What a UX portfolio is judged on
Hiring managers rarely care about pixels alone. They look for how you think: how you framed a problem, what you learned from users, what you decided and why, and what changed as a result. Three to five strong case studies beat a gallery of screens.
Five case studies worth building
| Case study | What it shows | How to build it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Redesign an everyday flow | Heuristic evaluation and problem framing | Pick a booking or bill-payment flow, document the problems, redesign it and test with five people |
| 2. A research-led case | User research and synthesis | Run interviews, build an affinity map, write insights and show how each shaped the design |
| 3. A data-informed case | Using evidence and visual communication | Redesign a dashboard or report so the main insight is obvious, and show before and after |
| 4. An accessibility case | Inclusive design | Audit a screen for contrast, labels, focus order and keyboard use, then fix and retest |
| 5. An end-to-end feature | Process from problem to validated prototype | Take one feature from brief to prototype to usability test to iteration |
A structure for every case study
- Problem: who the users are and what was going wrong
- Your role: exactly what you did, especially on team projects
- Process: methods used and why
- Key decisions: two or three choices with the reasoning and the alternatives you rejected
- Outcome: what improved, how you know, and what you would do next
Mistakes that weaken portfolios
- Showing only final screens with no process
- Hiding the unglamorous parts — research and testing — that employers want to see
- Claiming credit for a team's work
- Too many shallow projects
- No clear link between your story and the roles you apply for
Where structured learning helps
The e-Postgraduate Diploma in Interaction Design from the IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, includes courses that map to these cases: Design of Interactive Products with a course project, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods in Design, and Data Visualization. The next course to start is Data Visualization on 9 January 2027. See the full programme guide.
Related: data visualization skills and product management career guide.
Moving into UX design?
Talk to an advisor about design programmes and eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many case studies should a UX portfolio have?
Three to five well-told case studies are usually better than a long list of shallow ones.
Do I need real clients to build a portfolio?
No. Self-initiated redesigns and research projects work if you show genuine process, user input and testing.
How should I show team projects?
State your exact role and contributions, and be clear about what others did.
Which skills should the portfolio highlight?
Research, problem framing, interaction design, evidence-based decisions and communication.