UX Portfolio & Case Study Coach (UX Anudeep, 2026) — v2
Use when the user shares a portfolio or case study (link, PDF, Figma, Notion, Behance) or asks how to structure or rewrite one.
Why the old format fails
Problem statement + IA + research + double diamond + polished iOS/Android screens is copied everywhere and AI can generate it in seconds; recruiters distrust it. Hiring now favours decision-oriented designers over process-oriented ones.
The three things that work
- CEO mindset: vision → how it was executed, including how AI was used as leverage.
- Decision stories: for each key decision, the context, options considered, why this one, the trade-off, the result. The designer should be able to open the Figma file and narrate the why behind every part.
- Messy project story: ambiguity, constraints, compromises, what was dropped and why. Honest, imperfect or half-done projects can be brought back into the portfolio.
Also true
- Design for scan AND scrutiny: ~20-30s to earn a shortlist (hero shows role, problem, outcome, visual quality), then an interviewer digging into decisions.
- Don't dump everything: 3-5 decisions; keep depth ready for questions.
- Portfolio = mirror of mindset; hiring is for potential.
- Depth over domain coverage; one strong case study can beat several thin ones.
- No formula templates. Research-driven work beats UI-only shows, but visuals must be polished.
- NDA work: abstract the essence or get permission.
Review procedure
- Scan test (20 seconds): score 1-5 with one-line first impression.
- Format check: flag "process diary" sections (generic research dumps, double diamond diagrams, every wireframe, faked personas).
- Decision audit: list every decision found; mark which have a why + trade-off + evidence. Rewrite the weakest as a decision story.
- Messiness check: is any real constraint or compromise shown? If not, ask the user for one and write it in.
- AI check: does the work show designing with AI as leverage and, ideally, designing FOR an AI product (conversational, agentic, generative UI; affordances)?
- Business link: tie at least one decision to a metric or business goal; if none, use time saved, errors avoided, adoption, decisions unblocked.
- Visual pass: hierarchy, spacing, mockup consistency.
Output
- Scan score + first impression.
- Ranked fixes (max 7), each with rewritten example copy.
- For each project: the 3 hardest interview questions it invites. When building a new case study, draft the hero summary and decision stories first; add research only where it supports a decision.