Designing a Portfolio for Top Recruiters

Designing a Portfolio for Top Recruiters

Designing a Portfolio for Top Recruiters

Crafting a high-impact portfolio that aligns with recruiter and hiring manager expectations

User Feedback

3 peers

interviewed

Competitive Analysis

20+ top-tier

design leader portfolios

Efficiency

60%

By using Framer

Problem Statement & Context

As a Senior Product Design Manager, I needed a portfolio that effectively communicates both individual contributor (IC) design expertise and leadership impact.

Balancing IC and Leadership Work: Traditional design portfolios focus on visual/UI case studies, but my work includes strategy, behavioral analytics, and UX management, requiring a different approach.

Scalability & Efficiency Challenges: A portfolio should be easy to update, with a structured CMS that allows for quick additions of new case studies and insights.

Competitive Differentiation: The site had to stand out among other product designers and design managers at top-tier companies.

Design Principles

Competitive Analysis: Researched industry best practices, reviewing portfolios of top design leaders at companies like Microsoft, Atlassian, and Meta.

Strategic Positioning: Defined how to best frame case studies to highlight both design thinking and leadership impact.

Cross-Disciplinary Integration: Ensured the portfolio effectively communicates business impact, strategic influence, and UX expertise.

Technical

Platform Evaluation: Compared Framer, Webflow, WordPress, and other tools for ease of use, flexibility, and maintainability.

Information Architecture & UX Writing: Structured sections, navigation, and content hierarchy to align with recruiter and hiring manager expectations.

Solutions

Defined a Clear Narrative & Content Structure:

  • Identified key sections—case studies, leadership philosophy, process, skills & tools—ensuring a compelling story.

  • Prioritized scannability for recruiters while deep-diving into impact for hiring managers.

Selected the Right Platform for Efficiency & Scalability:

  • Chose Framer for its no-code flexibility, speed, and ability to create a structured CMS.

  • Optimized for easy maintenance and quick case study updates.

Optimized for Hiring Manager & Recruiter Experience:

  • Ensured case studies balance visual design, strategy, and measurable impact.

  • Built an engaging, structured landing page that funnels visitors toward relevant content.

Implemented SEO & Performance Best Practices:

  • Applied structured metadata, page speed optimization, and accessibility refinements to increase visibility.

  • Enabled analytics tracking to understand engagement and visitor behavior.

Solutions

Defined a Clear Narrative & Content Structure:

  • Identified key sections—case studies, leadership philosophy, process, skills & tools—ensuring a compelling story.

  • Prioritized scannability for recruiters while deep-diving into impact for hiring managers.

Selected the Right Platform for Efficiency & Scalability:

  • Chose Framer for its no-code flexibility, speed, and ability to create a structured CMS.

  • Optimized for easy maintenance and quick case study updates.

Optimized for Hiring Manager & Recruiter Experience:

  • Ensured case studies balance visual design, strategy, and measurable impact.

  • Built an engaging, structured landing page that funnels visitors toward relevant content.

Implemented SEO & Performance Best Practices:

  • Applied structured metadata, page speed optimization, and accessibility refinements to increase visibility.

  • Enabled analytics tracking to understand engagement and visitor behavior.

How I got there: Design Strategy

Research-Driven Approach:

  • Interviewed peers, mentors, and recruiters to identify what decision-makers look for in a Senior Product Design Manager portfolio.

  • Conducted competitive analysis of top design leader portfolios to understand industry standards.

User-Centered Information Architecture:

  • Designed navigation around hiring flow expectations, ensuring an intuitive, guided journey.

  • Structured content to separate IC work from leadership impact, making both easily discoverable.

Iterative Prototyping & Testing:

  • Created interactive wireframes and tested layouts with design peers and hiring professionals.

  • Ensured the final design balances engagement, storytelling, and functional efficiency.

Scalable Content System:

  • Built a CMS-friendly setup for quick case study additions and minimal manual updates.

  • Ensured that text and images are easily editable without breaking design consistency.

Behavioral Analytics Integration:

  • Implemented tracking tools to monitor recruiter interactions and hiring engagement patterns.

  • Used data insights to refine call-to-action placement and content hierarchy.


How I got there: Design Strategy

Research-Driven Approach:

  • Interviewed peers, mentors, and recruiters to identify what decision-makers look for in a Senior Product Design Manager portfolio.

  • Conducted competitive analysis of top design leader portfolios to understand industry standards.

User-Centered Information Architecture:

  • Designed navigation around hiring flow expectations, ensuring an intuitive, guided journey.

  • Structured content to separate IC work from leadership impact, making both easily discoverable.

Iterative Prototyping & Testing:

  • Created interactive wireframes and tested layouts with design peers and hiring professionals.

  • Ensured the final design balances engagement, storytelling, and functional efficiency.

Scalable Content System:

  • Built a CMS-friendly setup for quick case study additions and minimal manual updates.

  • Ensured that text and images are easily editable without breaking design consistency.

Behavioral Analytics Integration:

  • Implemented tracking tools to monitor recruiter interactions and hiring engagement patterns.

  • Used data insights to refine call-to-action placement and content hierarchy.


Initial Results

Optimized for Hiring Managers & Recruiters

  • Simplified content navigation, reducing friction in accessing key work examples.

  • Ensured a clear differentiation between design execution and leadership contributions.

Efficiency & Scalability Gains

  • Quick case study updates without redesigning entire pages, ensuring ongoing portfolio relevance.

  • Reduced need for manual maintenance through a structured CMS framework.

Initial Results

Optimized for Hiring Managers & Recruiters

  • Simplified content navigation, reducing friction in accessing key work examples.

  • Ensured a clear differentiation between design execution and leadership contributions.

Efficiency & Scalability Gains

  • Quick case study updates without redesigning entire pages, ensuring ongoing portfolio relevance.

  • Reduced need for manual maintenance through a structured CMS framework.

Iterative Loop

🚀 This portfolio is not just a showcase—it's a product. Iterative improvements will continue driving engagement, clarity, and strategic positioning.

Iterative Loop

🚀 This portfolio is not just a showcase—it's a product. Iterative improvements will continue driving engagement, clarity, and strategic positioning.