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Play of the Week newsletter by Chris
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Newsletter issue: #158
Read time: 1m 27s
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Ever wondered why you get ghosted?
It’s your portfolio.
It's not your work that sucks—it's actually how you're presenting it.
After reviewing hundreds of portfolios (and dealing with the eye strain to prove it), I've noticed one thing separating the "hell yes" from the "hard pass" candidates:
They understand how human brain works.
Look, our brains are lazy AF. We're wired for:
- Familiarity (fight the urge to reinvent the wheel)
- Visual hierarchy (if I don’t know what to look at, I'm out)
- Quick decisions (don’t have a million links — choice paralysis is a thing)
Your portfolio isn't your life story—it's a highlight reel with one job: make the hiring manager's brain light up like a Christmas tree.
You: But what about all my process documentation?
You: My wireframes? My sketches? My…
Me: 🤚 Stop. Just stop.
When I first heard Julie Zhuo say "Perfect is the enemy of done", she was talking about your portfolio (okay fine, she wasn't, but you get it).
That typo you're obsessing over? Nobody else cares as much as you do. We tend to overestimate how much others notice our mistakes.
Think of your portfolio like a concert:
- Open with your biggest hit (first impressions stick)
- Hide the experimental stuff in the middle (where attention naturally dips)
- Close with a banger that makes them hit "Contact Me"
Hiring managers are just stressed-out humans trying to find someone who can help them sleep better at night. Show them you're that person, and boom—you've got their attention.
Your portfolio isn't just a showcase—it's a psychological tool that should trigger one response: "Finally, someone who gets it!"
Portfolio perfection is a myth.
Below I breakdown 11 psychology principles that's helped designers land jobs at companies they actually want to work for. Ready to transform your portfolio?
