Confused with your Product Designer portfolio? Your Compass to the Shortlist.

Your portfolio as a product designer is basically a comprehensive showcase of your design skills, experiences, expertise & design philosophy. It's a visual presentation of your design journey, whatever you made for your career; highlighting key projects, challenges you’ve taken and outcomes. ?This article is about how a short listed product designer portfolio may look.

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1.??? Clear concept on UI/UX Fundamentals

2.??? Case Studies:

3.??? Visual Design

4.??? User Research

5.??? Market Research?

6.??? Prototyping Tools

7.??? IELTS / Language fluency level

8.??? Testimonials

9.??? Basic coding knowledge

10. Attention to Detail

1. Clear concept on UI/UX Fundamentals

This refers to a thorough understanding of the foundational principles of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. Which stays at the core. Including a good knowledge of_

1. Usability & accessibility
2. Information architecture
3. Visual design principles
4. Prototyping

A product designer with the clearest concept of UI/UX ensures designs that are intuitive & user-centric.

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2. Case Studies

Your portfolios as a product designer should include detailed case studies that showcase the depth of your work, the entire process from start to finish.

Each case study talks about_

1. Your initial research
2. The problems you identified
3. Your design process
4. Your proposed solution and the outcomes.

?Be sure to articulate your role in the project and how you collaborated with others. The case studies should demonstrate your ability to think critically and solve user-centric design challenges.

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3. Visual Design

Your portfolio is a reflection of your design capabilities. It should outline your proficiency in_

1. Aesthetics
2. Typography
3. Colour Theory
4. Layout Composition
5. Consistency
6. Responsive Design
7. Accessibility

It ensures your commitment to quality and excellence in your work, instilling confidence in your abilities as a designer.

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4. User Research

Why we suggest to focus on this??To understand_

1. The behaviours
2. Needs
3. Preferences?

The primary goal is to gain the deepest insights of user behaviour and preferences informing the design process to create user centeric solutions that meet the needs.

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5.?Market Research?

Why we mention again and again about this??Market research is a key component of a Product Designer's portfolio as it highlights their market understanding, user-centric design approach, outlines the capabilities of taking challenges, strategic decision-making skills, competitive advantage and ability to drive business impact through design.

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6. Prototyping Tools

When you prototype a design it gives more real vibe to the users. They get to know a more precise view of how the design’s gonna work, if it’s really going to meet the needs. This way, prototyping tools are too essential. ?Outline your skills on it while preparing your portfolio.

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7. IELTS / Language fluency level

As a product designer, you must communicate with various clients, need to talk more and more to get the specific need, to know the pain point etc.?clients won’t talk from a designer or product designer perspective. So this is gonna take long. And these conversations should go smooth, language shouldn’t be the barrier. So mentioning your IELTS or language fluency level makes the client feel comfortable.

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8. Testimonials

While going through your portfolio, at a point people expects testimonials. Wants to know from the clients about the collaborations. So make sure you outline them with utmost transparency.

They’ll love to know that your talents are not just recognized but celebrated.

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9. Basic coding knowledge

Basic coding knowledge works as a bridge that connects design with development. It helps in_

1. Prototype Implementation
2. Collaboration with Developers
3. Iterative Design Process
4. Customisation and Experimentation
5. Understanding Design Constraints
6. Portfolio Enhancement

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?10. Attention to Detail

Not every designer has that attention. So outline carefully as it conveys_

1. Clarity and Focus
2. Quality Over Quantity
3. Visual Impact
4. Efficient Communication
5. Adaptability

And trust me, clients love to have these.

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There are so many portfolios out there. You need to know how to stand out from the crowd. It’s not like these points are all; You need to personalise.?Also, there are some other things to keep in mind.

Feel free to explore. The more you research, explore, the more perfections you make to your portfolio.