Written by
Helena Dang
Earlier this year we were hiring a junior to mid-level product designer at 01 digital, and I asked people to send their portfolios straight to my DMs. I learned a lot from reading them. Mostly that the screens are rarely the problem.
Show me how you think, not just what you designed
That was the last line of my hiring post, and I meant it. Beautiful final screens are nice. But I can’t hire a screen. I hire the person who decided what goes on it.
Start with the problem
The first thing I want to know: what was broken, and for who? One or two sentences is enough. If I have to scroll past six mockups before I understand the problem, I’m already a little lost, and I’m on your side.
Show the messy middle
Sketches, the version you threw away, the test that proved you wrong. That’s where I learn how you work. A case study with zero dead ends feels like a magic trick, and I’m not hiring a magician. (Okay, I might. But not for this role.)
Tell me what changed
Numbers if you have them. If you don’t, tell me what users or the client said, or what you would measure next time. “It launched” counts too. Shipping is hard.
Small things that help a lot
- Write your role in one line. “I designed everything” makes me nervous.
- Three good case studies beat ten okay ones.
- Don’t hide your email in the footer like a secret level in a game.
The one-line version
Problem first, thinking second, screens third. Do that and you’re already ahead of most portfolios I see. Cheers!
