A designer with 20 years of experience says portfolios should be 80% full screenshots of actual work and 20% close-ups of typography, icons, and components. Skip long case studies. Recruiters want to see the designs, not read about them.
Here's how I think about portfolio images 80% direct interface, high res screenshots straight on actual designs, easy to see, 20% detail highlights, typography, icons, components, the craft. That's it. I've been doing this for 20 years and the best portfolios I've seen. They show the work, they don't explain it to death. I know it's tempting to write really long case studies, but hiring managers want to see your designs. Stop hiding behind the case study and show your work. I'll be teaching this in depth in an upcoming portfolio workshop. To get all of the details about the workshop, visit shiftnudge.com portfolio.
