or… How to Make Your UX/Dev Portfolio Stand Out
Let’s be real—people don’t read. And when it comes to your UX or development portfolio, that’s even more true. Hiring managers and recruiters are sifting through 20-30 portfolios, each with multiple case studies. They don’t have time to read paragraphs of text.
So what does this mean for you? Keep it concise. More images, less text. But that doesn’t mean cutting all the text—what you write should focus on high-level insights rather than unnecessary details.
Good text focuses on key takeaways:
- “User testing revealed that 80% of participants struggled to complete checkout due to unclear button hierarchy.”
- “A competitive analysis showed that most budget travel apps lacked real-time currency conversion, creating an opportunity to differentiate.”
Avoid unnecessary details:
- “We conducted five user interviews, two rounds of usability testing, and built three prototypes.” → (No need to list the process unless there’s an insight attached!)
Every case study should follow the same format, so once someone reviews one, they know exactly where to find the info in the rest. Think of it like UX for your UX portfolio—don’t make them think (thanks, Steve Krug).
For UX Designers
A Simple UX Case Study Format
Use this structure to keep things clean, scannable, and easy to digest.
Product Name
Description: One sentence defining the product and its purpose.
Image: Show a beautiful hero image of the final UI
Problem Statement
- Why did this project need to happen? “It was a class project” is NOT the answer. Instead, define the problem in terms of:
- User pain points: “Freelancers struggle to track payments from multiple clients, leading to missed invoices and cash flow issues.”
- Business goals: “The company wanted to reduce abandoned carts by 15% through a streamlined checkout process.”
- Market gaps: “Research showed no existing apps offered both pet tracking and vet appointment scheduling in one interface.”
My Role / The Team
- What did you do?
- Was it a solo or team project?
- How big was the team?
- Did you own specific deliverables or collaborate?
Target Audience
- Who are the users?
- What are their pain points?
- Use data from surveys, interviews, and personas.
Research
- Competitive analysis, affinity maps, empathy maps, journey maps—what were the key insights?
Design & Prototyping
- Show UI sketches, wireframes, prototypes, and microinteractions.
- Use Figma embeds, animated GIFs, or videos—make it visual!
Usability Testing
- Did you pivot based on testing?
- Where did you refine the design or user flow?
Results & Outcomes
- What happened?
- Were the goals achieved?
- What lessons did you learn?
For Developers
A Simple Development Case Study Format
While case studies aren’t as common in the development world, they’re gaining traction. Having one in your portfolio will put you ahead of the competition. Here’s how to structure it:
Title: Product Name
Description: One sentence defining the product and the service it provides to the user.
Links to LIVE SITE & GITHUB REPO
Problem Statement
- Why did this project need to happen? Avoid “it was a class project.” Instead, define the problem in terms of:
- User pain points: “E-commerce store owners needed a way to bulk edit product listings without exporting spreadsheets.”
- Business goals: “The company wanted to reduce server costs by optimizing database queries.”
- Technical challenges: “The existing API response time was too slow for real-time applications, requiring optimization.”
My Role
- What did you do?
- Was it a team or solo project?
- Who else worked on it?
- How big was the team?
- Did you own your deliverables or collaborate?
Technologies
- What tech stack did you use?
- List programming languages, frameworks, repositories, bug tracking tools, and any specialized hardware (IoT, etc.).
- If there was a reason for choosing specific tech, explain it briefly.
Process
- How did development work?
- Were you handed Figma or Zeppelin files?
- Did you design the UI yourself?
- How did you manage the handoff?
Results & Outcomes
- What was the final result?
- Did the project meet its goals?
- Any key lessons learned?
Make It About YOU
For class projects, you’ll write a general case study that explains the project. But for your portfolio, rewrite it to highlight your contributions. If you’re a UX designer, emphasize your UX work and minimize the dev side. If your portfolio has the same generic case study as other candidates, hiring managers will ignore all of them.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a UX designer or developer, the goal is the same: make it easy for people to understand your work, fast. Hiring managers don’t have time to hunt for details, so keep it clean, structured, and visual.
Your future employer will thank you.