In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick review and fix a real portfolio from a junior designer who is struggling to land interviews. You will see exactly what is holding him back and the specific changes that turn a forgettable portfolio into one that gets you hired.

They break down whether a Figma file can replace a traditional portfolio, the layout and writing issues that silently disqualify junior designers, and why UI alone is not enough to get hired.

You will learn how to present your work, what hiring managers actually look for, and the simplest changes that instantly make any portfolio feel senior.

If you are rewriting your case studies for the fifth time and still getting ignored, this is the most practical episode you will watch all year.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Fixing a real UX portfolio and the mistakes that sabotage it
🔸 Is a Figma prototype enough or do you need a website?
🔸 The UI spacing mistakes that expose beginners instantly
🔸 How to present your designs so reviewers do not skip your context
🔸 Why your case study language sounds weak and how to fix it
🔸 Using grids, copy, and real data to make work look professional
🔸 The difference between showing screens and showing thinking
🔸 Why lorem ipsum portfolios get rejected before conversations even start

Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In Part 2 of our UX Portfolio Episodes, Tyler and Nick go one step deeper. They break down portfolio strategy, case study structure, personal branding, and whether junior designers should create free work to build real experience (or not).

This episode explores what separates forgettable portfolios from the ones that open doors. Tyler and Nick find out how to niche yourself when you don’t have experience, how to craft a “business impact” narrative even as a beginner, and the psychology behind great case study titles. They also share how to use video to stand out, how to collect testimonials early, and why your portfolio should be built iteratively instead of in one giant, painful launch.

They finish with a conversation about free projects: the myths, the risks, the benefits, and how to use them strategically to build real case studies that don’t feel fake or bootcamp-manufactured.

This episode gives you a clear roadmap forward if you're stuck rewriting your portfolio for the 5th time, unsure what to niche into, or struggling to show credibility without job experience.

Here is what’s on the table in Part 2:
🔸 Should junior designers do free work? (And how to do it strategically)
🔸 Fake projects vs. real projects — what recruiters think
🔸 How to niche yourself when you have zero experience
🔸 Case study storytelling that signals senior-level thinking
🔸 How to build a “testimonial bank” early in your career
🔸 Why your portfolio should launch at version 0.5, not 1.0
🔸 How video intros & thank-you pages convert better than text
🔸 Showing how you think, not just what you designed
🔸 Aligning your entire personal brand under one clear message

📢 Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
👉 https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

👋 More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld

In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick discuss the one thing every product designer struggles with the most: creating a portfolio that actually gets interviews, callbacks, and job offers.

Most designers ship portfolios that read like academic essays. They're too long, too vague, too generic, and way too similar to everyone else’s. Even great designers get ignored because their hero section, titles, and case studies fail to communicate what hiring managers actually care about.

Tyler and Nick walk through why portfolios miss the mark, how recruiters skim your site (in less than 2 minutes), and the step-by-step structure of a high-conversion portfolio. Everything comes by from your H1 to your footer.

They also cover niching vs. generalizing, how to stand out in a crowded market, what your case study titles really need to say, and how to communicate business impact without sounding like a template (and everyone else).

If you’re a junior designer, in a bootcamp, applying for your first product job, or rebuilding your portfolio after months of ghosting… this episode will save you weeks of trial and error, frustration, and burn out.

Here is what’s on the table in Part 1:
🔸 Why most UX portfolios are way too long (and what to cut)
🔸 The hero section formula that gets you interviews
🔸 How hiring managers actually scan portfolios
🔸 Why generic “I’m a UX designer” intros kill your chances
🔸 Positioning yourself without locking into one industry
🔸 How to write case study titles that show business impact
🔸 Treating your homepage like a sales page
🔸 Using social proof & storytelling to stand out
🔸 Why messaging must be consistent across your entire brand

📢 Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
👉 https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe

👋 More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld