UX portfolio review checklist: free download.
Self-review your portfolio before sending it to hiring managers. Work through each section honestly. A strong UX portfolio is evidence that you think clearly, involve real users, and make design decisions you can defend. Created by Natalia Veretenyk, Lead Instructor at UX Academy.
Before you hit send.
Case study structure
Each case study starts with the problem, not the solution
Hiring managers want to know what you were trying to solve, not what you made.
Your specific role and contributions are clear
If it was a team project, state what you did. "We designed" hides your contribution.
The design process is visible
Show research, ideation, and iteration -- not just final screens.
Design decisions have stated rationale
Explain why you chose this direction, not just what you built.
There is a measurable or observable outcome
What changed? User behaviour, task completion rate, business metric, or stakeholder decision.
Written clarity
You avoid vague language
"I improved the user experience" says nothing. Name what specifically changed and how you know.
The writing is first-person singular
"I conducted" not "we conducted" -- unless you are explicitly sharing credit.
Each case study can be read in 5 minutes
Hiring managers spend 2-5 minutes on each portfolio. Cut ruthlessly.
No spelling or grammar errors
Read each case study out loud before publishing.
Visuals and presentation
Final designs are shown at high resolution
Blurry or pixelated screens suggest carelessness.
Process artefacts are included
Research notes, sketches, wireframes, or journey maps -- whatever you actually made.
Annotations explain the designs
Do not expect hiring managers to infer why design choices were made from screens alone.
The portfolio loads quickly
Squash images. A slow portfolio loses candidates before anyone reads a word.
Overall portfolio
2-4 case studies, not more
Two strong case studies outperform eight shallow ones. Quality beats volume.
About section is present
Who you are, where you are based, what kind of work you are looking for.
Contact details are easy to find
An email address. Not a form that may break.
Links to live work or prototypes where possible
Interactive work always outperforms static screenshots when available.
About UX portfolios.
What should a UX portfolio include?
A UX portfolio should include 2-4 case studies that each show a clear problem, your specific role, your design process, the decisions you made and why, and a measurable or observable outcome. Add a short about section, contact details, and links to any live work or prototypes.
How many case studies should a UX portfolio have?
Two to four case studies is the right range for most early-career UX designers. Two strong, well-documented case studies will outperform eight shallow ones. Quality and depth of reasoning matter far more than volume.
What do hiring managers look for in a UX portfolio?
Hiring managers look for evidence that you can identify a real problem, structure your thinking, involve users, make design decisions with clear rationale, and communicate your process. They want to understand how you think, not just see polished final screens.
What are common UX portfolio mistakes?
Common mistakes include showing only final designs with no process, using vague language such as "I improved the user experience", hiding individual contribution in group projects, missing measurable outcomes, and making the portfolio hard to navigate or slow to load.
“My background in psychology gave me an interest in human behaviour, but I needed practical tools. The course provided structure, methods, and real-world application to turn that interest into a career.”
Get feedback on your portfolio from instructors.
UX Academy students receive live portfolio reviews from instructors throughout the course, not at the end. Start with the free masterclass. Cohort 1 starts 5 September 2026.