ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO • 6 MIN READ

📂 Portfolio anxiety? Let's solve it for good!

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Beyond UX Design's mission is to give you the tools you need to be a truly effective UX designer by diving into the soft skills they won't be teaching you in school or a boot camp. These skills are critical to your success.

Tired of stressing over your UX portfolio? This week, discover effective ways to showcase your value clearly, even if you’re buried in NDAs or complex enterprise projects.

How do you turn years of complicated UX work into a clear, concise story that hiring managers actually want to read?

A while back, I got laid off.

I had 10+ years of solid UX experience—multi-million dollar enterprise projects, strategic impact, cross-functional leadership, complex service blueprints.

But when it came time to update my portfolio? I had no idea where to begin.

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When it came time to update my portfolio, I didn't know where to start.

➡️ NDAs and export control laws blocked half my work
➡️ The rest was buried in complexity and nuance
➡️ None of it was the slick, “pretty” stuff you see on Dribbble

Add that on top of a crazy competitive market and AI throwing a wrench in how everyone builds software, I was totally lost.

I realized that being a strong designer doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at communicating that strength in a format hiring managers actually understand.

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This week, I chat with Aneta Kmiecik, a designer and educator who helps experienced UX folks make sense of their messy, complex, NDA-heavy careers, and turn them into portfolios that actually work.

We dig into things like:

⇢ How to structure work you can’t show
⇢ What to do when your projects span multiple years
⇢ Why storytelling (not visuals) is your secret weapon
⇢ And why most senior designers are overthinking it

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Portfolio Panic? Get Strateg...
May 22 · Beyond UX Design
66:20
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BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

📆 Join our live AMA on May 28th at 9am ET to ask Aneta your burning portfolio questions.

If you’ve got years of UX work but have no idea where to start… this one’s for you!


🎯 Here are some key takeaways from our chat

1️⃣ Use "project snapshots" instead of lengthy case studies: Capture essential information like the problem you solved, your approach, and the measurable outcomes in a brief, visually engaging format. This can help recruiters quickly understand your impact without overwhelming them with excessive details they may not understand.

2️⃣ Regularly document your work to reduce future stress: Maintain a simple weekly log, like a Notion document or even just screenshots and bullet points, to effortlessly track important projects. This small weekly habit can significantly decrease anxiety when updating your portfolio down the road.

3️⃣ Design your portfolio for hiring managers, not yourself: Remember, your portfolio is a business tool, not just a personal showcase. Focus on clarity, readability, and highlighting the skills hiring managers actually care about, rather than indulging in overly detailed descriptions or flashy visuals.

4️⃣ Prioritize your portfolio content strategically: Quality over quantity. Select 1-3 highly relevant projects aligned with your career goals rather than overwhelming recruiters with too many case studies. Clearly showcase projects that illustrate your ability to solve relevant problems for your target roles.

5️⃣ Choose the simplest portfolio platform that meets your needs: Don’t feel pressured into using a complicated platform or learning new tools just to keep up appearances. Whether it's a polished PDF, a straightforward Wix site, or even Notion, choose a tool you’re comfortable with that won't add unnecessary stress or delays.


You’ve got years of experience, complex projects, and a portfolio full of… question marks.

​If you’ve ever stared at your screen wondering how the hell you’re supposed to showcase a 2-year B2B service design project buried under NDAs… this live AMA is for you.

​Join me and UX portfolio coach Aneta Kmiecik for a conversation built around senior designers who feel stuck. We’ll tackle the real challenges: not enough visuals, too much complexity, or work that was scrapped before launch.

​This isn’t Portfolio 101. This is practical advice for experienced designers navigating tough constraints. Come with questions, leave with clarity.

​In this live Q&A, Aneta will answer your questions about:

  • ​Showcasing work under NDAs
  • ​Simplifying complex, multi-year projects
  • ​Highlighting research & service design work
  • ​Making a strong first impression
  • ​Presenting journey maps & systems clearly
  • ​Tailoring your portfolio for your next role

Submit your questions at beyonduxdesign.com/events and join us on May 28th at 11:30 am Eastern!


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Join 6,000+ designers improving their soft skills, weekly!

Beyond UX Design's mission is to give you the tools you need to be a truly effective UX designer by diving into the soft skills they won't be teaching you in school or a boot camp. These skills are critical to your success.