Expert guidance tells us to structure our UX design portfolios by project and to limit the number of projects to a maximum total of 3-6. Because I meet with a variety of client types, I need to have access to a variety of project samples from my work portfolio at any given moment. I’ve decided to structure my portfolio’s top level by primary skill, then secondary by project.

Over the course of a designer’s career, s/he will develop both breadth and depth in a variety of skills. Each designer is completely unique in that regard. When adding a new designer to a design team, I always recommend looking at not only their design skill, but their breadth of projects and skills. Add a designer to the team who adds a new skill mix to the team.

My skill mix is:

UX Research
UX/UI Design
Data Science
Data Visualization
Statistical Learning (incl. Machine Learning)
Quantitative Finance

These may not seem related, but they are, which I’m hoping will become apparent by the time I complete my portfolio as part of this goal journey.

For today, I’ve put together a draft site structure for my portfolio. It includes at minimum three projects per skill area, making a total of 18 minimum projects. This is not a structure I would recommend to designers just starting out, but this may prove useful to designers with decades of experience spanning across business domains or complementary skillsets.

Productivity Tip: Use the "Time-Boxed Power Hour" strategy to maximize efficiency in a fast-paced environment. Today, dedicate one uninterrupted hour—ideally early in your workday—to a high-impact task (e.g., drafting a proposal or troubleshooting a critical issue). Set a timer, silence notifications, and focus solely on that task. If interruptions arise, jot them down for later. This focused burst helps you make significant progress on a priority while building resilience against the day’s chaos.

Portfolio Structure

Copy and Voice

Atomic Portfolio