Hello, it’s Aneta here 👋 This is issue #03 of UX Design Express and today we’re talking about

Describing problems in your UX portfolio

A big part of designing is figuring out what exactly needs fixing. Many designers struggle to get it right. As a result, they don’t explain the problems they're tackling properly in their portfolios. But should designers even talk about problems in their UX portfolios?

What’s the challenge with problems in UX portfolios?

After reviewing 300+ UX portfolios, I found that designers often struggle to explain problems. Despite their passion for problem-solving, they forget to showcase this ability, which is expected from us as designers.

Common portfolio mistakes with framing problems

• Too much focus on a solution

• Too generic (no facts and details)

• Zero user and business perspective

• Too many problems listed

As a result, readers don’t understand how the solution addresses the problem. They miss the "AHA moments", where they grasp, "This is how you've solved this problem." Without it, judging the solution's effectiveness is harder. But is this the only way to spark "AHA moments," and is it even necessary?

The main elements of a typical UX case study structure are as follows:

Yet, many designers don’t follow this structure in their portfolios and still get jobs. How do they do it?

In this newsletter, I’m diving into that exact problem that many of us designers have when deciding on presenting problems in our UX portfolios.

I’ll share with you how I decide what to include in my case studies and how I talk about problems in real and not ideal UX projects.

Let’s dive in 🐬

01. Decide what to talk about

You know the typical design process: double diamond, design thinking, and all that. But reality check - most projects don't quite fit this strict framework. More often than not, projects are different.

• The project was sunsetted → Showing your impact is unrealistic

• Not the right problem defined → Talking about the what/why is hard

• Just a school project → The impact and the biz POV is missing

1.1 - If we talk about the project that has it all

The relevant outputs and outcomes, you can build the AHA moments easily.

1. You know the problem - WHAT/WHY

2. You did some action steps - HOW

3. You created a good-looking solution - WOW

4. Solution implemented so there’s an impact (positive or not) - still WOW

1.2 - If you worked on a school project

You can forget about showing the real impact (WOW) and business perspective (WHAT/WHY). Defining the user problem (WHAT/WHY) can be tough if you're still learning. Weak visual skills can make your portfolio less appealing (WOW).

In the worst-case scenario, your portfolio might end up like those cookie-cutter ones we often see - just listing tasks with poor visuals. Nothing fancy

The easiest is to prioritise visuals - they make a strong first impression due to attractiveness bias. While they may not deliver a big "AHA" moment, they do the job. Judging and mastering visual skills is simpler than grasping the "WHAT/WHY" and impact (WOW), which rely on other factors.

Talking about the "WHAT/WHY" though can be powerful, especially for typical T-shaped UX designers. Understanding the famous “WHY” shows our problem-solving skills and intentionality.

BUT

• No one says where we should show it - in a portfolio or maybe a case study presentation

• For visual designers, it might not be as important

• For UX researchers, it might be crucial

Overall, it’s up to you. You decide.

I believe that showing problems (WHAT/WHY) can make your UX portfolio stronger 🏆💎💃🤩

You don’t need to make huge paragraphs discussing problems and sharing research artefacts. I believe that in a short and sweet format, there’s power. Highlighting the WHAT/WHY behind your solution can skyrocket your story.

So let’s talk problems! 👇

02. Customise the problem narrative to your project context

What kinds of UX projects can we identify? Examples below

• Project types, e.g.

  • Redesign

  • New feature

  • New product

• Project context, e.g.

  • Outcome-oriented

  • Countless problems

  • Feature factory

  • Quick-fix

  • School-style

  and more

2.1 - Outcome-oriented 💎

The top-choice project is outcome-oriented, making its story more compelling. These projects often have clear goals and metrics. If you implement them, you'll have solid metrics to showcase in your case study.

We can aim for ideal scenarios where we understand user and business problems clearly. While there are various ways to describe UX problems, here's my preferred framework 👇

1. Observation → JTBD users struggle with

   e.g. Support team gets X tickets daily about clients not being able to pay for their orders

2. True problem → why users can’t finish their JTBD

   e.g. Because they can’t find their favourite payment method in the checkout

3. Problem impact → consequence of the problem on business and users

   e.g. Business is losing X$ in revenue, the support team is overloaded while users get frustrated and abandon their baskets

4. Desired outcome → business and user needs

   e.g. Decrease of support tickets by X%, increase of revenue by X%, decrease of abandoned baskets by X%

2.2 - Countless problems 😱

Project with lots of UX problems and maybe other issues like setting up design processes. It frequently lacks clear goals and metrics, leading to missing details.

• Evaluate the problems you solved

• Pick the most impactful problem

• Ensure you have relevant artefacts for a "WOW" effect

• Frame clear and short description

  • Use vivid language and contextual images

  • OR Describe the problem in concrete bullet points

• Highlight problem areas in a product screenshot (for redesign)

2.3 - Feature factory ⚙️

Project full of feature requests, without any user research. Often based on opinions, unclear user problems and goals. Tricky to discuss problems

• Discover the hypotheses behind the feature requests

• Tell the story backwards (hypothesis-driven design)

  • Talk about the problem hypothesis

  • Then show the solution hypothesis

• Include a business perspective and talk about your impact

2.4 - Quick-fix 🚀

Usually less impactful and better suited for juniors. They often focus on visual enhancements rather than holistic improvements.

• Evaluate what you know about the problem

  • Try to frame a problem with both user and biz perspective

  • OR Describe the hypothesis behind the quick fix

• If you talk about the hypothesis, use hypothesis-driven design

• Include a business perspective and talk about your impact

• Highlight problem areas in a product screenshot (for redesign)

2.5 - School-style 🔠

School projects, from bootcamps to universities, differ mainly in detail. University projects often include more research, while bootcamp case studies aim to teach UX skills quickly. However, both lack real-world setups.

• Talk about the problem from a broader perspective

  • Consider environmental/social problems

  • Link this with a user problem

• Consider creating graphics to showcase the problem

• Highlight problem areas in a product screenshot (for redesign)

03. Present problems in a readable and juicy way

Juicy resources 🧃

Problems in UX portfolios

• Watch this video to see more examples from other designers on presenting problems in UX portfolios

• If you are short on details in your UX project, check out the Iceberg technique by Hemingway to keep your stories more minimalistic

• Read about the Open Loops technique on how to make your stories more gripping

Problems in UX projects

• Check out this Figma technique on how to write problem statements

• Read about another framework for shaping problems from Notion here

• NNG has also its own method for it. Check it out here

• Don’t forget to check this post to understand the difference between fake and real problem statements

That's it for today!

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I've been totally into this newsletter called UX Design Express. It's all about making your own UX portfolio. It's packed with useful and realistic tips, always with interesting research nuggets. Best part? It doesn't cost a penny! Come on, join me and sign up right over here!

I’m back in two Fridays with another edition of UX Design Express 👋

Keep designing ✨
Aneta Kmiecik