Portfolio Strategy for Designers
Justine Montgomery
Design Systems Specialist · Prev. Stripe
Build a portfolio that helps you get hired
Great designers miss out on opportunities because their portfolios don't make it clear what they're good at, where they fit, or why they should be interviewed.
Portfolio Strategy for Designers teaches you how to build your portfolio backwards from the role you want. You'll learn how hiring teams evaluate portfolios, decode job descriptions, identify the strongest evidence in your experience and turn it into compelling portfolio storieseven when your work is under NDA.
This isn't a portfolio makeover. It's a practical strategy for deciding what your portfolio needs to prove and how to prove it.
What you’ll learn
Learn how hiring teams evaluate portfolios, then use that knowledge to position yours.
Know what recruiters, hiring managers and designers need to see.
Decode job descriptions into clear signals your portfolio needs to prove.
Identify the strengths and experience that make you a strong fit.
Choose, reframe and prioritise projects based on the roles you’re targeting.
Build stories around the decisions hiring teams actually care about.
Show your thinking, trade-offs and impact, not just your process.
Show confidential work without revealing what you can’t share.
Prove your contribution without relying on polished visuals or perfect metrics.
Structure your portfolio so your value is clear quickly.
Make intentional choices about content, layout and motion instead of adding them for aesthetics.
Learn directly from Justine
See all products from Justine Montgomery
Who this course is for
Product designers building or improving their portfolio
Designers applying for jobs but struggling to get interviews
Designers transitioning into a new role or specialisation
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Justine Montgomery in a real-time, interactive format.
Live portfolio critique and feedback
Apply what you’ve learned, then get direct feedback on your portfolio and what to improve.
Portfolio + case study checklist
Check what to include, what to remove and what hiring teams need to find quickly.
Job description breakdown framework
Turn the roles you want into a clear list of skills and evidence your portfolio needs to show.
Design interview playbook
Know what to expect from recruiter calls, portfolio reviews, design exercises and team interviews.
Maven Guarantee
Your purchase is backed by the Maven Guarantee.
Course syllabus
Week 1
Sep
21
🧭 Session 1: Build your portfolio strategy
Sep
23
🔎 Session 2: Turn your work into evidence
Week 2
Sep
28
👀 Session 3: Portfolio critique and feedback
Schedule
Live sessions
3 hrs
Two 90-minute live workshops to build your portfolio strategy.
Mon, Sep 21
4:00 PM—5:30 PM (UTC)
Wed, Sep 23
4:00 PM—5:30 PM (UTC)
Mon, Sep 28
4:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
Apply it
2-3 hrs
Use the frameworks and checklists to improve your portfolio between sessions.
Get feedback
1 hr
Come back for a live portfolio critique and feedback session.
Frequently asked questions
Maven for Teams
Reimbursement
Get your company to pay
Everything L&D needs: email template, receipts, and certificate of completion.
Get reimbursedTeam discount
Learn with your teammates
Save 20%+ when 2 or more teammates enroll in the same cohort.
Save 20%+ with a teamPrivate cohort
Run a cohort for your org
A dedicated cohort with a custom schedule and curriculum, tailored to your team.
Book a private cohort€249
EUR