Hey there! I’m Raika, a Lead UX and Conversation Designer at Amazon. If you’re new here, welcome! You can subscribe to my Secrets to Great UX Design newsletter for actionable ways to create great experiences, grow your career and more… for designers and non-designers.
I did this to make my design portfolio stand out
As we all know, distilling a big project into a clear and compelling case study is a labor of love. But one of the biggest mistakes I’ve been seeing designers make during portfolio reviews lately is spending too much time explaining the product instead of focusing on their process and impact.
Yes, the interviewers need to understand the space. But when interviewing for a role, I want to use my limited time to demonstrate:
How I think
What my process looks like
Where I best contribute
So I’m very explicit about my impact. Clearly communicating my impact is the difference between “I’m not sure what she actually did” and “we need to hire her.”
Here’s a quick example:
Before:
“We redesigned the onboarding flows and updated the IA.”
After:
“I reduced onboarding drop-off by 18% by simplifying decision points and clarifying value on the first screen.”
The secret formula:
Outcome → Evidence → What I did that caused it
The impact of my role can also be much broader. So, here are 8 ways I show my impact clearly, credibly, and confidently depending on the project:
1. Use numbers (even if I don’t have perfect data)
I don’t need perfect metrics to show impact. I can use:
% improvements (conversion, errors reduced, task time)
Increases in qualitative signals (usability scores, NPS themes, customer comments)
Internal KPIs (support tickets down, completion rate up, calls shorter)
Behavioral shifts (“customers adopted feature X 3x more after redesign”)
If I truly have zero metrics, I use a “Result Summary” with inferred impact:
“Enabled the team to launch a testable V1 within four weeks, accelerating time-to-market.”
2. Connect my decisions to business or user value
This shows that I’m not just pushing pixels.
Examples:
“Improved clarity resulting in fewer support escalations.”
“Faster setup and more trial conversions.”
“Smarter defaults resulting in higher trust and fewer errors.”
“Simplified the conversation model, which increased intent recognition accuracy.”
Tie design → behavior → value.
3. Highlight my influence, not just my deliverables
This has become particularly important as I’ve taken on more senior roles.
I describe how I:
aligned stakeholders
unblocked engineering
facilitated and led workshops
reframed the problem
created a North Star
drove the team toward the right decisions
shaped the product strategy via research insights
4. Use “before/after” frames
People understand transformation instantly.
Before: users were confused, high drop-offs
After: clarity improved, path simplified, engagement up
My role: what I changed and why
5. Show my thinking, not just the end state
Screens alone don’t show impact.
Screens + reasoning + outcomes = senior-level storytelling.
I explain:
What the real problem was
Why the old experience failed
What constraints I worked under
How I validated decisions
What changed because of me
6. Make my metrics visual
Simple visuals go a long way. I’ll create visuals to show:
before/after charts
annotated screenshots
a timeline showing acceleration
a flow comparison showing simplification
summary cards with % changes
Hiring managers retain visuals more than paragraphs.
7. If my project is in an ambiguous or AI-heavy space
I emphasize clarity, safety, outcomes, and feasibility:
“Improved intent recognition by restructuring conversation model.”
“Reduced hallucinated actions through guardrail patterns.”
“Aligned model behavior with brand tone using prompt architecture.”
“Prototyped 0→1 AI interactions to shape product strategy.”
This also separates me from visual-only designers.
8. Add “What I learned” or “What I’d do next”
Shows maturity and self-awareness. Anticipates common questions from the interviewers. And hiring managers skim for it.
My portfolio shouldn't prove I was involved; it should clarify what changed because of my involvement.
Remember, be forthcoming about the team and your role. Always make your contributions vs the team/leadership’s clear.
Lastly, focus on telling your story. Drop the “we” and use “I” when appropriate.
Good luck!!
Favorite Quote and Photos of the Week
“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” — Jane Goodall
That’s it for today.
Thanks a ton for reading, whether this is your first or 54th time. I sincerely appreciate you. Please let me know if you have a topic you’d like me to write about. Just reply to this email; I’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
raika
I like that you invert to get the insights. Outcome → Evidence → What I did that caused it. Working backwards.