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Portfolio Design · Personal Brand

Portfolio

Designing my own portfolio as a case study in UX thinking

Role
Designer & Developer
Timeline
October 2026
Tools
Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion
Live
alexandrugurau.com

The Problem

I needed a portfolio that positions me as a Product Designer, not just a developer. The challenge: my design work lives in code, not in Figma files. How do you present code-first design decisions as UX work?

Research & Discovery

What I did

  • Reviewed 25+ UX designer portfolios from Case Study Club and Dribbble
  • Read hiring manager perspectives from Indeed Design, Nielsen Norman Group
  • Identified what makes portfolios succeed: reasoning > visuals, outcomes > process, specific role > team credit
  • Audited what’s missing from most dev-turned-designer portfolios: user research evidence, decision rationale, failure reflection

Key insight

Hiring managers spend 1–3 minutes on a portfolio. They want to see how you think, not just what you made. The “decisions” section is the most commonly skipped by candidates — and the most valued by reviewers.

Design Decisions

  1. 01

    “Designer who codes” positioning

    Decision
    Lead with design, mention code as a differentiator — not the other way around.
    Why
    If I lead with “developer,” hiring managers put me in the wrong mental bucket. “Designer who codes” signals UX-first thinking with rare implementation ability.
  2. 02

    Three deep case studies, not ten shallow ones

    Decision
    Three projects with full problem → research → decisions → outcome narratives.
    Why
    Research says portfolios are as strong as their weakest project. Three strong studies beat ten surface-level ones.
  3. 03

    Show what failed

    Decision
    Every case study includes a “what I’d do differently” section.
    Why
    Hiring managers say this is the most valuable section. It shows self-awareness, growth mindset, and honest assessment.
  4. 04

    Mobile-first, accessible

    Decision
    Design for mobile screen first, ensure WCAG AA contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, and semantic HTML.
    Why
    An inaccessible portfolio from a UX designer is an instant credibility loss.

The Solution

  • Clean, minimal portfolio with dark/light mode
  • Three detailed case studies with real outcomes
  • About page with clear positioning and downloadable CV
  • Sub-2-second load time on mobile
  • Fully accessible (WCAG AA)
  • Built with Next.js — the portfolio itself demonstrates the technical skills

Impact & Learnings

Results

  • Portfolio designed, built, and launched in one sprint
  • Every design decision documented and defensible
  • The portfolio itself is a case study in UX thinking

What I learned

  • Writing about your own design process is harder than designing for clients. You have to step outside your own perspective.
  • Constraint breeds creativity: having only three projects forced me to go deep instead of wide.
  • The meta-approach (portfolio as case study) resonated in interviews because it shows how I think, not just what I make.