Tips for Creating a UX Design Portfolio: How to Stand Out and Avoid Common Mistakes

Ah, the UX design job market, where everyone’s looking for the next design genius who can whip up a stunning interface overnight, anticipate user needs before they exist, and have an uncanny understanding of future design trends, all while spinning in seamless flow and eye-catching creativity. No big deal, right? 

While job postings can seem overwhelming, the reality isn’t as daunting. 

“Most employers realize they aren’t going to get everything on their wish list,” said Donna Sandsmark, Manager of Oracle/NetSuite Consulting and an instructor with the UC San Diego Divison of Extended Studies User Experience (UX) Design program. “What they really want is a candidate who combines critical thinking skills with visual aesthetics, and knows how to design more for the end user than themselves. This gives the employer confidence that the candidate can quickly learn the rest from there.” 

A key way to showcase these talents to hiring managers is through your portfolio.

Building a strong UX design portfolio is essential in today’s competitive market. It’s how you showcase your skills, tell your story, and convince employers you’re the one to get the job done. 

Yet knowing how to build a UX design portfolio that truly stands out can be challenging. 

We asked Sandsmark to share her top tips for creating an impactful portfolio that sets you apart from the crowd.

1. The Vision: Define Your Career Path

Any good project starts with a vision, and the same applies to building a UX design portfolio. In this case, the vision is the career path you want for yourself. 

“You can’t get a job if you don’t know what job you want,” said Sandsmark. 

Too often, designers apply for every UX role that appears, thinking a wide net will catch more opportunities. Yet without a targeted approach, you risk applying to jobs that aren’t the right fit, leading to a lot of rejection and frustration.

Start by defining your career goals. Are you drawn to product design, UX research, or interaction design? Do you want to work at a startup, a large corporation, or an agency? 

“Once you have a clear picture of the roles you’re aiming for, research job descriptions to understand the skills and qualifications employers are seeking and align your portfolio content to reflect these needs,” advised Sandsmark. 

This focused approach positions you as a designer with a clear skillset and career vision—both highly desirable to employers.

2. The Craft: Curate the Portfolio to Match the Positions

Now that you have a general portfolio targeted toward certain roles, the next step is to refine it for each specific position. Knowing what to include in a UX design portfolio is key to making sure it resonates with hiring managers and reflects the skills they’re seeking.

“The first piece a hiring manager sees in your portfolio should clearly demonstrate that you’re qualified for the role, otherwise they’re going to move on,” said Sandsmark. “Your portfolio isn’t just a gallery of your work. It’s a curated subset designed to sell you for the job.”

If you’re applying for a UX research role, your top case study should highlight your research skills. If you’re targeting product design, lead with projects that showcase your design thinking and prototyping abilities. 

Additional selections in your portfolio can highlight other skills and talents, but the most important aptitudes for the specific job you’re applying for need to always be up front. 

3. The Story: Using Narrative to Connect

Storytelling is a powerful tool in your portfolio. A compelling UX design portfolio example doesn’t just show work; it tells the story of specific projects and your journey as a designer.

“People connect with stories, not bullet points,” Sandsmark emphasized. 

One story to include in your UX design portfolio might be a case study that walks the viewer through a project’s full arc: identifying the problem, conducting research, overcoming obstacles, and the impact of your design.

Your portfolio should also reflect the broader narrative of your career—highlighting challenges you’ve faced, lessons learned, and the evolution of your problem-solving and creative skills.

This approach not only demonstrates your skills but also helps the hiring manager envision how your unique insights and innovations can benefit their team.

4. The Showcase: Presenting with Confidence and Professionalism

Presenting your work confidently and professionally is crucial. The key to doing this is to use assertive language that positions you as someone ready to contribute immediately. 

“Confident language isn’t about exaggerating your role; it’s about framing your contributions assertively,” said Sandsmark. “Hiring managers want to see that you believe in your skills. It shows you are ready to hit the ground running.”

Instead of saying, “I helped improve the app’s usability,” say, “I redesigned the app’s interface, resulting in a 30% increase in user engagement.”

Instead of, “I contributed to the creation of a new feature,” try “I developed and launched a new feature that streamlined the user experience, reducing task completion time by 40%.” 

This assertive language highlights your direct impact and positions you as a more active contributor.

5. The Experience: UX Your Own Portfolio

An important (and oft-neglected) opportunity to showcase your UX design skills is in the design of the portfolio itself. 

“Your portfolio is the ultimate demonstration of your skills,” said Sandsmark. “The design of your portfolio itself is crucial.”

Think of the hiring manager as your end user. Build a user experience that is smooth, visually appealing, and easy to navigate, all while showcasing your skills and guiding them to the most important content. 

“If all you do is offer a list of your projects and leave the hiring manager to figure out the rest, you’ve essentially failed the test,” added Sandsmark.

6. The Community: Network to Expand Your Reach

The last big mistake many job seekers make is relying solely on online job postings to find their next position. 

“These days job seekers need to take a hybrid approach to their search that includes networking, professional connections, and leveraging your portfolio in the right circles,” said Sandsmark. “If all you do is apply to online job postings, you're automatically competing against 100 other designers, making it much harder to stand out.”

Attend meetups, get involved in UX design communities, and connect with industry professionals online. These activities help get your work in front of the right people and open doors that a résumé alone cannot. 

“Employers prefer hiring candidates who come recommended or that they already have a connection with,” said Sandsmark. “Expanding your professional network is just as important as refining your portfolio in this regard.”

Learn and Explore More

If you’re looking to upgrade your work or add more skills to your UX design portfolio, the UC San Diego Extended Studies User Experience (UX) Design program offers classes on every aspect of UX design.

For more information about the User Experience (UX) Design Certificate program, please watch the student Information Session video, or enroll in the free comprehensive Informational Overview. If you have additional questions, email unex-digital@ucsd.edu.