Portfolios can produce significant CO2 impacts, revealing sustainability trade-offs in how work is presented and hosted. Portfolio expectations have become stricter, and superficial teasers that once secured interviews no longer suffice. Hiring managers prioritize demonstrable, detailed case studies and concrete outcomes over claims or NDA excuses. Empty or NDA-limited portfolios frequently trigger immediate rejection, especially when competing with many designers who show clear UI and product competencies. Candidates must present transparent work, thorough details, and measurable results to earn interview consideration and stand out in a more competitive design hiring landscape.
As someone who recently worked partially in the sustainability industry, I was pretty upset to find out that my portfolio was emitting a hecklot of CO2. But that was just the tip of the iceberg of why I decided to dive into the portfolio topic again, years after I wrote an extensive guide on designing better portfolios. Tldr? Standards have changed. And I think it's time you knew about it.
Hiring managers don't care about your NDAs Are you a design professional with lots of years of experience, but you can't show it because of ongoing NDAs? Empty portfolios will immediately send you to the rejection line. How did I know? I made this exact mistake with my initial applications a month prior. Teasing worked in 2023 where surface-level skills are good enough to get you an interview, because back then UI-weak designers were aplenty.
Now, you have extremely competent designers flanking you with both competencies. Details matter to hiring managers, so give it to them.
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