch focus. Hiring managers don't hire for visuals alone → Hero heading articulated her background, unique skill, goal etc → Removed fluffy "Hi I'm Mia, Product Designer from NYC who creates delightful experiences" ↳ Restructured case studies to lead with business challenges, not design deliverables → Moved "the pretty stuff" to the middle of each case study but made sure it made sense → Sprinkled soft skills throughout and highlighted critical/pivotal moments ↳ Added quantifiable outcomes to every project → "Increased conversion by 34%" speaks louder than "created a clean, intuitive interface." → Added hypothetical metrics or WHAT she would measure (and how) for projects she had no control of ↳ Eliminated ~40% of her content, especially large chunks of text in case studies and slide decks → Used descriptive, contextual headings and subheadings for 'scannability' → "Reducing shopping friction for parents" sounds better than "Wireframes" ↳ Added a "My Design Process" section that revealed her strategic thinking, the invisible work behind the visuals → Then added a Design Philosophy section → Articulated her core values, principles and expectations The most revealing moment? When Mia admitted, "I've been designing my portfolio for other designers, or myself and not for hiring managers." This 60-minute shift in perspective changed everything. Six weeks later, Mia accepted an offer with a 20% salary increase from her previous role. The hiring manager specifically mentioned her "refreshingly outcome-focused portfolio" as what set her apart. Your portfolio isn't an art gallery. It's a strategic tool to demonstrate how you solve business problems through design. What's one change you could make to your portfolio in the next 60 minutes? ----- Share below, and I'll give you specific feedback. 👇 #careers #ux #tech #design

In the past few months, I’ve reviewed over 400 design portfolios while seeking to fill a mid-level design position (2-3 years of experience). More than 90% of these portfolios didn’t pass the screening process. One striking observation was that around 75% of all portfolios looked the same. If your portfolio resembles a basic template, you’re doing something wrong. Don’t get me wrong, perfect portfolios don’t exist, and I’m definitely not saying you should go overboard. However, hiring managers are reviewing many portfolios at once, and standing out with a well-designed portfolio that balances UX with a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing UI will definitely grab the hiring manager’s attention and win you more time. Top Mistakes: 1. Using the Same Design Process for All Projects: • If you have a one-size-fits-all design process, it indicates inexperience. Every project has different needs, requirements, constraints, and challenges. I want to see the challenges you’ve faced in the design process, what methods you chose to overcome a particular challenge, and why you chose that method. 2. Not Connecting Business Goals/Needs to Your Solutions: • Once I open one of your case studies, I want to see what problem you are solving and how it will help the business. Clearly linking your design solutions to business objectives demonstrates a deeper understanding of the impact of your work. 3. Not Enough Exploration: • Most portfolios I reviewed didn’t show enough solution exploration. They usually display only the chosen solution. I want to know which other solutions you considered, why you chose a particular solution over the others, and how you determined this was the best solution. 4. Too Much Clutter in Case Studies: • One of the greatest challenges in designing your portfolio is deciding how much detail to include in your case studies. Too much detail can overwhelm users (hiring managers), causing them to not finish reading your case study, which lowers your chances of getting an interview. Too little detail results in incomplete stories, which also lowers your chances. Focusing on the bigger picture and ensuring your case study is easily scannable is crucial. Make sure a user can scan and understand your case study within 30 seconds. Final Advice: There’s so much advice out there about this subject. If I have to leave you with one thing from this post, it would be to treat your portfolio as a real product design project and understand your audience really well. A well-crafted portfolio that effectively communicates your design process, challenges, and solutions can significantly enhance your chances of standing out to hiring managers.”