Choosing the work I'm truly proud of was more important to me than simply sharing lovely screenshots in my new design portfolio on plahotya.com. Every case study had to have a purpose for ux/ui portfolio, a visual story, and an existence, so I approached it as a design project in and of itself. That kind of project didn't work out, if I had to do it over.

Guidance of w

That became my guiding principle: if I'm proud of the work, if I'd like to do it again, or if I want to take on a more challenging task, then it goes in. If not, I omit it regardless of the client's size or how much time I spent on it. In addition to showcasing your past work, your portfolio should also showcase the type of work you hope to do in the future.

Don't include any work that seems disposable, such as projects you're not sure about, that don't evoke strong feelings, or that aren't clear, in-depth, or intentional. A serious portfolio shouldn't contain flat, disorganized, or archaic images/projects that don't tell a compelling story or have any impact. If you can't stand behind it with assurance, it's better to leave it out. Your portfolio should be a carefully constructed representation of your abilities, preferences, and direction, not a repository for all your work.

Consider a simple banner or a dummy landing page created for the NonameGarageCompany. It probably isn't a case study on its own. However, if that banner was a component of a more comprehensive, well-organized project — let's say you carried out user research, created a scalable design system, translated that into 26 size formats for 16 monthly campaigns, and backed up your efforts with actual performance data and A/B testing — then we're talking. It is now a strategic design solution with a process, structure, and quantifiable results rather than "just a banner." Work that shows how you think, not just what you created, is the kind of work that is worthy of being displayed.