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UX Portfolio Review Checklist

This UX portfolio review checklist is for product and UX designers getting a portfolio ready to send. Work through 31 checks in 6 groups, from first impression and case study structure to impact and basics. You get a score, the must haves still missing, and a to-do list of what to fix first.

How do you review a UX portfolio?

Look at it the way a busy reader would. Can they tell who you are and what you do from the homepage, and can they skim each case study for the problem, your role, your decisions and the result? Then fix the basics: working links, fast pages, easy contact details and no typos.

Check what your portfolio already does well

Start with the items marked Must have. Your ticks are saved in this browser only.

Example: a junior designer's first pass

Maya is a fictional junior product designer with three case studies. Here is what she ticked on her first pass and what the checklist told her to fix.

What Maya ticked

First impression
4 of 5. Not yet: 3 to 5 projects shown in depth
Case study structure
4 of 5. Not yet: a short summary at the top
Process and thinking
3 of 5. Not yet: a trade-off, and how the design changed
Visuals
3 of 5. Not yet: captions, and no unexplained wireframes
Impact and results
2 of 5. Not yet: results, what she learned, whether it shipped
Basics
4 of 6. Not yet: fast pages, and shared passwords

What the checklist showed

Score: 65% done, 10 of 13 must haves Good start. Fix the 3 must haves below first. Fix these first: - Case study structure: There is a short summary at the top for people who only skim - Impact and results: Each project ends with results, with numbers where you have them - Basics: Pages load in a few seconds, with images compressed

Fictional example. Your score depends on what you tick.

How to use the portfolio checklist

  1. Open your portfolio

    Keep your site open in another tab so you can check each item against what is really there.

  2. Tick what it already does

    Work through the 6 groups, from the first impression down to links, speed and typos.

  3. Fix the must haves first

    Start with the list under Fix these first, then copy or download the full to-do list.

Questions people ask

What should a UX case study include?

The problem and why it mattered, your role and the team, the key decisions and why you made them, and the result. Add a short summary at the top for people who skim.

How many projects should a UX portfolio have?

This checklist suggests 3 to 5 projects shown in depth, with your strongest first. A few detailed case studies show more of your thinking than a long grid of thumbnails.

What if I do not have numbers to show impact?

Share what you do have: user quotes, test findings, what happened after launch or what the team learned. The checklist counts that as a result too.

Who can review my portfolio?

Design mentors on ADPList review portfolios in 1:1 sessions, and booking a mentor on ADPList is free. Go through this checklist first so the session can focus on harder questions.

Is my progress saved?

Yes. Your ticks are saved in this browser only, and Start over clears them. We only record anonymous usage events, like how many checks are done.

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Mentors on ADPList

Get your portfolio reviewed by mentors in design

These mentors on ADPList work in design. Pick one, book a 1:1 session and walk them through your case studies.

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