Play of the Week newsletter by Chris​ ​ ​​​​

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Newsletter issue: #168
Read time: 1m 25s

I once spent 14 hours crafting the most beautiful design resume ever made.

Interesting layout. Custom illustrations. Timeline that looked like an adventure.

You know how many interviews I got?

Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Here’s how bad it was:

Ok, stop laughing.

I was the guy at the club wearing the designer outfit, but still couldn't get past the security.

That security is called an ATS (Applicant Tracking System). The soulless machine that decides if humans ever see your application.

You: “But Chris, I'm a design unicorn! My resume shows my SKILLS!”
​Me: “The ATS doesn't give a 💩 about your design skills.”

It's like when I first moved to Vietnam and couldn't speak the language. I'd point at menu items hoping for noodles but end up with chicken feet. Your fancy resume is just pointing and hoping.

The robot only cares about:

• File format it can actually read
• Keywords that match the job description
• Text that doesn't hide behind cursive fonts

I’ve been hiring designers since 2016 and here's how to hack the system, I call it the 2-resume strategy:

1. The Robot Version: Clean, simple Word doc. No fancy stuff. Results quantified. Keywords from job description. Designed to for the system.
2. The Human Version: Your design masterpiece for after you beat the machine.

When my mentees switched to this approach? Their response rate tripled.

In my previous design teams, the ones who got hired fastest weren't the most talented, they were the ones who knew when NOT to design.

Your resume's one job isn't to get you hired. It's to get you an interview.

And sometimes the best design is no design at all.

But I know you can’t help yourself. In that Word doc, focus on simplicity, clarity, and spacing.

Want my free UX resume template + the ninja moves to skip the entire hiring line?

I've laid it all out in this article. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight.

🔥 HOT THIS WEEK

The goings ons

Happenings & shenanigans in the (design) world and beyond

Image a chat canvas for ChatGPT. Yes it exist! Like your stream of consciousness, but visual. Who's trying this?

maxleedev @maxleedev current chat interfaces suck, so i built a canvas for llms https://twitter.com/wavelettes/status/1956866122793521514 paris @wavelettes ChatGPT needs a 'fork chat' feature. I want to be able to branch a conversation from any point like git branch -> explore alternate timelines without ruining the main thread. or copy pasting like a freak 1:0 AM • Sep 3, 2025 484 Retweets 10031 Likes Read 345 replies

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This week’s livestream is How To Turn UX Research Into Design Decisions. We'll dive into 1. When research is worth it (and when it's not) 2. How to extract real insights and use them 3. Research methods that don't break budgets. Join us live, or watch the full recording available on YouTube.

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I'm thinking of doing a monthly audio-only office hours, where y'all get to tune in live, ask questions, without showing your face (unless that'd be more fun). Think of it as me playing therapist and rapid fire question answering. Think it's a good idea? Reply to this and let me know.

I'm looking for cracked visual/brand designers. I've been thinking about a rebrand for months (maybe years). And finally, I admit I need help. Someone to help me craft the foundations of my personal brand, UX Playbook (product, website, podcast, this newsletter, livestream) and my socials. This is going to be a HUGE project. If you know anyone, or keen to get involved, hit reply.

That's it for today. Speak soon 💛 ​ ​ — Chris

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