I joined Reaktor as one of our first visual designers in 2010 and got involved in recruitment immediately. That means I’ve been reviewing designer applications for longer than basically anyone else here. It’s given me an opportunity to see a lot of different portfolios come through this place.
As a fellow designer, I get it. Your work is like your children and choosing what to include in your portfolio and how to talk about it can be daunting. The goal of this post is to give you an inside look at how we go about reviewing your work. Hopefully it will clear up any questions you have of how to put it together and lead to an even better product — which is good for us and for you.
Why the portfolio is the last thing I look at
When I open an application, I start by looking at the cover letter. We technically don’t require it, but I always say it’s a good idea to send one. It gives me a quick understanding of who you are and why you’re applying. It also lets me know if you’ve targeted Reaktor specifically, or if you’re casting a wide net on a lot of companies. Then, I browse through the CV or resumé to see where you’ve been and what you’ve done.
Finally, I go to the portfolio. By this time, I have an idea of whether you seem like a good fit for the position you’re looking at. But the portfolio is the first true validation of the craft. Obviously, you can say whatever you want in the cover letter and claim lots of things in your CV. But the real proof comes in seeing your work. If the quality isn’t there, I can tell within 10 seconds of opening it (honest but true). The point is, it’s really hard to fake a portfolio. And it’s very, very rare for us to move along an applicant who has what seems to be a stellar CV and a great cover letter if their portfolio is subpar. So take the time to create something you’re proud of.
You shouldn’t always show what’s sexy
When I’ve put together my own portfolio, I’ve dealt with this myself. There’s always a desire to highlight only projects that
1.) were for a big brand
2.) just look amazing
I would recommend you resist that urge. Here’s why.
Big clients are a great way to establish credibility, and of course that’s good to see. But some designers think a portfolio that’s basically a glorified logo wall speaks for itself. It doesn’t. Find a way to do more than just attach yourself to well-known names. And don’t be afraid to highlight a project for an obscure client.
If you’re a visual designer, then of course aesthetics are a high priority. But if you’re a UX, UI, concept, or generalist designer, then there needs to be more to it than that. Your work has to solve problems. And if your really beautiful design didn’t execute on that, well, then it probably shouldn’t be in your portfolio.
What I would suggest instead is to be bold. Include something that isn’t very exciting — at least at first glance. Just make sure you explain what is sexy about the project. That brings us to our next point.
Go beneath the surface
Too often when designers talk about their work, they focus on the tools they used and the steps they took. “First we did user research, then we moved into workshops with stakeholders, then we created a prototype based on that feedback.” You’re really just describing the process. That tells me nothing.
I want to know your mindset as you were approaching the project. How did you do it? Did you have some clarifications at one point that made you readjust, or did you ever hit a roadblock and it turned into a learning that helped you going forward? Break it down into different sections. Take me on the journey of what you went through to get to the end product. You could even include some screenshots of Figma or whatever tool you used on the project. That’s an ideal way to show how you work.
The reason this is so helpful is because Reaktor views designers and their role differently than many other places. There are some companies that give you a ticket and say something like, “add this feature to the product,” and you’re just supposed to go and do that. That’s not Reaktor. We want you to think on an abstract level, because we want to make sure we’re solving the correct problem for the client. Depending on your role or seniority level, we expect you to ask how it will affect things — not just for the end user, but regarding data, business goals, processes within the organization, and more. All of those answers should then be incorporated into how you design that one feature. So when we’re looking at your portfolio, we want to see that you have that kind of inquisitive spirit.
Showcasing your design is — or should be — a window into your creative mind and how it works. If your portfolio reveals that, then you’re already a step above the rest.
View your portfolio as a design project
By that, I don’t mean make it look good. As a designer, that’s a given. What I mean is approach it using the same kind of process. Consider the job description like a design brief. The role and the responsibilities are much like the goals and scope. Think of Reaktor — and more specifically, a recruiter like me — as the end user. What are my needs? How should you present the information to me in a way that best meets the goals?
Don’t order the case examples based on what got the most likes on Behance or Dribble. Be more deliberate than that. Since Reaktor is a digital tech company, I’m always going to do a quick scan to see if there are any examples of work you’ve done with software development. If there are, that’s what I’ll look at first.
Now, I’m not naïve. I know portfolios take a long time to put together, and tailoring them each time for a specific position is tough. But if you’re really going for your dream job, then it’s probably worth the effort.
Leave Out the Latin
If there’s something I see fairly often that’s a bit of a red flag, it’s having lorem ipsum everywhere. I think it’s really important to use real data. Some people do that when they’re trying to include projects that have a non-disclosure agreement. Sure you can try hiding the revealing details, but sometimes that just makes the example hard to understand. If possible, try to find examples that you can present as-is. And if you have some exceptional case that demands lorem ipsum, we can talk about it.
Quick Tips
Online portfolios are preferred, but PDFs are okay.
We spend about 5 minutes reviewing a portfolio, so don’t go on and on. Each case should be no more than 8 pages, and preferably less.
Try to update your portfolio annually. You should include at least one project from the current year if possible.
The Standout Stars
A few portfolios I won’t forget are ones where the applicant built a custom website by writing their own HTML and CSS. I’ve probably only seen five of these over the years, but they really stand out. It really shows their talent goes beyond design and into development, which is awesome since that’s our industry. Plus, it’s a way for us to see their design in use, which is always helpful. Is this necessary? Of course not. But a big round of applause if you do!
